Concrete2Green

Uptown Magazine "Finest"

2009-11-02T23:41:00.003-05:00

C2G in Charlotte Magazine's "Genius Issue"

2009-08-01T00:06:00.000-04:00

Contact Us:

2008-01-01T14:21:00.003-05:00

Address:

Mailing Address:
1800 Camden Rd.
Suite 107#16
Charlotte, NC 28203

Concrete2Green Futsal Center
5471 Central Ave
Charlotte, NC 28212

704.248.4901
concrete2green1@gmail.com

Akbar Majeed - Co-Founder & President
akbar@concrete2green.com

Theresa Majeed - Business Development/Sales
theresa@concrete2green.com

Irvine Smalls - Co-Founder & Board Member
irv@concrete2green.com

Futsal Comes To Harlem

2009-07-24T01:20:00.006-04:00

Although millions of kids in suburban America play soccer, millions more in urban America don’t have access, and therefore don’t play the game. Moreover, there are millions that bring the love of the game with them from their native countries, which share the same plight. Urban America has been left out of the world’s most popular sport. However, if Concrete2Green (C2G) has anything to do with it, it won’t for long.

Enter C2G’s urban soccer movement…

July 18th was a great day to be in Harlem, USA. For the first time, a “futsal pitch” or mini soccer court was laid down in the Mecca of urban culture. And it wasn’t just any court; it was a multi-color futsal court with 5 hues, courtesy of Concrete2Green and SnapSports. The court was laid at the courtyard of the historic Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building at 125^th St. & Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. (Seventh Ave).

The free daylong event started with youth clinics, consisting of boys and girls ages 5-14. It then moved into 4 v 4 exhibitions by Harlem’s own FC Harlem. The backdrop of the day was urban culture, including a DJ spinning beats, which resonated with fans, players and kids as they sang along and nodded their heads between touches. Spectators could be seen dancing to the sounds of African drums being played on the corner under the Adam Clayton Powell statue. The echoes of protesters traveled through the air from across the street, while onlookers shopped at the adjacent farmer’s market. It was an afternoon full of community, culture and creative expression.

…and the movement continues.

BACKGROUND ON THE HARLEM CUP

C2G partnered with Bill Lynch Associates, the Harlem-based consulting firm, to bring The First Annual Harlem Cup, which celebrated FC Harlem, the world’s game and urban culture. ...... TPM

C2G Revitalizes Communities - Pride Magazine

2009-06-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More urban soccer

The Harlem Cup

2009-07-07T06:50:00.012-04:00

Soccer in the Hood

2008-04-10T12:16:00.002-04:00

Mark. W. Wright writer, editor & director of content and editorial services at ESPN Regional Television gives Concrete2Green a shootout on Rushmoredrive.com.

Pretty boy David Beckham recently told CBS’ 60 Minutes that he’s “passionate about the fact [soccer] can grow [in American] and the potential is huge here.” But he cautioned his interviewer, adding, “Things aren’t going to turn around and get bigger [in the U.S.] in the next six months or a year. It’s going to take five, ten years to obviously grow the game.” 
 
That may be, but Becks is missing one very important point that no one in the sport in America wants to identify: Soccer will never truly flourish here until Black kids in the ‘hood embrace it. Until there is a Black face —and with all due respect to Freddy Adu and his skills, we are talking about a Black, American born-and-bred face — plastered across the tube, a la LeBron James or Reggie Bush, the world’s most popular sport won’t matter in the world’s most powerful country.   

But the onus isn’t on Black kids. The game has to be marketed to them—meaning corporate America has to buy in (by building fields, support rec leagues, supporting high school programs, etc.) and share some of the money that’s spent on soccer in white suburbia, where some 18 million kids play every year, according to FIFA.  

Our kids are playing, but somewhere between ages 8 and 11, we lose them to other sports. We’ve been here before, though. Pele was 34 when he came to America in the ’70s to take the game to new heights. But like Becks, he was past his prime. But maybe the tide’s starting to turn. Prominent Hollywood entertainment executive Joe Roth (and majority owner of Major League Soccer’s new Seattle franchise) says he’d “rather have five Jozy Altidores than five David Beckhams.”

Altidore is a 17-year-old scoring sensation who plays for MLS’ New York Red Bulls as well as the U-20 National Team (with Adu). Altidore, coincidentally, just became the second youngest athlete ever featured on an EA SPORTS videogame cover.  ”In Altidore,” Roth pointed out, “we’ve got a dynamic player who isn’t even 20. He’s the one the 15-year-olds can identify with, the type that can bridge the disconnect between the countless 5-year-olds playing out there and older teenagers who lost interest.” Just imagine if we had initiatives like Concrete2Green or FC Harlem — organizations devoted to developing the game of soccer in urban and disadvantaged communities in the United States, supported by Nike and Home Depot and Honda?   

