Jonah Kaplan attends Phoenix Country Day School, where he is currently a senior. He has been involved with GOALS since its founding in 2015, starting as the program's youngest volunteer. At PCDS, Jonah is co-president of the Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research club and captain of the varsity soccer team, leading PCDS to its first 3A state championship last year. He was named to the All-Region 1st Team from 2020 to 2022 and the All-Conference 1st Team in 2022. Outside of school, he plays club soccer, winning several state and regional championships. Jonah spends his free time hiking and drawing.
Josh Kaplan graduated from Emory University as a Woodruff Scholar in 2022. He created GOALS in 2015 with the mission of leveraging inclusion through sports. Josh has brought his passion for inclusion to public policy, where he has worked with think tanks and international nonprofits alike to advance for more just economic opportunity for marginalized communities. He currently serves on Plan International's Global Youth Advisory Board and led Emory's chapter of Consult Your Community, working directly with minority-owned small businesses and nonprofits. Josh was named a Truman Scholar in 2020.
ethanhorvath4@gmail.com
kaplanjosh8@gmail.com
Riley Novak, Program Director
Claire Novak is a Jefferson Scholar at the University of Virginia. She has been volunteering with GOALS since the fall of 2015, and after being a Team Leader in the 2017-18 season, Claire was named a Program Director for the Arizona chapter. In college, Claire has spent extensive time volunteering with the Virginia Institute of Autism to mentor and provide support to autistic individuals and their families. In high school, Claire established a student wellness initiative, the Wellness Trail, through which she has written a peer-led wellness curriculum and designed a peer-training program. Claire spends her free time playing the alto saxophone, flute, and piano.
Want to help us create a more inclusive community through unified soccer? Consider volunteering with GOALS! Our events could not succeed without volunteers — you don't even have to play on the soccer field. We often need help with registration, photography, and planning. The day is fun and fulfilling, and no special skills are required!
Have a special talent that you'd like to contribute to GOALS? Or maybe an idea you'd like to share? We would love to hear from you! Please fill out this form, and we will reach out as soon as possible.
Claire Novak, Program Director
Interested in joining?
@jonahk.soccer8
claire.e.novak@gmail.com
Jonah Kaplan, President
@josh__kaplan
Josh Kaplan, Founder
Leadership Team
Ethan Horvath is the South Bend Program Director and currently attends the University of Notre Dame. He co-founded and was the president of Saint Joseph High School Best Buddies, which strives to provide inclusion and equal opportunities to everyone, but especially for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He also attended the Best Buddies International Leadership Conferences in 2019 and 2020. Over the last three years, he has worked for Partners in Opportunities by providing services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Ethan was the student body president and a four-year varsity soccer player in high school.
VOLUNTEER
kaplanjonah8@gmail.com
@rileyynovak
@cclairenovak
linkedin.com/in/joshkaplan8
riley.m.novak@gmail.com
@ethanhorvath4
Riley Novak currently attends Washington University in St. Louis and has been involved with the Arizona chapter of GOALS since 2015. After becoming a team leader in 2017, she became the Program Director of the Arizona chapter in 2018. In addition to working with GOALS, Riley is the founder of HeartBEATS (http://heartbeatsaz.org), a youth-led organization that creates meaningful connections between newly-arrived refugees and their host community through music programs, activities, and private lessons. With partners like The Welcome to America Project, Lutheran Social Services, and the International Rescue Committee, HeartBEATS has been able to share dozens of new and gently used musical instruments to refugees of all ages. Riley spends her free time tutoring newly arrived refugees at the International Institute of St. Louis. She recently became a member of The Human Hive, an international community of change makers dedicated to socially responsible leadership.
Ethan Horvath, Program Director