I always love working with organizations more than once. It builds a great rapport and allows us to have a stronger impact on local communities. This was our second collaboration with Ministerios de Amor, following an all-girls program at a “Casa Hogar” in Mexico City earlier this year

Our coordinator, Pablo, was super helpful, setting the session up and effectively communicating between Around the Worlds and the staff members in Nuevo Leon. I was super excited because this was our first ever trip in the north of Mexico, and my first time in Monterrey.

Pablo had checked in a few days before the session – just confirming that the program would be held on Friday afternoon. I eagerly confirmed. My anticipation was building! I also worked with Erika, the home’s coordinator, and was excited to meet her in person. 

“We have about 20 kids who would participate,” he added – so I could set the proper amount of equipment aside. Finally, Friday had rolled around and I was ready to go!

I hopped in an Uber and headed towards Ministerios de Amor’s main office in Monterrey. It was only about a seven minute drive, similar to my trip to Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos the other day.

Instead, the cook at la casa, Eduardo, took out a comically large hand-pump and got to work. I kept thanking him for his help and promised him an extra soccer ball once all was said and done. This revealed a soft smile on his face as you could almost see him start pumping the ball up faster.

As I sat there preparing some other stuff on my end, a few girls would walk out of the house to see what the commotion was. This location was the girls’ home, and then a bit farther away was the boys’ home. Finally, there was a honk at the front gate and the boys had arrived, hooting and hollering and making their presence known…as boys do.

They excitedly ran through the doors, embracing Eduardo and some of the other staff members and social workers.They stopped in surprise once they saw the large, and still growing, pile of soccer balls by my feet. Immediately, two older boys introduced themselves and asked if I needed help. One relieved Eduardo of his ball pumping duties, while the other recruited another to help set up some grids with cones

As I sat back down, another boy approached me. He took one look at the Spurs jersey I was wearing and said “Ew, Tottenham!”

“You don’t like them?” I asked.

“No, I support the best team – Tigres!” he said, pointing to the emblem on his vest. Tigres and Monterrey are two of the biggest teams in La Liga MX and are coincidentally both based here in Monterrey. 

“Tottenham, what good players do you have?” he asked.

“I don’t know bro we have like Son and Harry Kane, guys like that?” I replied.

“Well… neither is as good as Pierre Andre Gignac!” he said, pumping his fists with passion, referencing the longtime Tigres star striker, albeit an import from France.

Finally, all 17 participants had gathered and with a short introduction from MDA’s coordinator, we were ready to begin. I paired the kids up in groups of two and we jumped straight into our active listening drill. Once things began to get competitive, we moved to groups of three to take the level even higher.

From there, we broke into some relay races. The older boys were pros when it came to stepovers, but they graciously helped the younger ones who didn’t quite have the technique down just yet. I looked over at one point, and the eldest boy was helping carry the youngest girl through the cones after she had grown frustrated with the drill and was ready to give up. This teamwork is what I live for!

We split into a water break and some of the boys stayed on the field to practice shots, albeit extremely carefully. I wondered why they were shooting so gently, with placement rather than power.

One of the boys pointed at the wall they were shooting against, then to the top of it – “If the ball goes over there, it’s gone,” he said. 

“Forever?” I asked. 

“Sí,” he responded.

As he began to explain how the area was completely fenced off and unreachable, I joked to him “¿Por qué? ¿Hay un demonio allá?… Is there a demon over there?” which helped him crack a smile.

Finally, we all resumed the session and jumped into Mano o Cabeza to determine three winners for the leftover Lazazzi Sports drawstring bags I had from a previous session. We went around one time to practice, but that’s all it took before the kids had fully grasped the game. Even the youngest was a pro! Every time she performed the correct command she would smile with pride as all the older girls and boys applauded her efforts and success.

The kids were determined to be the last one standing and I truly did not know who would claim victory, but finally we had our first. Minutes later, our second had revealed herself. And then finally, round three had come. The “house father” from the boys’ casa – Tío Luis, stepped forward. “Do you want to take my place and run it?” I asked him. “¡No, quiero jugar! I want to play!” he said, met with cheers from the kids, especially from the boys.

Tío ended up making it all the way until the final two before bowing out to a victor from the girl’s team. He didn’t mind in the slightest, and like Eduardo, I rewarded him his own soccer ball for his efforts.

The sun was beating down on us, but much like the heat, the kids’ energy was unwavering. We broke into three teams for a scrimmage, first to two goals wins. Every time a goal was scored the boys would go wild, embracing each other and yelling and high-fiving.

Despite the penalty save, I was determined to get our team the win. A younger boy threw the ball to me high up in the air from his goal frame. I chested it down and it sat up real nicely for me. I drove my laces through it and skied it way above the wall into the “forbidden area”. I hung my head in embarrassment and shame, laughing at the fact that I had warned all the kids to be careful with this side of the field so we wouldn’t lose any balls, just for me to commit the crime! They all laughed at my misfortune, “Come on Coach!” they yelled.

Tío Luis called out for the final 3 minutes of the game. “Okay, next goal wins!” I yelled. One of the older boys immediately smashed one in. 

“Okay, just kidding, next one wins now!!” Minutes later, the ball found the back of the net and we circled up one last time around some picnic tables to distribute los premios.

Erika and Tío Luis shared a few nice words before some of the kids raised their hands to offer their gratitude for the session and experience. I asked them if they had learned anything of value and was happy to hear their responses.