Imagine how many Jozy Alitdores would “pop up.” We don’t hate Becks here; we love him, in fact. But he’s been tasked with a mission he will never complete–not without Black faces and American accents.

C2G Getting Involved

2008-06-19T12:18:00.009-04:00

For Immediate Release

C2G & Street Soccer USA:
"Homeless USA Cup"

Charlotte, NC- June 28, 2008 – Concrete2Green, LLC, a socially conscious marketing firm that uses innovative and eco friendly strategies to grow the sport of soccer in US inner cities and urban communities, was born in Harlem, NY and is headquartered in Charlotte, NC.

In its efforts to use soccer as an agent for social change & building support for the homeless, Concrete2Green has partnered with Street Soccer USA. Street Soccer USA is the leading organizer of the Homeless USA Cup and the Homeless US National Team, and is currently housed at Urban Ministry’s in Charlotte, NC.

Street Soccer USA will host its 2008 USA Homeless Cup this year in the nations capital Washington DC, June 26th – 28th 2008 at Kastles Stadium @ the Old Conversation Center, 11th and H Street, Washington DC 21008. www.streetsoccerusa.com

As a part of the Homeless USA Cup, Concrete2Green will host a number of events, including the final leg of the Rise Sport-FC Harlem Tour, where FC Harlem will take on the Homeless USA National team. Additionally, there will be a freestyle soccer exhibition and a poetry open mic featuring Mario Rocha (Sixth Son Productions) & Delrica Andrews (DC Slam Master). Events will take place on Saturday June 28, 2008 from 3 – 6pm.

The Homeless USA Cup has approximately 100 players from 12 cities from San Francisco to Atlanta that will compete for the US Cup trophy and for a spot on the US National Team. Spectators will witness great determination and learn to see homelessness in a whole new light.

Concrete2Green’s mission is to revolutionize the way that soccer is played, viewed and thought of in the U.S. and to be the driving force behind urban soccer – a new landscape on which soccer is played that is directly linked to the culture of urban life: www.concrete2green.com

C2G’s Urban Street Soccer Fest:

2008-12-04T19:59:00.003-05:00

CHARLOTTE, NC- November 26, 2008-Eclectic international culture invades the Queen City with Charlotte’s first ever Urban Street Soccer Fest on December 13, 2008 at Eastland Mall on the city’s east side. Concrete2Green, (C2G) along with Street Soccer USA, a 501[c]3 organization, will host this celebration of the world’s game by providing an afternoon full of community, culture & creative expression. This event will feature a soccer clinic, street soccer 4 vs. 4 matches, freestyle exhibitions, live art, music and prizes.

C2G’s last event was held in Washington, DC as a part of the USA Homeless Cup which was a tremendous success. Proceeds of the Urban Street Soccer Fest will go towards assisting with Street Soccer USA’s local programming efforts.

“We [C2G and Street Soccer USA] have come together because we understand the power soccer can play as a means for social change,” explains Akbar Majeed, President and Co-Founder of Concrete2Green.

If you would like to volunteer or sponsor this innovative event, please call 704.248.4901 or email Akbar@concrete2green.com for more information. For vending opportunities, call 704.248.4901.

About Concrete2Green
Concrete2Green, (C2G) is a socially conscious company that uses innovative and eco-friendly strategies to grow the sport of soccer in inner cities, urban & underserved communities in the United States. www.concrete2green.com.

About Street Soccer USA
Street Soccer USA, 501[c]3 (SSUSA) is the national body responsible for organizing the US National Cup and the US representative to the Homeless World Cup and the first and only year round soccer program for the homeless in the USA.

What is Concrete2Green?

2008-01-02T11:31:00.004-05:00

Concrete2Green, LLC is the Premier Urban Soccer Company. C2G is also a socially conscious company that uses innovative and eco friendly strategies to grow the sport of soccer in US inner cities and urban communities. C2G’s mission is to revolutionize the way that soccer is played, viewed and thought of in the U.S. and to be the driving force behind urban soccer – a new landscape on which soccer is played that is directly linked to the culture of urban life.

