CHARLOTTE -- For many of the players involved in the U.S. Cup Street Soccer Tournament, there is no home to go to when the game wraps up.

The league, composed of players who have no home, or were homeless at one point, is starting to catch the attention of cities across the country. Representatives from Gainesville, Florida and Hoboken, New Jersey are in Charlotte to observe the tournament and see how it works.

“It helps humanize homeless people quite a lot,” said Gainesville representative Anthony Lyons. “They’re no different than you or I.”

But for the players of the teams, the important part for them is just having something to be involved in.

“They’re always talking very positive to you, about not to get in trouble, to start looking for jobs,” said player Daniel Martinez, who was homeless for a year before he started playing on the U.S. National Street Soccer team at the Urban Ministries in Charlotte. He now has his own apartment.

The team will be heading to Denmark in August for the Homeless World Cup. For Reginald Jones, who’s been homeless for five years, the team is a step in the right direction.

“It can be hard because a lot of negative stuff comes your way and you try to beat it. You got to beat it,” said Jones. “It makes you stay out of trouble and makes you keep focused on the positive issues.”

The Homeless World Cup will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark on August 17-20. The U.S. National Street Soccer team will represent the country.