When Andrew So moved from the West Coast to New York City in his 20s, he began work as a teacher at a public middle school in the South Bronx, an area with one of the nation’s highest poverty rates.
Growing up in greater San Francisco and Portland, So had loved playing soccer competitively and, through the sport, gained a close group of friends, a way to stay healthy and a chance to express himself: the stuff that makes for a happy young life.
When he realized that his South Bronx students lacked meaningful extracurricular activities, So started an after-school soccer club. Some students had never kicked a ball before but took to it immediately; others, whose families hailed from places like Mexico, Jamaica or Nigeria, already loved the sport. Over time, the club took off.
In 2009, So leveled up, co-founding South Bronx United (SBU), a youth development organization rooted in soccer. Today, SBU serves almost 2,000 boys and girls each year, offering summer camps, recreational leagues and competitive travel soccer. So is SBU’s Executive Director.
The organization is now about much more than sport. SBU is all about leveraging the power that soccer has to provide holistic support for youth and families in the South Bronx. The organization’s impressive array of social services include academic support and college prep, workforce development, leadership training and immigration legal services. SBU even operates a social enterprise coffee shop, The Clubhouse Café, that employs youth in the program and provides the neighborhood with a much needed social space outside home and work.
Read on to learn more about South Bronx United, students’ excitement about the 2026 World Cup and the best items on the café’s menu.
Macombs Dam Park
As a teacher in the South Bronx, you started a soccer club after realizing your students would benefit from after-school programs. Why did you pick soccer?
Andrew So: Soccer was something I was already passionate about, so it was easy for me to convey that passion. But I think even without that side, soccer is a sport that’s really for everyone. You just need a ball and be able to run around. As you get to higher levels, there’s a lot of technique and skill involved, but at a basic level, it’s an easy game for everyone to understand and be able to play.
What inspired you to begin South Bronx United in 2009?
AS: We had some kids that were pretty talented. When I was growing up, playing on a team outside of school was a big thing. That’s where real competition came, and real learning. There wasn’t a competitive team that gave kids a chance to get outside of the Bronx and compete. I figured out what the league was, the [Cosmopolitan] Junior Soccer League. We incorporated as a nonprofit right off the bat and put a team in the league to give those kids a chance to play year-round.
Even kids that were born in other countries—they’d come to [school in the] South Bronx and would rarely leave their 10-block radius. I remember in that first year traveling to Staten Island, and the kids would say, “Oh my God, look, there’s trees and big houses. This is crazy.”
Students at SBU Academy participate in academic programming up to 12 hours a week after school
One hundred percent of the kids who participate in SBU’s academic program have graduated from high school. Most have gone on to college. What accounts for that success?
AS: Our biggest [role] is providing the youth with a support network, so that they have a mentor who keeps them in the program and emphasizes the need to stay in school. [The program] advocates for students as well: if school’s not working out for a student, we help them think about a place to transfer that might be a better fit for them. Or for students that are struggling with English, we make sure they’re getting the right English-language support.
The students are with our program for four hours of classroom time, but up to 12 hours a week during after-school and out-of-school times. It takes up so much of their time in a positive fashion. That alone can make a big, big difference.
SBU Academy's programming includes tutoring, test prep, academic clubs and even college guidance for high school seniors
What are the biggest challenges that SBU faces?
AS: We fundraise pretty much our whole budget, so that’s a challenge—certainly no different than a lot of nonprofits doing important work in the City. But yeah, it’s tough.
On the programming side, we serve immigrant communities. We provide immigration legal services. There are always additional needs that youth and families have, and that’s only been exacerbated with the political landscape and fear that’s been struck in a lot of communities. So that’s another thing: figuring out how to provide additional support.
The Clubhouse Café
Why did SBU decide to start The Clubhouse Café?
AS: A lot of youths were telling us that they need to work. We wanted to provide employment in-house. We had this opportunity to use a space under our offices at 812 River Avenue. And [with sectors like] retail, hospitality, especially here in the City, you can get a job anywhere. If you build up those skills, kids can find entry-level jobs that could lead to a long career.
And believe it or not, there was no sit-down coffee shop in this area. We shouldn’t say, Oh, the South Bronx, you can’t have a place where you can bring your laptop and work and have a coffee and build community. So I think that was a big piece of it as well: providing that benefit to the neighborhood.
Andrew So at The Clubhouse Café
What’s good on the menu?
AS: The coffee is from Devoción. It’s imported from Colombia and very fresh. Any espresso drinks are really good. We have everything: hot chocolate, lemonade and baked goods that are supplied by Mottley Kitchen and other Mott Haven bakeries.
This is a good chance to address folks from other boroughs or out of town. What do you want people to know about the South Bronx?
AS: It’s had a reputation going back many decades of being a really rough area and people trying to avoid it, unless they’re coming to a Yankees game or NYCFC game. But there’s plenty of other amazing stuff. There’s the Bronx Museum. There’s Bronx Children’s Museum. There’s the High Bridge. There’s Franz Sigel Park. A new hip-hop museum about to open. This is a great place to visit. At the same time, one reason to come is to support the community. There’s still a high need.
Student athletes practice at SBU Clubhouse's indoor mini soccer pitch
Back to soccer! This summer’s World Cup is taking place in the US, including in the New York area. What will this mean for SBU’s student-athletes?
AS: We're actually going to have kids walking out [with players at the games], along with several other organizations. So those kids will get a really memorable experience.
Having it here and bringing the world here is important. We’re all about emphasizing diversity. This will provide a lot of opportunities to talk about that with the kids as well. Everyone’s really excited for what it can do for the City, for the community, for bringing everyone together. And kids will feel pride seeing their favorite players come into their backyard.