C2G will provide the platform on which soccer can gain popularity and thrive in urban centers where large, vibrant communities of soccer players and fans already exist. Particularly in the United States, urban communities are not currently considered traditional centers of influence for soccer. However, urban cities, in general, and urban America, in particular, have proven to be the conduit that produces, popularizes, and legitimizes unique cultural expressions (e.g., music, fashion, and language) that are widely accepted, duplicated and consumed all over the world. Soccer has proven itself to be accessible to anyone and C2G will demonstrate how increasing soccer’s accessibility to urban America can translate into increased profitability and popularity in ways that have not been previously explored.

Chief among them is C2G’s commitment to managing its operations in ways that demonstrate its core value of protecting and improving the environment, with particular attention to the needs and concerns of urban communities. Through soccer, C2G will promote healthy, smart, and ‘green’ living that address challenges facing inner cities. Therefore, C2G seeks to partner with other companies and organizations that share our commitment to supporting ‘green’ initiatives for inner cities and those who live there.

1st Concrete2Green Center Opens

2009-01-27T14:56:00.004-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Charlotte, NC – January 27, 2009 – Concrete2Green, the country’s premiere urban soccer company has opened its 1st Concrete2Green Center in Eastland Mall to host indoor street soccer/futsal. In what was previously an ice skating rink in the mall’s lower level, C2G has laid down a futsal court (courtesy of Street Soccer USA) and plans to cover the entire 14,000+sf space with 3 courts in the upcoming months to run a fully functional indoor street soccer/futsal facility.

There’s a big misconception throughout Mecklenburg County that Eastland Mall is no longer open to the public or a place worthy of supporting. Concrete2Green’s presence in Eastland Mall will undoubtedly breathe new life into Charlotte's Eastside showing that the Eastside is still vibrant, alive and full of energy.

The first week of play was an overwhelming success and was well received by the community, players and mall vendors alike. “We’re the first to open a street soccer/futsal center in a mall in the country, and this is more than just soccer it’s about Urban economic revitalization, Youth and Community Engagement & Multi-Cultural Learning and Education “ according to Akbar Majeed, President & Co-Founder of Concrete2Green. Throughout 2009 the C2G Center will offer a number of events (i.e., clinics, tournaments Brasilian Capoeria dance and open play for pick-up games)

For more information about Concrete2Green, facility hours of operation, events or if you are interested in partnering or sponsorship opportunities please call 704.248.4901 or email Akbar@concrete2green.com. Concrete2Green is also offering internships to local high school & college students.

2009-06-25T10:41:00.001-04:00

Click for more info

Carnival Day

2009-03-14T21:06:00.009-04:00

Come and enjoy all of the unique and edifying performances brought together in ‘Carnival Day’. This flavorful celebration is sure to heighten the senses and spice up your day. Hosted by the Concrete 2 Green Futsal Center, in conjunction with Roda de Mundo, mark your calendar for March 28, 2009 for the International Corridor event, free to the public held in Eastland Mall, East Charlotte.

Sample local ethnic cuisines, compete in the first annual ‘Carnival Day 4 v 4 Indoor Soccer Tournament’, or just observe as resident artist from the Charlotte Metro area create groundbreaking artwork. With special performances by Movimentos de Samba, S&A Dance Company, Reinaldo Brahn, and Leshea Stukes just to name a few.

Norsan Media and C2G Come Together For Urban Youth

2009-05-08T09:35:00.006-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Charlotte, NC -- May 5, 2009 – Norsan Multimedia, the largest Hispanic Media Group in the Carolinas has established a partnership with Concrete2Green, LLC (C2G), the premiere urban soccer company.

This partnership will work to provide urban youth, particularly Latino and African American, with a powerful forum for self-expression through soccer and the arts. The C2G Kid’s Club will be the first initiative from this partnership.

Concrete2Green is a maverick in community building and utilizes Futsal/Street Soccer as a vehicle for social change and multi-cultural learning. The company enters once abandoned spaces in urban areas and revitalizes them, giving youth safe places to play. Concrete2Green feels the C2G Kid’s Club will serve to broaden the perception of soccer in America, and aid in promoting acceptance of cultural differences, while making soccer more socially acceptable in populations that are not currently represented in the sport. Through the C2G Kid’s Club, Norsan and C2G will provide youth with more than just the opportunity to learn about the game of soccer, it will ensure positive community involvement, encourage athletic and artistic activity, offer an alternative to at-risk behaviors and give children an opportunity to learn about different cultures, which will open a new world that extends past their city block.

“C2G is revolutionizing soccer and how it is perceived in the US, and we feel that partnering with a company like Norsan Media Group is a great step in helping change the perception,” says Akbar Majeed, Co-founder of C2G. Edgar Saucedo, Norsan’s GM says, “We look forward to a successful partnership with Concrete2Green as we work together to forge relationships that cross cultural barriers and provide opportunities for our youth”.

Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, Norsan Media Group owns and operates four Spanish format radio stations and one weekly publication. Norsan’s platform is not limited to radio and print, it also has the two most visited Spanish Internet sites in Charlotte, along with a mobile media division. Norsan Media owns Mi Gente Spanish Newspaper in Charlotte as well as a sister publication in Jacksonville, FL, both publications have been the leading Spanish-language newspapers for the past four years in these markets. Norsan Media is one of the fastest growing Latino broadcasting groups in the country, with stations in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In Charlotte, Norsan Multimedia owns and operates: 106.1 FM La Raza, 102.3 FM Latina, 1310 AM Radio Formula, and 1060 AM Alfa, the only Spanish Christian radio station. For more information, please visit their website at www.norsanmedia.com or call 704-405-3172.

Concrete2Green, (C2G) is a socially conscious, grassroots company that uses innovative and eco-friendly strategies to grow the sport of soccer in inner cities, urban & underserved communities in the United States & throughout the world. www.concrete2green.com or 704.248.4901

The C2G Kid’s Club is for 5 to 12-year olds who are interested in playing soccer and receiving a culturally diverse experience [i.e. art, music, and dance]. The Concrete2Green Futsal Center in Charlotte, NC will be the hub for the Kid’s Club.

C2G & SnapSports Come Together for Urban Development

2009-04-08T10:02:00.005-04:00

Charlotte, NC -- April 2, 2009 – SnapSports, Inc., the leading outdoor courts and modular sports flooring manufacturer, & Concrete2Green, the country’s premiere urban soccer company have come together for Urban Development with the opening of the Concrete2Green Futsal Center in Charlotte, NC (picture above).

Indoor soccer fields scoring big at Eastland

2009-03-30T22:35:00.004-04:00

Charlottean converts mall's ice rink for ‘futsal' and hopes the game appeals to youths, especially African Americans.
By Tonya Jameson
tjameson@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Thursday, Mar. 26, 2009

Charlotte businessman Akbar Majeed has converted the old ice rink at Eastland Mall into soccer fields. On Saturday, Carnival Day will celebrate the new facility with free entertainment and cultural activities. PHOTO COURTESY OF DIRK WEAVER

Growing up in Charlotte, Akbar Majeed played club soccer until he reached high school.
Soccer, he said, wasn't cool for black kids. “It's not socially acceptable in our community,” said Majeed, a West Charlotte High graduate.

“Everybody in the world plays soccer, but African Americans.”

In the United States, the world's most popular sport is seen as an activity for suburban white youth and Hispanics – typically in separate leagues, said Majeed, the son of former City Council member Nasif Majeed.
Majeed, 36, hopes to change soccer's image among African American youth. He also wants to create a place where people of all ethnicities play soccer together.

Majeed is starting his soccer movement in east Charlotte where he has converted Eastland Mall's old ice rink into three indoor soccer fields called Concrete2Green Futsal Center.

On Saturday, Majeed will host Carnival Day to officially unveil the center. The event will offer a free clinic for youth ages 5-12 in the early afternoon and a tournament later. There will also be entertainment and exhibitions throughout the day.
Majeed opened the center in January for about a month. About 75-80 people of all ages and ethnicities played on the weekends. The center closed in February as Majeed, relatives, friends and students from Garinger High School installed two additional fields.

The center is winning early praise.

Darrell Bonapart, chairman of the Charlotte East Community Partners, stopped by the field several times. He said many youths and young men play and watch from the mall concourse above the field. Bonapart said he hopes city officials notice the venue's success because one idea for redevelopment of the mall includes adding a sports complex.
“It has been a tremendous boost,” said Bonapart. “Everyone was really surprised ... at how it's drawn the young men off the streets. It's been a great atmosphere.”

City Council member Nancy Carter agrees.
“It's entertainment. It's fun,” she said. “It's an activity for kids as well as adults. It's good a use of space.”
Futsal is an indoor version of soccer – less formal than the traditional game. Think of it like pickup basketball. Typically teams of four compete.

Majeed wants the center to feel as organic as a skate park. Local artists will create murals for the walls, and there will be deejays as well. The center will be available for open play on weekends. League play and beginner clinics will start in April. The facility is also available for rent.

If the futsal center is successful at Eastland, Majeed plans to use it as a model for other cities nationwide. He wants to place centers in areas with high minority populations.
“The eastside of Charlotte,” he said, “represents the changing face of the United States. It's more diverse.”

