Help Zapp Continue His Soccer Journey

Hello

My name is Zapp Hotz. I was born in the East Village in Manhattan NY in December 2007. My mom came from Japan, my dad came from Switzerland, and they met in NYC.

My parents have said that I had been kicking a soccer ball ever since I was a baby in the womb. In comparison to other children my age, I was always a smaller kid. I looked like a toddler, so when my mom dropped me off at the cafeteria when I started Pre-K, the principal said, "He is so small. You should drop him off later." My mother informed her that although she had to leave for work, I could spend time alone with my materials as I had grown adapted to it while attending daycare. The principal visited my mother once more and said, "Zapp is a tough boy. During recess, Zapp (pre-K and small) plays soccer with the fifth graders. It would be best to enroll him in a soccer club." So my parents put me in GWYSL and my club soccer journey began.

Compared to other children, I played really well. Due to a player's injury, the founder of GWYSL once called my mother and asked if I could play in the Brooklyn Bridge Cup squad that was a year older than me. I was five years old at the time. Despite my small stature on the team, I performed well. (People referred to me as "little Messi"!). At the Cup, we witnessed FC Select (FSC), another club team, and they performed brilliantly. So I moved to FCS. The GWYSL coaches were very supportive of my transfer and ok with seeing me moving on.

I was blessed with really great coaches at FCS as well. FCS put me in a one-year older team as well so I played on two teams. FCS gave me many opportunities to improve my soccer.

At nine, I moved to Brooklyn. We discovered that BW Gottschee's (BWG) field was located only a few blocks away from my new home! My best elementary school friend's father advised me to join BWG when I was four years old. At that time it would have been too long a commute. However, my new residence was only a five-minute walk from their field. I could finally sign up for BWG 2007. The FCS coaches were also very ok with my transfer to a better team. I can never thank them enough for being so kind and providing me with so many wonderful opportunities.

The BWG 2007 squad is excellent, and Miguel, our coach, is an excellent manager.

Our squad has continued to develop ever since we took home the New York State Cup in 2018. We made it to the MLS NEXT CUP in 2022, and we're going to compete in the national playoffs this year as well.

I am the only player whose family has no car. Without the support of my teammates and BWG, I would not be able to call this club home. Due to the pandemic, my parents both lost their jobs. My mom works a full-time job now. My dad is a big supporter of mine and travels with me on extended team trips. Next year, our team will be traveling a lot again. We need new uniforms, club fees, travel expenses, and additional expenses. The parents are responsible for covering all of these costs, including the cost of travel. My family and the families of many of my teammates don't have it easy. I still require a great deal of help from others. Once more, I am able to be a member of this team due to the support of numerous individuals, including my parents, coaches, the club, and the families of my teammates.

As I get closer to my last year in BWG, not only do I need to cover my expenses for next year, I want to express my gratitude to the families of my teammates and club for their support.

I work really hard to pursue my dream by studying and training every day. If you could contribute to my cause, it would be very appreciated.

Thank you for reading and your support in advance.