The Boston University Soccer Club will lose their shoes on Thursday afternoon at the BU Beach to play in a barefoot 3-on-3 soccer tournament. The club hopes that the tournament will show how soccer can be a sustainable sport while also raising awareness for underprivileged children in Africa.

“Soccer is the one sport that is really sustainable,” said club member Rachel Chapman. “You don’t really need anything besides a ball to play, no electricity or anything like that.”

The tournament is part of a week-long Earth Week celebration on campus that hopes to raise awareness about sustainability, the
biodiversity crisis and reducing the carbon footprint on the environment.

The club adapted the idea for the tournament from their annual “Lose the Shoes” tournament. That tournament is held every September, and it benefits the Grassroots Soccer organization, which uses soccer to educate African children about HIV and AIDS.

The club also collects clothing and sporting equipment for underprivileged and orphaned African children. By holding an additional tournament during Earth Week, the club can collect more clothing for African children while spreading a love of soccer.

“We’re doing this on Earth Day because we want to make soccer more widespread in what it can do,” Chapman said. “In England, soccer is involved in everything in society, like politics. They use soccer to promote certain things. We want to make soccer like that here, too.”

The tournament will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the BU Beach, and the club is keeping it open to same-day sign-ups. In addition to soccer, the tournament will feature a juggling contest.