O U R   H I S T O R Y

Big Picture Soccer was founded by Josiah Groff in 2018. Although this was the official beginning of the organization, Josiah had dreamed of using soccer as an agent of change from a very young age. His vision began to take shape on a college trip to Colombia, which is known for being one of the drug capitols of the world. Here, he witnessed a local soccer coach using the game to bring hope of a better life to the kids of the community. This experience sparked an even greater passion in Josiah to one day put his own dream into action.

Fast forward: Josiah and his wife, Casi, were living in a small community in Juarez, Mexico, working at a children’s home. One day Josiah went out to play some pick-up soccer and met a local named David who was running a small practice for his niece, nephews and a few of their friends. They began talking and came to realize that they shared very similar goals and dreams. 

David, having grown up in the realities of poverty in Juarez, knew what it was like to be passionate about soccer and want to play for a good club but unable to due to a lack of money. He had also watched so many of his childhood friends get sucked into the ever present violence and drug addictions so prevalent in border cities. Josiah recognized the opportunity to connect David’s local presence and his own passion for soccer, and Sauzal F.C. (Big Picture Soccer’s first official club) was born.

Through the experience of building the first club, Josiah began to grow the long-term vision for Big Picture Soccer to replicate this same concept in communities all over the world. The fundamental values of Big Picture Soccer like championing local leaders and striving for excellence both on and off the field began to take shape as Josiah and David worked together to build Sauzal F.C. Therefore, the ideas, values, and goals of Big Picture Soccer are much more than hypothetical notions formed from conversations around a dinner table. They are concepts built through the actual experience of creating a soccer club for the vulnerable youth within a city known for its drugs and violence.

Above all, the purpose of BPS remains: to utilize the global language of soccer to empower youth to positively transform their own lives, communities, and the world.