Joy of the People

Innovation, beauty, imagination powered by joy, introducing JOTP Woodbury

 

Joy of the People

“Alegria do povo,” Portuguese for “Joy of the people,” is the Brazilian expression for soccer at it’s best: played by everyone, played with skill, and played with joy.  At JOTP we believe that soccer should be inclusive, fun, creative, and cooperative long before it becomes competitive. Through the patient building of skills kids are allowed to accept and expand on each challenge, growing their love of the game, discovering the joy of play, joy of friendship, joy of creativity, and the joy of the people.

A Simple Idea

JOTP is a 501 (c)(3) that promotes the simple idea of soccer free play as a way to build healthy kids and communities.  In 2009, JOTP partnered with the City of St. Paul to provide programming at South St. Anthony Rec center where we created an inviting environment of play.  Each year we provide more than 1,400 hours of safe monitored Free Play soccer for kids of all ages at no cost.

Lifelong friends

Started by lifelong friends in soccer, Joy of the People was put together with the belief that soccer is a game of life long skill mastery.  The best players have always developed by playing a lot, with and amongst friends. Travel soccer is not the best way to develop, much less have fun, learn, and enjoy the game for life.

A New Youth Sports Development Model

Perhaps the most important result of JOTP's work is the cultivation and establishment of a new youth sports model where the dreams and wishes of the child are seen as the living curriculum. Youth sports are not adult sports.  Growing the model to other communities and even other sports, JOTP is cogently leading the change to create a better future for our kids!

15 years!

Joy of the People is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2024! The amazing growth we’ve seen, the outstanding support we’ve received, and the fantastic community that we’ve built over the past 11 years wouldn’t have been possible without contributors like you!

Walking the walk--What we have accomplished

🔬 Developed a better youth sport model, the Powered By Joy (PBJ). Science based, best practice system  that puts play and joy back into learning.

🏃 140,000 Hour of no cost, safe and monitored Free Play

🍔 170,000 free meals served

👏 We built our Field of Joy! The Charles Ball Campinho. A $300,000 world class play space that puts together all the best practices of play. 

❤ FreePlayGo! A groundbreaking new initiative to build community play nationwide--bringing Joy close to home.  www.FreePlayGo.org

 Let's support play on give to the max day.  Please consider a donation to Joy of the People  (JOTP)  on give to the max day.  JOTP is dedicated to the play of the child.  Play is how we build important skills for life like communication, cooperation, executive function and more. If we want healthy, strong men and women we must dedicate resources to bring it back.  By supporting JOTP you are helping revive the lost language of play.