By Emily Moberly, Traveling Stories CEO and Founder

San Diego Loyal SC has teamed up with the local nonprofit Traveling Stories to launch “Loyal Readers,” a new program to inspire youth in San Diego to read more often. 

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to become “Loyal Readers” by submitting book reviews online. Each month through October, one book review will be selected and its author will win a four-pack of tickets to any SD Loyal home match during the 2023 regular season.

“Reading has the power to change your life and can even make you a better athlete,” said SD Loyal Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations Landon Donovan. “Our club is proud to partner with Traveling Stories and we can’t wait to see what youth in San Diego are reading.”

Launched in 2019, San Diego Loyal Soccer Club is a member of the USL Championship, a United States Soccer Federation-sanctioned Division II league and one of the most competitive professional soccer leagues in the world. The club plays at Torero Stadium and is engaged in the community year-round. 

Traveling Stories is a San Diego-based nonprofit that helps children build confidence and strong reading skills through personalized reading support and mentorship. Since it was founded in 2010, Traveling Stories has helped more than 7,000 children across San Diego County. 

“Making reading fun is our top priority,” said Emily Moberly, founder and CEO of Traveling Stories. “We’re excited about our partnership with SD Loyal because it frames reading in a new way and shows that you can be interested in both athletics and books. For youth who don’t yet enjoy reading, we hope the Loyal Readers program makes it a bit more enticing.” 

Students who would like to submit a book review may do so online through the Traveling Stories website. The website also has free, printable flyers that can be used to encourage more students to participate.

About Traveling Stories

Traveling Stories exists to empower children to achieve their dreams. Through its Virtual StoryTent program, the organization matches students in 1st through 3rd grades with trained reading mentors for weekly one-on-one reading sessions via video.  To learn more about Traveling Stories’ programs and volunteer opportunities, visit www.travelingstories.org. 

About San Diego Loyal SC

For more information on San Diego Loyal SC, visit SDLoyal.com.