DETROIT—Detroit City FC recently completed a month-long leadership development program partnership with Merit’s FATE, culminating in Detroit high school students presenting final marketing presentations to DCFC staff.
FATE is a Detroit-based program that provides city youth opportunities to develop into world-class citizens. The organization was founded in 2012 by David Merritt and Kuhu Saha. FATE combines project-based learning, leadership development, mentorship, and exposure to various careers to help students grow and take control of their fate, regardless of race or socioeconomic background.
The students’ task was to help Detroit City FC find ways to grow the sport of soccer within the Black community. They discussed structural barriers to promoting the sport in their community and collaborated on creative solutions to integrate leadership development and soccer training.
During the final week, students presented their pitches to club leadership and staff at the Detroit City Fieldhouse. The evaluation of the students considered creativity, confidence, and presentation style. “It was great to see the students be insightful and talk about their lived experience with passion and depth,” said Bella Crispino, DCFC Marketing Manager.
“What an incredible experience being at DCFC for the last six weeks! Our hope with the FATE program is that we are creating a community that allows our students to aspire, believe, and contribute. We want to provide real-life experiences that challenge our students to be the problem-solvers, the doers, and the creators of their future. This internship opportunity challenged our students to learn about the history of soccer and the DCFC’s story and then deliver ideas on how DCFC could strengthen their connection with the Black community in Detroit. From scarf design contests to mentorship opportunities to a few football fests, FATE 12th graders delivered. We are incredibly proud of our students and grateful to the DCFC team for welcoming us into their world. We’d like to give a special shout-out to our dear friend, TJ Winfrey, who championed this effort on DCFC’s side, fully embodying their commitment to our amazing city,” said Kuhu Saha, Founder and Director of Merit.
“We thank David, Kuhu, Erica, and Give Merit’s FATE program for entrusting DCFC with their students for six weeks. For us, there is no moving forward as Detroit’s soccer club if we don’t have healthy input from the next generation. We look forward to continuing these collaborations in the future.” said TJ Winfrey, DCFC Chief of Partnerships.
About Give Merit: Founded in 2011, Give Merit exists to enhance and extend educational opportunities to underserved youth through innovative enrichment, mentorship, and athletic activities. This cohort-based program, beginning in the 9th grade and continuing through college graduation, provides innovative programming blending project-based learning, character development, career exposure, and mentorship into a co-curricular experience emphasizing the value of education and its role in providing access to achieving long-term career and personal goals.
For more information about Detroit City FC, visit detcityfc.com and follow @DetroitCityFC on X and Facebook and @detroitcityfootballclub on Instagram.
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Please send all media inquiries to media@detcityfc.com.
Primary Media Contact: Jarrett Maki (Sports Information Director, jarrett.maki@detcityfc.com)
