OUR SYSTEM
THE SSF SYSTEM = OUR inspiration + purpose + mission + vision + values + PLEDGE. learn more below.
INSPIRATION
PURPOSE
MISSION
VISION
VALUES
PLEDGE
FOUNDER’s MESSAGE
in 2009… i moved to nantucket with my born + raised islander wife.
IT WAS much different than the culture of the ny / nj area where I grew up.
nantucket is unique.
in the high-season it’s jammed with tourists and gets press for its high priced real estate + jet setting visitors. in the off -season, thousands of visitors leave, but many of us remain to raise our families, enjoy the natural island beauty, and come together to support the development + protection of our community 30 miles out at sea.
when i first moved here, i quickly recognized a void of sport opportunities for the community’s youth athletes. so, i started to coach, listen to the athletes, and learn about the community’s needs.
in my free time, i offered specialized training to kids that asked me how to play soccer “at the next level”. a few hours here + there led to 10 years of training self-driven boys + girls to become “better” athletes.
during this time, i realized it was just as important to help youth develop their athletic skills as well as it was to help them develop their life skills.
after numerous high performance coaching courses, reading as much as possible about the mental development of youth athletes, and recognizing a growing year round population in our community, i decided the training i offered needed to become more.
It needed to be setup as an official sport foundation that would be supported & powered by many more people (much smarter than me).
in 2021… the ssf was officially formed as a non-profit with the purpose to “empower YOUTH ATHLETES with skills for life + play + their future”.
today… three photos that served as the inspiration + motivation TO LAUNCH the ssf still sit behind my desk as a constant reminder of the ssf purpose.
Kevin Korn
FOUNDER + E.D.
Sustainable Sport Foundation
INSPIRATION FOR THE SSF
imagery CREDITS:
untitled, ny, ny, by leonard freed, 1963.
character letterpress, by yee haw industries, 2002.
muhammad ali, london england, by thomas hoepker, 1966.
PURPOSE
WHY We EXIST:
we are the sustainable sport foundation and our purpose is to empower youth athletes with skills for life + play + theIR future.
MISSION
What we do and for whom:
the sustainable sport foundation provides guidance, coaching, and specialized support via programs, events, and consulting to youth athletes & sporting orgs that strive to grow as responsible leaders in their community.
VISION
WHAT we ASPIRE FOR IN THE FUTURE:
THE ssf ASPIRES to create a sustainable sport culture by becoming the pioneering provider of sport resources to all athletes and organizations in the local communities where we operate and in our partners’ communities across the globe.
VALUES
WHat drives our culture & guides our actions:
courage
having the courage to try (again) is so important! the possibility of falling or failing can be scary for kids, (and to many parents), but the ability to bounce back from a fall or failure is what defines our athletes. resilience is learned by example, and by giving kids competitive athletic opportunities the ssf is able to help youth athletes teach themselves how to best recover from stressful situations.
respect
we firmly believe that without respect there is nothing. all ssf members learn why it is so important to respect themselves, their teammates, opponents, coaches, referees, fans +++. holding a high regard for all people is an action that is engraved in all of our members, for life.
pasSION
passion equals dedication. having an emotional connection with both sport and the best interest of their community is a commitment that all ssf members make. love of the game is one thing, but loving the game so much that you want to do everything possible so the next generation can also enjoy is part of the ssf system.
understanding
embracing mistakes as part of the process is an extremely important part of ssf values. it is impossible to fail if you believe that mistakes exist as an opportunity to learn more than you already knew. rather than discouraging mistakes, the ssf believes that we must embrace them. when mistakes are not a fear, creativity is given the opportunity to grow in ways that one would never know are possible. the bicycle kick would never have been created (or even attempted) if mistakes were discouraged.
CHARACTER
an athlete’s character is a combination of their personality, commitment, passion, dedication, courage, resilience, and grit. it’s the most important intangible aspect of all athletes and makes our breaks their ability to become the next generation of leaders our societies need.
discipline
showing up is not good enough. hard work is non-negotiable. we believe that every training session should be played like its the last. working hard on the field is just as important as having the discipline off the field to ensure athletes get proper nutrition, sleep, education, and family time.
THE SSF PLEDGE
what we ask all ssf members, partners, and staff to agree to:
We believe that youth athletes learn priceless amounts of knowledge by competing against expectations, teammates, and opponents on the field of play.
We believe their dreams can become reality and help focus each athlete on the importance of training to make these dreams come to life.
We believe that character + respect + discipline are three foundational pillars of a successful athlete, and we will help create an environment that allows youth to develop their skills as athletes and responsible members of society.
We believe important life skills are learned in athletic training, competition, and team building.
We believe that hard work, as well as negotiation, leadership, and compassion are all able to be learned, felt, and understood on a field of play…. and that when they are learned in sport, can be applied in life (and vice versa).
We believe in teaching youth athletes to find a passion for something larger than themselves, specifically for social and environmental sustainability challenges that exist in communities around the world.
We promise to challenge ourselves to be the best mentors coaches, partners, and / or supporters of SSF athletes that we can be.
And we promise to support the ssf vision to build a sustainable sport culture that empowers youth athletes as the next generation of leaders our world needs.
