I started Cancha because of the worst moment of my athletic life—and what it taught me about what really matters. In my first year of high school, I was told by doctors to stop playing soccer. The sport I had grown up loving, the one that had shaped my identity, my friendships, and my sense of purpose—gone. I went through cycle after cycle of physical therapy, hoping something would change. Nothing did. I had to walk away from the game I loved. For months I watched from the sideline, feeling the kind of jealousy that only comes when you see someone else doing the thing you can no longer do. But somewhere in that grief, I realized something. While I was mourning losing access to soccer, thousands of children across Central America had never had access at all—no cleats, no jerseys, no proper ball, sometimes not even a real field. They weren't on the sideline. They had never been let in the door. That realization changed everything for me. I started donating soccer gear to children in Central America and felt — for the first time since my injury — like I was still part of the game. Not as a player, but as someone who could open the door for someone else. That's what Cancha is. Every dollar donated goes directly toward purchasing and sending soccer gear—cleats, shin guards, jerseys, and balls—to youth programs in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize through verified partner organizations already working on the ground. For these kids, gear isn't just equipment. It's belonging. It's the difference between watching from the outside and finally getting to play. It's the feeling I almost lost—and that I want every child to have. I'm a high school student on Long Island building this from the ground up because I believe one setback—mine or theirs — should never be the end of anyone's story. Every field matters. Every kid deserves to play. — Stacy Guevara, Founder of Cancha