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TEAM UP WITH TIM HOWARD: June 4 is coming…and so is Tim Howard! Join the soccer star & NJCTS at Rutgers!

Team USA goalkeeper and NJCTS launch Tourette Syndrome awareness campaign to benefit the Tim Howard Leadership Academy

NJCTS reappoints Tim Howard to its Board of Directors.

Tim Howard returns home to New Jersey for Team Up with Tim Howard at Rutgers University’s Yurcak Field

Somerville, NJ— Superstar Goalkeeper Tim Howard and the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome (NJCTS) hope to score big with the Team Up with Tim Howard event on June 4, from 3-5pm. NJCTS welcomes Howard of the 2014 World Cup Team USA and Everton Football Club back to his home state of New Jersey for Team Up with Tim Howard at Rutgers University’s Yurcak Field in Piscataway, NJ.

Hosted by NJCTS and Rutgers Men’s Soccer, the afternoon kicks off a yearlong fundraising and awareness campaign to benefit the NJCTS Tim Howard Leadership Academy, a four-day program in August for teenagers focusing on empowerment, teaching self-leadership, advocacy skills, and resilience.

Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary movements or sounds known as tics. It is estimated that 1 in 100 children show signs of the disorder—as many as 20,000 school aged kids in New Jersey alone. TS is frequently accompanied by ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, mental health conditions and learning disabilities. Kids with TS are at increased risk for bullying and report feelings of isolation due to their condition. Tim Howard’s message is one of encouragement, acceptance and self-advocacy.

An integral partner of NJCTS since its founding, Howard will speak about soccer, his experience playing in the World Cup, and living with Tourette Syndrome (TS). Howard was diagnosed with TS as a child and has since brought TS to the world stage. “If I can inspire a young person with Tourette Syndrome or an ambitious soccer player, then I feel like it’s all worth it. I think these are the days that make me feel the best,” Tim Howard said. “Winning is fun, but those moments that you can touch someone’s life in a very positive way are better.”

The Tim Howard Leadership Academy increases teens’ understanding of their disorders and provides opportunities and a safe environment to explore and identify their strengths, challenges, needs, and skills. The Academy provides a space to build critical skills that will help young people with TS, like Tim Howard, to excel and, through that success, inspire others.

“The Leadership Academy is part of a continuum of youth development support,” said NJCTS Executive Director Faith Rice. “The mission of the Academy is to give teens the tools necessary to understand their disorder, become self leaders and to advocate for themselves and others with TS.”

Pre-registration is suggested for Team Up with Tim Howard and admission is $10 per person. Onsite registration will take place starting at 2:00pm. Fans are asked to arrive at the field by 2:30pm. Anyone under 17 must be accompanied by an adult.

To secure your spot at the Team Up with Tim Howard event and for more information about NJCTS and the Tim Howard Leadership Academy, please visit www.njcts.org or call 908-575-7350. # # # New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders, Inc. Collaborative partnerships for the TS community