The Chicago Fire Soccer Club Practice in the Community, presented by University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, will kick-off a full year of community activation Saturday, June 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. CT at the Ortiz de Dominguez Elementary School (31st Street and Lawndale) in Little Village. The event will launch Premier Skills USA, a year-long, community-based initiative that will utilize world-class soccer expertise to engage youth and help them develop skills for a brighter future. Premier Skills, which will make its North American debut in Chicago, is slated to begin community soccer sessions at the same location this July.

The Practice in the Community is free of charge and open to the public. Highlights include the opportunity to watch a first team training session, FireFest interactive elements, as well as autograph and picture opportunities. Premier Skills USA representatives will also be on hand to offer young people the chance to sign-up to the soccer sessions starting in July. The program also works with young people to decrease anti-social behavior and gang-related violence. For the program’s extension in Little Village, the Fire has teamed up with the British Council, English Premier League, Beyond the Ball, Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, World Sport Chicago and the Chicago Park District. For more information on Premier Skills or Practice in the Community, please visit www.chicago-fire.com.