SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It’s hard for Chris Zaccaria to imagine soccer not being a part of her life.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Zaccaria, a referee and youth coach with Street Soccer Sacramento. “And I enjoy meeting adults and I enjoy playing with the kids. You know you just get to see little ones grow, from little to big, with their experience.”

What You Need To Know

  • Over 500 players will attend the Homeless World Cup soccer competition

  • More than 50 nations will compete

  • It's the first time the U.S. will host the competition

  • It will be played in Sacramento July 8-15

Zaccaria’s story of falling in love with the world game doesn’t have a straightforward path.

“I was homeless in 2004, and I got myself clean in 2005,” she said. “So I have 17 years clean and sober.”

Zaccaria is now in a much more stable place in her life and attributes part of that to Street Soccer USA’s local Sacramento chapter. The organization helps unhoused people by inviting them to be a part of a loving and caring group while having fun. Zaccaria said she’s so thankful she came and checked out the group when she did.

“It gives you purpose,” she said. “You know, before I was with streets soccer, I lived at transitional housing. I had mandatory meetings. I had to make sure my kids went to school. They had what they needed. When I met Angelina, she was like there’s something much more bigger you can come and see. And when I did, I saw people just myself, raising their children, struggling with drug addiction, you know, trying to keep housing.”

To Zaccaria’s surprise and enjoyment, she didn’t just excel at the local level of soccer. She was even picked as part of the USA team to represent the country at the Homeless World Cup Soccer event in 2014.

“Great things come out of it,” she said. “I’ve met so many people from different countries.”

The world cup tournament celebrates its 20th year in existence and will come to the U.S. for the first time. The Golden State’s capital will play host. Organizers like Matthew Williams, who’s a mad English Premier League Tottenham Hotspur fan, said it’s another great opportunity to shine a light on the homeless situation around the world.

“The players are celebrated for a week,” said Williams. “The players have a platform to perform and also feel a part of society and playing football again, which just bonds and creates relationships that last forever.”

Although Zaccaria said she won’t be playing for the U.S. this year, she hopes to still be involved.

“I hope to be the referee or at least volunteer as the referee or even set up the court,” she said. “I don’t care what it is. You ask me, I’ll be there. I’ll do it, because I love this program. This is my family.”

With record numbers of people being homeless in California, Zaccaria hopes the world cup event will encourage those who are in difficulty to see that life doesn’t have to stay that way, and that there are people who want to help.