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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A soccer league started for refugees living in Salt Lake City is designed to push young people toward successful lives in the United States.
Refugee Soccer was started by Adam Miles, the Deseret News reported (http://bit.ly/2d9oOEt ).
"Playing soccer is a great metaphor for life," Miles said. "There is teamwork, hard work. You have a goal, and you go for it."
Miles says he hopes the program's recent inaugural soccer tournament will raise awareness and "show the business community the energy, talent and potential that exists in this otherwise overlooked community."
The program includes people such as 19-year-old Isaack Shire, originally from Kenya.
"It helps me stay out of the streets," he said, "and it will be a big help to a lot of refugees out there. It will give me direction for the future."
The Salt Lake Community College student says he's interested in sports medicine or management.
Miles said he wants to create partnerships for the program.
"We want to give them an opportunity, give them a shot — whether it's attending a job fair, a corporate event a local company is having, or doing a field trip to see how some of these companies work," he explained. "That kind of interaction and engagement is invaluable."
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Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
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