Patricia Trippley-Demiranda (left) and her son William Trippley (right)
On April 11, 2004 Trippley received a fatal gunshot wound just a few blocks from where he lived in Chester, Pennsylvania. It was a tremendous tragedy for his family, friends, teams, coaches, and community. Both shooters involved in the crime have since been apprehended and prosecuted; however, their detainment was not enough to honor the life of such an incredible person.
W.T.Y.D.F.
After 3 years of laying the foundation, Urban Promise was finally born. Created by William Trippley’s Mother, Patricia Trippley-Demiranda, and some of Trippley’s close friends, the program brought its first annual William Trippley Soccer Camp to Chester in August of 2006. The free camp, held at Widener University, served roughly 50 children in the Chester community.
Swarthmore Playday at Swarthmore College
After the second camp in 2007 the leaders of the program decided to change the organization’s name to something more congruent with their vision. Moreover, the new organization would offer a year round program focusing on nonviolence education and academic enrichment as well as soccer. It was then that the William Trippley Youth Development Foundation (WTYDF) was born.
WTYDF has formed strong partnerships with several organizations. In 2010, WTYDF added the Chester Department of Recreation and the Chester Boys and Girls Club to their list of partners in order to strengthen the soccer programs offered to the city. Other supporters of the soccer program include the Philadelphia Union, Ridley United Soccer Club, Swarthmore College Men’s Soccer, Widener University, Villanova University, and Immaculata University.
Second Annual William Trippley Soccer Camp at Widener University
Currently, we serve over 300 at risk youth year-round. The organization was originally created to honor the memory of the late William H Trippley III. Not only has it been successful at achieving this objective, it now provides resources to ensure that the children it serves will have the same opportunities that Trippley had. WTYDF has come a long way since it was founded and there is much more to come.
