A tournament on the West Side this weekend is using soccer to help keep people off the streets.
Teams of homeless men and women from 20 cities across the U.S. are competing in the Street Soccer National Cup at Pier 54.
It's put on by Help USA, a group that fights homelessness.
Organizers say the program helps as many as 75 percent of the players find jobs, housing, or further education.
"I was recently incarcerated and after I got out I found this program called the Doe Fund, Ready, Willing and Able. And that's where I found Street Soccer, through that. And never played soccer a day in my life and I started playing and a year later I'm here now. Successful, I have my own job now with the Doe Fund, my own living, I'm living by myself now so everything is great," said Dennis Dias, a tournament player.
This is the competition's eighth year, the championship is tomorrow in Times Square.
Players also earn spots on U.S. Homeless World Cup teams based on performance on and off the field.
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