Donate so Miami Soccer Team Can Travel To Spain

Top Row (Left to Right): Coach Juan Carlos Montes, Santiago Rodriguez, Juan Carlos Velasquez, James Andrade, Tristen Lopez, Hamley Pacheco, Yaris Maravilla, Coach Luis Hernandez, Sergio Cortes Jr., Omar Elias, Yather Gonzalez, Coach Miguel Villa

Bottom Row (Left to Right): Jacob Harcavi, Daniel Munoz, Damien Lucero, Carlos Montes, Allen Gonzalez, Marco Pu, Gabriel Robles

 

Teams like this one do not come around often. During the pandemic, the U14, Southern Homestead Boys Soccer team came together under the guidance of Coach Juan Carlos Montes, who stopped at nothing to make sure the boys felt like they have purpose and a sense of belonging. At the time, the Miami Dade County Soccer League was shut down, so their only option was to participate in the Broward County league. Despite the ongoing outbreak, the boys set their minds on building chemistry amongst the team and further developing their skills as an individual as well as a group. In little time, their commitment started to pay off. You could see the drastic changes in every aspect of their lives: from the way they play together, to the life-long bonds that they have augmented.

 

Underserved minority communities have always had negative stigmas tied to their residents.

The young men in this team have learned to deal with the adversities that they face, and choose to view life outside of the box they are predisposed to fit into.

 

In spite of the challenges presented to the team, these kids, who are mostly all second-generation immigrants, do what they need to do to honor their commitment to the team. Even when steady funding isn’t at their disposal, the team keeps pushing to honor their home city and make their parents proud. Whether that is participating in early morning games, fundraising multiple times a month, or traveling all over the state for tournaments, they are ready and more than capable to do whatever it is to climb their way to the top.

 

As a growing soccer club, there is a higher demand for quality equipment, but it is difficult to get a hold of those things. For now, the team has gotten accustomed to using plastic grocery bags to carry their necessities for their games. These bags can easily be perforated and the items inside could fall out at anytime. Obtaining water, jerseys, tote bags, soccer fields to train on, and other essentials for this sport is a mission for the group’s administration due to the high prices. Recently, costs have skyrocketed, making it even more difficult for the team to have access to all of the supplies that they need to keep the club running. Every other weekend, the team organizes different fundraisers such as cooking and selling homemade food at Coach Juan Carlos Montes’s house. They also host car washes as a way to get their story out and potentially raise money that will strictly be used for the team.

 

In July of 2021, the players all advanced to the U15 age group and continued to show growth; this time under the supervision of Coach Miguel Villa. Stepping down from the position of head coach, Juan Carlos Montes decided to stay close by taking on the role of assistant coach. Since then, they have won six tournaments including the Weston Cup in 2021 and then again in 2022, the Enigma Cup, Palm Beach Cup, Miami Cup, and the Presidents Cup. On June 15, 2022, the U15 Southern Homestead Boys Soccer team is representing not just the city of Homestead and Miami-Dade County, but the entire state of Florida in the Southern Presidents Cup finals taking place in Frisco, Texas. If the team wins, they will advance to the next level and have an opportunity to compete for the national title in Greensboro, North Carolina in July of 2022.

 

Additionally, having won the Miami Cup in 2021 led to the qualification of the team to compete in the Madrid Cup this coming August, located in Madrid, Spain. It goes without saying that these young men are great examples of how hard work and dedication can pay off, no matter the circumstance. They showcase their passion and desire for success at every game and tournament they have participated in, leaving their hearts out on the field. Their goal is to raise $60,000 to cover this upcoming trip's airline and hotel costs. At the moment they have raised a total of $25,000 but are looking forward to meeting their goal in the next few months.

 

The coaches and parents of this club are looking for new and more efficient ways to obtain funding to help their sixteen well-deserving players embark on an experience of a lifetime and explore what the world has to offer them.

 

 

 

Any questions, please contact:

[email redacted]

(305)-587-0621