“Okay, well, now it’s time for prizes! Where are my three winners?” They stood up excitedly, before claiming a drawstring bag and new ball. From there, our winning team from the scrimmage went next, followed by the others.

Some of the other staff members helped pass out our bracelets as well. “Did you make these?” an older girl asked. “My mom did!!” I said smiling.

As I began to pack my bags up, the kids began to write their names on their balls with permanent markers, a common occurrence during our programming.

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One of the older boys from my team earlier approached me with his ball and a sharpie, “Can you sign mine?” 

“Of course!” I said, as a line formed behind him. Each signature accompanied by a simple line of affirmation “¡Sigue adelante! Keep going!” “¡Buena suerte! Good luck!” “¡Muchas gracias por todo! Thanks for everything!” 

An older boy wearing a Monterrey jersey asked me a question, “Who wrote these other messages?” as he pointed at the blue OWPP ball. “Some are from our partners in the U.S., and then the others are from some new friends I met here in Monterrey during a training session this week – just some advice and well wishes they had for you guys,” I said with a smile.

One of the other boys showed me a phrase on his ball and asked its meaning. I knew he and a few of the others were learning English during school so I asked if he would try and translate it. “You… are…. “ he began. “suficiente como eres” like that.

As I was beginning to finalize packing my things, admittedly a slower process than normal, one of the older girls approached me along with the coordinator, Erika. “We were wondering if you wanted a plate of lunch to enjoy with the kids?” 

“¡Claro que sí!” I replied, excitedly.

Minutes later, I had a plate of enchiladas de pollo con crema y salsa right in front of me. All the fixings. “Provecho,” I said to Tío Luis, sitting across from me with the same plate.

Midway through my first enchilada, which was incredibly delicious, a few of the boys came over to sit at the other picnic table. We got to chatting, literally about anything and everything.

“Where are you from, Coach?” “From the U.S.A.,” I said. 

“And you speak English? Anything else?” I can speak some French too,” I added. 

They replied curiously, “How do you say my name in French? What about in English?” “What about my second name?” “Say some words for us in French, Coach.”

Excited to show off what they had learned in school, they engaged in some English conversation with me as well – “Good morning” 

“Yes, y que significa ‘good morning’?” I would ask. “Buenos días!” they’d both reply.

After a more than brief language exchange, we then talked about soccer and some of our favorite teams, players, etc. “And coach, what is your favorite color?” “Green,” I said. “And yours?” “¡Rojo!”

“Y coach, your favorite superhero?”

In Marvel, Groot! I said. In DC, Batman!

The boys seemed to be enjoying the conversation before eventually heading back home via Uber.

“Is your casa near?” I asked. “Está lejos,” they said, pointing over the wall to a high rising mountain. 

“We live over there.” “At the very top,” joked the younger of the two, picking out a building at the tippy top of the mountain, like the Grinch’s dwelling overlooking Whoville.

“When you need to get food you have to go all the way down and then go back up?” I said, jokingly, with a smile.

The older boy’s eyes grew big, “No, they delivered it to us with a helicopter!” We all burst out laughing.

“Coach, what is the name of your charity?” “Aquí, Vuelta al Mundos, pero en EEUU ‘Around the Worlds’,” I said. “Like the trick,” I added. “Coach, can you please teach us how to do it?” I did a couple rotations and told them, “Mira, this is very difficult, like a 5-star trick, but I have an easier one you can do with your neck.”

I caught the ball on my neck, flipped it back up, caught it again, spun around in a circle, then dropped to the ground to do two push-ups. “Wow!” they said.

Finally, the boys’ and Tío Luis’ Uber arrived and we bid each other farewell. As their car pulled out, a large truck full of donations backed into la casa. 

Three of us began unpacking the entire truck bed – bread, hamburger rolls, baguettes, soap, fruit juice, bottled water, cleaning supplies, other food items, and more. It was a whole lot of work, but the three of us made a good team and worked through the pile quickly.

“Where is this all from?” I asked the driver. “Sam’s club!” he answered, happily. “All for la casa?” “Some of it, and then the rest we sell to the community so that we can receive money to support the home.” It is always good to see sustainable sources of income and more, like that. “How often do they do that?I asked, curiously. “¡Cada día!” he exclaimed. “Bueno, I’ll see you tomorrow for the next load,” I said, as we both shared a laugh.

He and Eduardo thanked me for my help before I went to call my Uber. Before I could even open the app on my phone, he asked me where I was going. “El centro, amigo, very close.” 

“Oh I’m already heading that way, do you want a ride?” he asked. 

“That would be great!” I replied. 

“Just one moment,” I said. “I’m going to say bye to Erika and everyone in the office.”

I knocked on their door and said a final thank you for everything they did to bring the program to life. While doing so, the girls had made their way outside, some carrying their new soccer balls, to sit down at the picnic table. 

With a final goodbye to Eduardo, I threw my bags in the truck bed and jumped into the front seat. As we drove towards my spot, I asked him “How long have you been working with them?” 

“Almost two years,” he answered. 

“And you enjoy it?” 

“Very much.”

I told him how much I appreciated all the parts that make la casa run: the social workers, the cook, the tíos y tías, and him as well. “You guys are like superheroes, my friend, en verdad superhéroes en la tierra… superheroes here on Earth.”