The Refugees United Soccer Academy in Armenia was launched in 2021 in partnership with the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and Girls of Armenia Leadership Soccer (GOALS).
After four impactful years, iACT has officially sunsetted our soccer program in Armenia. Launched in 2021 with partial funding from the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative for one year and a three-year commitment by iACT — extended to four years — it has become clear the time is right for us to move on. That said, moving forward does not mean leaving behind. We will remain committed and connected to the success of the coaches and players in Armenia. They remain a part of the iACT family.
“I will keep working with the children. I cannot disappoint them and leave them alone… . Four years is not a short time; it’s been a long journey with you. So I’m thankful for what you did, but I will keep working.” - Nelli, Academy Coach
Looking Back: iACT's Journey to Armenia
iACT has long-partnered with the Armenian community in the US on genocide awareness and prevention activities, which included advocating for the recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide. At Camp Darfur, an iACT exhibit that traveled to hundreds of schools across the United States, we always proudly included an Armenian tent to share the truth of what the Armenian people have experienced.
When the second Nagorno-Karabakh War began in 2020 — lasting six weeks and resulting in more than 7,000 deaths, and the displacement of more than 90,000 people — iACT knew we wanted to show up for the communities there to provide social-emotional support for children and families impacted. One meaningful way we could do this was to assist in filling the gap that existed in sports programming for children affected by the war.
The First Training
iACT Founders Gabriel Stauring and Katie-Jay Scott, along with long-time iACT volunteer and mindfulness expert Traca Gress, arrived in Armenia for the first time in July 2021. They launched the first five-day training camp, bringing together 19 men and women to train and potentially become soccer coaches with iACT. Some had fled the war themselves, and were freshly experiencing the pain of displacement. The same was true for many of the children they would be working with.
“While the Armenian community welcomed our team and shared their exceptional hospitality, the wounds of war remain raw and heartbreak was evident. It was an honor to be part of a group that was able to ignite joy among coaches and partners, which we know will be extended to the children of Armenia and Artsakh.” - Katie-Jay Scott, iACT Founder
“It’s like they had everything planned and they knew the people they were working with, so all the ways they treated us and the program itself…opened my wings — like my closed wings — and they got right into my heart with the way they treated us.” - Nelli, Academy Coach
The Success of the Program
Over the past four years, the iACT soccer program in Armenia grew from four coaches to seven, and reached hundreds of girls and boys across the country. Some have even committed their lives to soccer, going on to train to become professional soccer players! For others, the Academy served as a safe and joyful space to be themselves, make friends, and find peace.
In the beginning, the Academy primarily served children displaced from Artsakh and living in small villages in Armenia near the border to Artsakh.
In recent years, families displaced from Artsakh have settled into different cities and towns across Armenia, receiving support from UNHCR, local organizations, and family and friends. As a result, the number of displaced children active in our Refugees United Soccer Academies has dwindled, as they, too, moved with their families. In 2024, our local coaching team began to report on the changing context and how RUSA-Armenia was no longer serving very many displaced children.
Armenia as a Story of Success
While we are sad to leave our team in Armenia, we ultimately see this as a story of success. The local organization we partnered with, GOALS, is thriving. Their soccer and other sports programs are doing incredibly well and no longer need iACT’s support. Our coaches are also thriving: now coaching children in their community who have not necessarily been impacted by the war, but who just need a good, supportive soccer coach. And we learned from our Armenian team members through our collaboration. They adapted and iterated upon our program curriculum and further contextualized our inclusive, trauma-informed care approach. These are all wonderful things.
In December, iACT US staff and volunteers held a closing call (not sure what to call it) with our Armenia coaching team to recognize their efforts and achievements over the past four years. As our time together came to an end, before signing off, Coach Gevorg so beautifully reminded us all that our collaboration was not just about the work. It was about the friendship and connections we have made.
We want to say thank you to the iACT community of donors, for standing with the people of Artsakh and Armenia, and enabling iACT to create opportunities for friendships and connections in a time when people needed them most.
