Ben Gucciardi
Ben founded Soccer Without Borders while earning a Masters degree in Global Educational Leadership from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA in 2006. An undergraduate of Lehigh as well, Ben captained the Lehigh Men's Soccer Team who regularly appeared in the NCAA Division I Top 25 rankings. After graduate school, Ben played two seasons with the San Francisco Seals of the USL.
In addition to his experience on the field, Ben has worked extensively in the fields of coaching and youth development, acting as the Girls' Sports Coordinator and Coaching Coordinator at the Jamestown Community Center in the Mission District of San Francisco. He has studied conflict resolution, interactive theater, team building, and methods of teaching mindfulness practices to youth.
Ben has coached youth ages 5-18 at a variety of skill levels, and is currently the Head Coach of both the boys and girls SWB Oakland U-19 teams at Oakland International High School. Ben has also worked as a consultant for leading sports based youth-development organizations in the US, Europe, Zambia and South Africa, including Coaching Corps, Women Win, Amandla EduFootball, and Beyond Sport Inc.