Making a Change Through Soccer
Donation protected
La historia esta aqui en Español .
Hi! I am trying to raise money to get my at-risk youth into an organized, competitive soccer league by February 8. I have spoken to the boys and got their permission to do this because they do not like taking "freebies".
The players have taught me a tremendous amount about determination and will. The majority of my players have not had the easiest go-around. Person after person knocks them down. Some do not speak English or are learning to speak it at the moment. Of the boys, many go to school, then go straight to work, then home for only a few hours until they repeat the process again. All the money they make goes to food, helping their families, etc. They never get a break except when they are on the field. Soccer is their break. It's the safe space for them.
One of the players felt comfortable enough to write about his story to let you all have a look into his life:
"When I was 5 month old my left me with a friend of them. She took care of me for 3 years and I thought she was my real mom which a kid with 3 years old would thought. So, when I was 3 years old my dads mom started to take care of me and everything change because the way she raised me was way different, what I mean is that When i was five I started to work it wasn’t a hard work but I had to travel for about an hour; walking not in a bike or car no walking. I got used to it and i was okay doing that they didn’t pay me but like I said I got used to it. When I was 6 my grandma started to tell me about my parents which I didn’t care at first because people told me that my parents abandoned me and it was lied but I didn’t know nothing so I believed. Every time my grandma talked to me about my parents got mad because my grandma told that my parents bought good toys to my little brother and that they didn’t love me and that’s why they abandoned me. Then, i started to talk with my parents but i didn’t wanted to talk because i hated them so much that I always asked my parents why they abandoned me and their answer was “for a better life”. I did not believed that. So the time passed and when I was 9 my moms mom started to take care of me and it was the same life because she almost was telling me why my parents abandoned me so I used to hate my parents because of that and my moms mom died of long cancer it was one of my horrible day of my life; she died in October 3 2013. When she died I went back to my old village where I grew up and my dads aunt, she was different from my grandmas because she never told me something bad about my parents, which surprised me. At that moment I was 11; about to be 12 I started to smoke and drink beers which was not normal for a kid of that age. So I was little bit more close to my parents I hate them but it was different because of my aunt. So one year later my aunt daughters husband told her that I was smoking all the time which it was true so she told my parents and when I was 13 they decided to bring me to the United States and I was okay with it but my plan was to meet them and then go back that’s what ran on my mind so when I got here April 28 of 2014 I met them for the first time in my life... the first person I saw was my mom and then I saw the rest of of my family I didn’t cry I was happy but my did cry a lot so the time and it was almost summer time. My first day of school was normal i met a few friends but not good friends some of them are good friends but the majority aren’t. So I started to go to school got in a lot of trouble, got suspended a lot of time that I got transferred to other school and when that happened my dad told to play for a soccer club I was like a little bit happy because that is my dream to be a professional soccer player. After that it was my first year in a high school where everything is different from a middle school because there are a lot of students bad one and the good one. My first year wasn’t that good because I failed. Second year was much better because all my classes were easy for me good grades wasn’t the same kid that was in middle. Third year was amazing because it was my first time playing for the school soccer team it was a good experience that the other player loved me like they told and they still telling that I’m great defender which I don’t believe that because this year playing for the second time in high school I was in the bench, if you ask why? Well that’s my question too because I don’t know too I would like someone to tell why. Finally, trying to reach my dream come true by working hard, practicing by myself sometimes I go practice with my friend and hoping that I’ll go to college."
That's why this is so important to me. I am on "their" side, I am in "their" corner. They are phenomenal players who have not had the opportunities that many of us have had. They have not had organized soccer experiences here in the U.S. Why? Because most can not afford to pay to join a club team that enters a competitive-travel league.
So that's what I am here to ask. We need your help. We would like to get into a travel league. Anything that you are willing to donate, is great! If you are unable to donate, words of encouragement are always welcome, too!
Hi! I am trying to raise money to get my at-risk youth into an organized, competitive soccer league by February 8. I have spoken to the boys and got their permission to do this because they do not like taking "freebies".
The players have taught me a tremendous amount about determination and will. The majority of my players have not had the easiest go-around. Person after person knocks them down. Some do not speak English or are learning to speak it at the moment. Of the boys, many go to school, then go straight to work, then home for only a few hours until they repeat the process again. All the money they make goes to food, helping their families, etc. They never get a break except when they are on the field. Soccer is their break. It's the safe space for them.
One of the players felt comfortable enough to write about his story to let you all have a look into his life:
"When I was 5 month old my left me with a friend of them. She took care of me for 3 years and I thought she was my real mom which a kid with 3 years old would thought. So, when I was 3 years old my dads mom started to take care of me and everything change because the way she raised me was way different, what I mean is that When i was five I started to work it wasn’t a hard work but I had to travel for about an hour; walking not in a bike or car no walking. I got used to it and i was okay doing that they didn’t pay me but like I said I got used to it. When I was 6 my grandma started to tell me about my parents which I didn’t care at first because people told me that my parents abandoned me and it was lied but I didn’t know nothing so I believed. Every time my grandma talked to me about my parents got mad because my grandma told that my parents bought good toys to my little brother and that they didn’t love me and that’s why they abandoned me. Then, i started to talk with my parents but i didn’t wanted to talk because i hated them so much that I always asked my parents why they abandoned me and their answer was “for a better life”. I did not believed that. So the time passed and when I was 9 my moms mom started to take care of me and it was the same life because she almost was telling me why my parents abandoned me so I used to hate my parents because of that and my moms mom died of long cancer it was one of my horrible day of my life; she died in October 3 2013. When she died I went back to my old village where I grew up and my dads aunt, she was different from my grandmas because she never told me something bad about my parents, which surprised me. At that moment I was 11; about to be 12 I started to smoke and drink beers which was not normal for a kid of that age. So I was little bit more close to my parents I hate them but it was different because of my aunt. So one year later my aunt daughters husband told her that I was smoking all the time which it was true so she told my parents and when I was 13 they decided to bring me to the United States and I was okay with it but my plan was to meet them and then go back that’s what ran on my mind so when I got here April 28 of 2014 I met them for the first time in my life... the first person I saw was my mom and then I saw the rest of of my family I didn’t cry I was happy but my did cry a lot so the time and it was almost summer time. My first day of school was normal i met a few friends but not good friends some of them are good friends but the majority aren’t. So I started to go to school got in a lot of trouble, got suspended a lot of time that I got transferred to other school and when that happened my dad told to play for a soccer club I was like a little bit happy because that is my dream to be a professional soccer player. After that it was my first year in a high school where everything is different from a middle school because there are a lot of students bad one and the good one. My first year wasn’t that good because I failed. Second year was much better because all my classes were easy for me good grades wasn’t the same kid that was in middle. Third year was amazing because it was my first time playing for the school soccer team it was a good experience that the other player loved me like they told and they still telling that I’m great defender which I don’t believe that because this year playing for the second time in high school I was in the bench, if you ask why? Well that’s my question too because I don’t know too I would like someone to tell why. Finally, trying to reach my dream come true by working hard, practicing by myself sometimes I go practice with my friend and hoping that I’ll go to college."
That's why this is so important to me. I am on "their" side, I am in "their" corner. They are phenomenal players who have not had the opportunities that many of us have had. They have not had organized soccer experiences here in the U.S. Why? Because most can not afford to pay to join a club team that enters a competitive-travel league.
So that's what I am here to ask. We need your help. We would like to get into a travel league. Anything that you are willing to donate, is great! If you are unable to donate, words of encouragement are always welcome, too!
Organizer
Allie Coyle
Organizer
Silver Spring, MD