1,200 soccer balls. 5 cities. One artist from Kansas City whose design will be in kids’ hands all summer long. This is the story of how the ball came to be – and what it means.
A soccer ball doesn’t hold still. It gets kicked, passed, chased, and argued over. It ends up in someone’s front yard at dusk and starts a game before anyone even has a chance to plan one.
Jessica Endaya Keefer knew that when she designed Joy in Motion.
“A traditional canvas invites stillness and close observation. But a soccer ball is constantly in motion and shared between people. That pushed me to think about how the art would feel from every angle and how the design could communicate energy, joy, and inclusivity even in fleeting moments during play.”
JESSICA ENDAYA KEEFER, ARTIST
That design is now on 1,200 soccer balls, dropping in Kansas City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, and Vancouver this June and July – right in the middle of the world’s biggest soccer moment. Every single one ready to start a game the moment it lands.
What’s on the Ball – and Why It Matters
Joy in Motion isn’t decoration. Every element of the design was chosen with intention, built to carry meaning across every panel of the ball – especially when it’s rolling fast across a pitch or bouncing off a parking lot curb.
The design brings to life a vibrant grid of shapes and patterns that reflect the beautiful complexity of childhood. Each panel is distinct, yet a critical piece of the whole. The bright, bold colors celebrate individuality and creativity, while the symbols woven throughout speak to something bigger: bridging gaps, making progress, building community – together.
THE DESIGN ELEMENTS
OFFSET LINES
Making steady progress as the journey shifts — because the path is rarely straight, and that’s the point.
OVERLAPPING SHAPES
Finding common ground. Building communities and shared stories out of what looks different on the surface.
INTERSECTING PATHS
Multiple ways to move and directions to progress — a nod to wheelchair spokes and the mobility devices that Variety provides to kids.
ARROWS
Forward momentum and progress. Always charting a new path — because that’s what sport teaches you to do.
CONFETTI
Celebrating success and milestones at every stage — not just the finish line, but every step getting there.
ARCS AND BRIDGES
Bridging gaps and overcoming barriers. Connecting communities, resources, and people who wouldn’t otherwise cross paths.
“The bold colors and varied forms represent the many different paths children take as they grow,” Jessica explains, “while the repeating motifs and interlocking elements reflect community, support, and the idea that we thrive together.”
Every shape is distinct. Every shape is part of the whole. That’s not a coincidence — that’s the whole design philosophy.
The Artist Behind the Art
Jessica grew up in Blue Springs, Missouri, with parents from the Philippines. She’s a digital designer by trade – someone who loves any chance to make something tangible. Today she lives in Liberty with her family.
She’s also someone who knows what it feels like to not see yourself in the room.
“Growing up, I wasn’t surrounded by many people who looked like me. That experience deeply influenced how I see community and inclusivity today.”
JESSICA ENDAYA KEEFER, ARTIST
When she learned about Variety – The Children’s Charity and the kids this ball would reach – children who are often excluded from sport and from the belonging that comes with it – the commission became something more personal than professional.
A close friend from high school, whose daughter has muscular dystrophy, had introduced Jessica to Variety KC years earlier. She had watched from alongside that family as Variety showed up – through community events, resources, and accessible playgrounds where kids of all abilities could actually play.
“Seeing the meaningful role Variety KC has played for their family gave me a much deeper understanding of how important inclusive spaces and support systems are for families,” Jessica says. “That understanding lives in every panel of Joy in Motion.”
ARTIST’S NAMEPLATE
Each soccer ball includes Jessica’s signature on her artwork.
That’s why she designed for kids who might feel excluded. For kids who’ve been told – explicitly or implicitly – that the game isn’t for them.
“I wanted kids holding the ball to feel energy, optimism, and a sense that there is space for everyone.”
Why This Ball. Why Now.
THE 38% ACCESS GAP
Only 38% of kids ages 6–12 participate in team sports today, and cost is the single biggest barrier. Kids from low-income families quit due to cost at 6X the rate of their wealthier peers.
The window for a lifelong relationship with sport isn’t wide. And it often doesn’t open at all – not because of ability or interest, but because it’s too expensive to start the game.
Joy in Motion echoes the mission of Variety – The Children’s Charity: celebrating every child’s uniqueness while ensuring they all have access to the resources, mobility, and opportunities they need to fully participate in the world around them.
Jessica’s hope for Joy in Motion is simple: “I want kids to PLAY.”
I hope it can become a way for kids to make new friends and build connections with others they might not otherwise approach,” she says, “using play as a shared language and medium that naturally brings people together.
JESSICA ENDAYA KEEFER, ARTIST
“I hope it can become a way for kids to make new friends and build connections with others they might not otherwise approach,” she says, “using play as a shared language and medium that naturally brings people together.”
1 Comment
Teresa Sikora
What a beautiful soccer ball—the description of the meaning of each design are inspiring—one human family caring for one another.