Our History

Soar Detroit was founded by Doug Kempton under the name of Eagle Sports Club (“ESC”) in 1999. Operating out of a strong passion for reaching Detroit families with the message of Jesus, ESC launched its first soccer league at Balduck Park.

What started that spring, from a heart to build life-changing relationships in the community through these 60 soccer-playing kids, their families, and a host of volunteer coaches quickly morphed into one of the biggest and best agents of life change in the history of inner-city sports in the history of Detroit.

By autumn, 145 children had signed on to play soccer, and Doug was busy recruiting volunteer coaches from his church, social circle, and various contacts. Within a few short years, nearly 2,000 kids were playing an array of sports through ESC. The leagues rapidly grew to include baseball, flag football, and both indoor and outdoor soccer. Throughout those many years of growth, Soar Detroit was also able to inspire huge improvements to Balduck Park, including the UAW Ford Championship baseball field, state-of-the-art lights, scoreboard, irrigation, and batting/pitching cages.

But in 2005, Bryce Gray, a friend, and colleague of Doug’s helped to inspire, spearhead, and personally fund the greatest innovation of all to germinate from ESC: “SOAR Tutoring”

Under Doug’s leadership, and with Bryce’s partnership, SOAR introduced a literacy program for kids on Detroit’s Eastside. With Humble beginnings, SOAR taught fifteen 3rd & 4th-grade illiterate children to read. The program has since grown to serve approximately 150 children per annum, with each child's reading improving by an average of 2 grade levels in each year of tutoring.

In 2017, SOAR Detroit partnered with the Detroit Public Schools to provide tutoring during the school day at three elementary schools. This program has continued to expand in the ensuing school years.

In 2020, Russell Harris took over the reins at SOAR Detroit, and he is just the man to lead and equip the growth of SOAR Detroit in this post-COVID era. Russell’s background in education, his multiple positions of leadership in academia, and his love and passion for serving children in the city of Detroit, combine with his unique giftedness, make him “just the right man, for such a time as this!”

So we are grateful for our exceptional roots and history, but we are even more excited about what lies ahead for us in our battle to eliminate illiteracy in the City of Detroit. As we continue to serve and expand our assistance to these future leaders of tomorrow, we are changing the lives of hundreds (and perhaps thousands) of young people in the City of Detroit. Will you join us in that worthy life-changing cause?!!

SOAR WITH US

YOUR YEAR-END GIFT CAN IMPACT A LIFE IN DYNAMIC WAYS.