Senda Athletics is the only firm that we know of that produces Fair Trade soccer balls. None of the multibillion dollar sportswear manufacturers around today can make this claim. As such we’re delighted to present two of the latest balls!
In case you’re not sure what Fair Trade is then have a look at this short video. Anything that is Fair Trade certified comes from sweatshop free production facilities in which workers are paid competitive wages. Fair Trade USA’s description of their certification is below.
Fair Trade Certified products were made with respect to people and planet. Our rigorous social, environmental and economic standards work to promote safe, healthy working conditions, protect the environment, enable transparency, and empower communities to build strong, thriving businesses. When you choose products with the Fair Trade label, your day-to-day purchases can improve an entire community’s day-to-day lives.
Now in their fifth year of existence, Berkley, CA-based Senda has made inroads among socially responsible soccer fans, players and organizations. They’re known for premium quality soccer balls that are built to last and that maintain their shapes, bounce and movement on the ground and in the air. They’ve even got a manifesto that stressed their commitment to Fair Trade, craftsmanship and improving the quality of life of everyone involved with their organization.
Senda’s Valor Club Soccer Ball
The Senda Valor Club ball is a high-level training and match ball. Since it is NFHS-certified it can be used for official high school games across the USA.
Upon trying it out a practice and for a couple of pick-up games, our crew found the Valor to be just as good as what the big firms might call a “Match” ball. At an MSRP of $39.99 it comes at less than half of the price of a match ball bearing a swoosh or three stripes.
The Senda Valor Club has a fantastic feel to it whether you’re a one touch type of player, skills-oriented dribbler or even a hardnosed defensive type. We found it to react as expected of a quality soccer ball in terms of touches for on the ground and in the air passes. It also has trajectories as expected for all of the shots that we made with. All in all it is a modern soccer ball that plays like a classic.
Inflate a Senda Valor Club soccer ball properly and we think that it will survive at least two years of abuse on even the dry, sometimes grassless summertime training fields that many of us part-timers are forced to use. If your team or league is on a tight budget then it’s definitely a great option for a match ball.
Senda’s Street Soccer Ball
The Senda Street soccer ball is a great addition to the firm’s range. Made of rubberized panels the ball has a low bounce and is abrasion resistant for playing the concrete and asphalt surfaces of urban environments. It’s a fantastic ball for informal street games or for practicing when you don’t have access to natural or artificial grass.
The Senda Street soccer ball plays like a good futsal ball in terms of touch, weight and movement. Its rubberized construction ensures that it survives the rigors of city play without becoming damaged and ultimately losing its panels and shape. Given the tough construction of Senda’s Street ball we expect it to last for years of play.
There a few street soccer balls on the market today. This makes the Senda Street ball very welcome for city-based players. There are a couple of older balls Nike and one from Mitre (found at WalMart) along with the occasional street balls from smaller outfits such as Monta. Of the few that are around, Senda’s is the only one that is Fair Trade certified which makes it the first choice of the bunch in our opinion.
Senda’s 2016/17 range of balls are now available at World Soccer Shop.