Indoor Soccer @ Eastland Mall Video

2009-03-30T22:22:00.003-04:00

Check out video

C2G @ Eastland Mall

2009-03-05T22:27:00.006-05:00

At Eastland Mall, soccer venue replaces ice rink

2009-02-17T20:09:00.004-05:00

Businessman converts indoor space into what he hopes will become a lure for urban youths.

By Kevin Caston
Posted: Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009
DIRK WEAVER PHOTO

A Charlotte businessman has converted a space inside Eastland Mall into a soccer field. He hopes it will be a lure for urban youths.

On any given day of the week, you're likely to see groups of teenagers hanging out at Eastland Mall.

Most often, they're not shopping but rather looking for something to do. Charlotte businessman Akbar Majeed has launched a new business inside the mall that he hopes will fill their time, expose them to something new and teach them some valuable life skills.

It's soccer, a sport most urban kids ignore.

Majeed has converted the mall's 14,000-square-foot indoor ice-skating rink on the lower level into a soccer field, complete with a plastic surface and two netted goals. His company, Concrete2Green, was launched in the Harlem community of New York City but now is headquartered in Charlotte. Its mission is twofold: to take abandoned fields or large, neglected indoor spaces and turn them into soccer fields, and to lure young African Americans and Latinos to those fields.

“This is a social venture,” said Majeed, Concrete2Green's co-founder. “It's also about revitalizing communities and giving young people something to do.”

Click For Complete Article

C2G in "Black Sports The Magazine"

2008-09-17T00:33:00.006-04:00

Get your own - Open publication

Check out "Black Sports The Magazines"
Sept08 Issue (page. 22)

Urban Street Soccer Fest.

2008-12-14T00:31:00.006-05:00

Urban Street Soccer Fest. in Charlotte, NC was a big success.

FC Harlem Banquet

2008-03-20T17:59:00.003-04:00

Irv Smalls & FC Harlem bring together two of soccer's biggest stars (Pele & David Beckham) for a good cause to raise funds for a new FC Harlem soccer field.

more about the event...........

C2G Exhibition & Poetry Open Mic

2008-06-28T23:22:00.005-04:00

During the Homeless USA Cup, Concrete2Green entertained, inspired hearts and opened ears. C2G presented the FC Harlem & Homeless USA National Team exhibition and brought out Delrica Andrews, DC’s very own Poetry Slam Master & Slam Master for the 11th Hour Poetry Slam, to inspire the players and crowd with her poetry and words of enlightenment.

2008 Homeless USA Cup/ An Amazing Weekend

2008-06-30T23:17:00.004-04:00

Concrete2Green is truly honored that we were invited to be a part of the 2008 Homeless USA Cup in DC, where the true spirit of Urban Street Soccer was on display.

Speaking the International Language of Soccer

2008-06-09T13:40:00.003-04:00

For Immediate Release

Charlotte, NC- June 9, 2008 - Concrete2Green, LLC (C2G), a grassroots organization founded in Harlem, New York and headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is the Corporate Envoy of ground level social work for the excessively paved 21st century city . A maverick in community building, C2G utilizes futsal, the international moniker for freestyle street soccer, as their vehicle for social change. The company enters once abandoned fields of recreation in urban areas and revitalizes them, giving cities safe, pristine Edens for play. C2G support's "green" initiatives in the inner city, promoting healthier living while addressing environmental concerns. The fresh locales serve as a central hub for community, culture and creativity, returning a sense of kinship and pride back to the inner city.

C2G's co-founders, Akbar Majeed and Irvine Smalls, Jr., are revolutionizing not only how soccer is perceived, but how it is played. The company's deeply held conviction is that soccer is not just a sport; it is an approach to metropolitan altruism. Futsal is a new concept to the American soccer enthusiast, and C2G assumes the mantle of Ambassador, popularizing the international soccer phenomenon in the U.S.

"Outside of the obvious reasons why sports are good for youth, particularly inner city youth (keeps them focus, provide structure, helps fight obesity and the list goes on) our organization allows us to expose and attach them to the global community," Smalls explains. "This will broaden their experiences, and let them see that there are opportunities beyond their neighborhoods and the borders of the U.S."

C2G is about accessibility, stimulating a climate of inclusion where youth (particularly those of African, African American and Latino descent) from traditionally neglected communities are given the same opportunities as their suburban counterparts. C2G will orchestrate the rebirth of soccer in order to level the playing field in myriad ways. Via C2G's "GreenTop Initiative," the company provides more than the opportunity to learn about the game of soccer, it will ensure positive community involvement, encourage athletic activity and give children an opportunity to learn about different cultures, opening a new world that extends past their city block. For more information, visit http://www.concrete2green.com