Peace Is the Goal

I'm a 16-year-old student and soccer player from Wisconsin. I started Peace Is the Goal as a goodwill initiative in October 2006 when I was 13 years old. This ongoing program aims to make the world a better place to live in by spreading the message of peace and giving through the world's game, soccer.

Many kids in the world have little, and are desperately looking for something positive to do. They love the sport of soccer, but many don't have real equipment to play the game. Rocks, plastic bottles or garbage are often used as balls.

The genesis of my foundation began during a car drive from Milwaukee to Fort Atkinson. During that trip, I detailed to my dad my desire to make a difference in the world.

I developed the concept for Peace Is the Goal, as well as its name. I followed that up by earning the initial seed money for my initiative. I made money by refereeing several soccer games each weekend and providing babysitting services at night. I set up meetings with local sporting goods distributors and brokered deals with them to purchase soccer equipment.