Noah Riskind

Hello Hearts community, my name is Noah Riskind. I am honored and humbled to serve as the Director of Impact Programming for the budding Hearts of Pine Foundation. This is truly a dream job for me. In my mind, soccer is everything (that Dani Rojas guy was on to something): it’s a teacher, it’s a dance, it’s a battle, it’s a tool for upward mobility, it is so much fun, it is the beautiful game and everyone deserves the opportunity to play.

Soccer has been a passion of mine since the early days of my childhood growing up in the Washington DC area. Growing up in the DMV, I was beyond fortunate to consistently share the field with folks from all over the world. Soccer brought me to Maine, as I attended Bates College and was lucky enough to take the field for the Bobcats and play soccer for four years with folks who would become my best friends (I was a defender, there is not a single attacking bone in my body). 

After graduating from Bates, I was in Teach For America and worked as a seventh grade math teacher in New Bedford, MA. Following my time on the South Coast of Massachusetts, I then moved to Colombia where I spent two years working as an English Teaching Assistant on consecutive Fulbright grants. A highlight of my time in Colombia was my work with Fundacion Tiempo De Juego, where I coached the preparacion and femenina groups at their Soacha location. Coaching and playing with those groups on the fields and canchas de micro of Soacha were some of the best moments of my life because through soccer a kid from Bethesda, MD truly felt like a part of the Soacha community. Two communities that could not be more different in many ways. 

Following my time in Colombia, I returned to Maine and began coaching soccer at Bates and working for Rosati Leadership Academy (RLA). Working with RLA and Chris White was the greatest gift. I learned countless lessons from one of the best educators around in Chris White, and was fortunate to work with the most beautiful community at Conners Elementary School in downtown Lewiston. Following my time in Lewiston with RLA and Bates, I moved down to Portland to work with Hearts and to coach men’s soccer at SMCC. I am so grateful to Hearts of Pine for this opportunity, and for allowing me to do what I love, and continue to live the football life.