I just got back from our program in early June in Mexico City and was already ready to return to los ninos. I reached out to Victor, a contact and friend from Puerto Vallarta who we had worked with back in March. He is in charge of the youth league in the barrios and I knew he would be able to help me coordinate a new program. 

I was hoping to work with a new team after a successful collaboration with three of his squads and Coach Memo’s team earlier this year. 

He happily and promptly obliged, telling me of a police officer, Officer Juan, who coaches three or four teams out in Laguna Del Valle, one of the poorest barrios in the Puerto Vallarta area. 

We were set to run a 4 p.m. program at a nearby field, but I hadn’t prepared all our equipment yet. The day before, I inflated 15 soccer balls manually, which took quite a bit of time. I could still feel the ache in my forearms! I was short 25 soccer balls, but Juan reached out to help. 

We were a bit late and arrived just before 4:30. As we drove up, I saw a group of 15 kids already playing something similar to a World Cup game I had recognized from my childhood. 

We pulled around to the other side of the field where Juan’s wife was situated with a cooler of drinks and snacks for the kids.I hopped out of the car and was met immediately by an older girl from the team, se llama Brisa.

She offered her help and carried two full bags of soccer balls down to the field’s center circle. A few other participants also lent a helping hand. 

I later found out Brisa, one of three girls on Juan’s teams, was the team captain – which certainly explained her eagerness to step up and help. Juan also told me another girl served as captain on one of his other teams. It is so great to see equality in sports happening at the youth level. This will only serve to drive positive change moving forward. 

The kids circled up so we could start the session, as Officer Juan led them through some light stretching. After, he gave a brief introduction before I shared a few words of my own about the program.

The kids paired up and helped set up cones and soccer balls for our active listening drill. They enjoyed all variations of it, keeping a healthy balance of competition and fun.

At one point, I tapped Coach Juan in because when it comes to body parts in Spanish my vocabulary is not the best. In my defense, I am still very much learning how to speak the language and therefore, better understand our beneficiaries. I could tell the kids were getting tired of me recycling through the commands of rodillas (knees), pies (feet) y cabeza (head) every round!

We then jumped into ball and body control – touching on passes, volleys, thigh control, chest control as well as offensive and defensive headers. I’d pause every once in a while to test the kids and ask their input for why certain control techniques were important.

After, we broke into relay race lines with three teams of seven or eight players. Again, the kids set up the grids themselves. The first variation was stepovers

“This is Cristiano Ronaldo’s best trick” I told them. “Boooooo Ronaldo, Messi is better!” chirped some players from the back of their lines.

After that, we hit a few other variations, eventually rounding it out with rollovers with the sole of the foot; right foot one direction, left foot coming back.

Finally, aware that I had 10 bracelets in my backpack for 10 winners, we moved to mano o cabeza. The kids excitedly cheered and jeered as they moved on or were eliminated in each round, hoping to wind up in one of the five coveted spots.

For the second round, I again tapped Coach Juan in so I could grab a drink of water and a breather. The hot Mexico sun is powerful at the end of June, especially on some of the longest days of the year!

Finally, our list was populated and I circled the kids back in to distribute soccer balls. I had Officer Juan set aside four soccer balls to be used on game days and then piled the rest up for the kids to choose from.

He asked them if they’d rather him keep their soccer balls to bring to practice/games or if they’d rather keep them at their houses, which drew mixed reviews, though most kids agreed to keep them on their person, but I can’t fault them for that. I’d do the same!

We lined up the 10 winners in the front, easily distinguishable by their custom ATWs bracelets, and then everyone else behind, making sure to applaud the victors from mano o cabeza.

“Mira, I also have a bracelet,” joked one of the boys – showing off an old, pink bracelet on his arm, trying to cut to the front of the line. 

“Nice try buddy,” I said with a grin and a chuckle.

After, we passed out cards written from our friends over at Voya Financial – just small messages of affirmation written both in English and Spanish for our young beneficiaries.

Technically with it being 5:30 p.m., it was time to leave, but the kids didn’t seem down to do that at all. I circled them up and told them I had a trick to teach. 

“First, I’m going to balance the ball here on my foot, then I’m going to flick it into the air, and then catch it on my neck,” I said. 

I did just that, followed by a few push-ups and other flicks

“Alright, ready to try it?” I asked.

“Your feet like this,” I said.

“Knees bouncing like this.”

“Always with your eyes to the front,” I reminded.

“Now, your arms are like a chicken but as high as the sky, hasta el cielo!” I joked.

The kids excitedly placed the ball on their necks and balanced it carefully, while others tried to mimic my variations from earlier. After, I began to pack up my things but all the kids remained on the field, practicing tricks and skills, passing and shooting, doing everything to stay there for a few extra minutes.

I ran back onto the field and joined one of the groups of kids, a boy was kicking the ball high into the air to work on settling the ball with his foot. Another boy was performing around the worlds, so we went back and forth, inside, outside, etc.

I called for the ball, and perched it on my foot yet again. Then I moved it up to my forehead where I balanced it for a couple seconds.I let it roll down my nose and gave it a little kiss before flicking it back up to the top of my head.

“Wow!” said one of the boys.

“Ew!” joked another. 

“Do it again,” someone said, from a quickly forming crowd

It was near 6:00 by now and yet no one had left the field

“So…. let’s play a game?” I asked.

“¡Si!” they yelled.

“¡Una reta!”

I guess reta is like a friendly, a spirited, yet fun scrimmage. Another phrase to add to my ever-growing word bank!

“¿Es neta?” I asked, jokingly.

“¡Es reta!” yelled another boy, very Hermione Granger-ly, not quite picking up on my joke.

Two captains played Rock Paper Scissors to determine the first pick and we went from there. I was deployed as center back for my team (ew) but spent most of the time joking with the keeper.

Everytime a call went against us, he and I could be heard yelling, “¿Es neta Profi?” at Officer Juan in the center of the field – el arbitro.

I eventually made my way up the field, mostly just marveling at the way both teams passed the ball and spread the field.

A young fullback on my team particularly caught my eye and so I broke from the scrimmage to talk to Coach Juan.

“That boy is very good,” I said. “Plays with a corazón bigger than his body,” I added.

Honestly I was just happy he was on my team and not the other. The score fluctuated, 3-1, 4-2 5-3, but our team maintained the lead throughout. We were all moving the ball really well and I’d get giddy every time something we worked on during training was applied in a proper game situation. Even the basic things like chest control and defensive headers got me excited. 

Eventually, Officer Juan, who had already worn many hats that day as coach and referee, looked at his watch and was ready to blow the final whistle. 

“Golden goal!” I begged him, which he happily obliged.

Competition amped up and the game became even more spirited than before. My side eventually took the W on a horrific own goal, a howler as they call it across the pond. The time was 7:30! The session had been nearly 3 hours. ¿Es neta?! We didn’t even notice since we were enjoying ourselves so much.

“10 for you and 10 for me,” he added, with a wink.

“Ok amigo, good doing business with you.”

He smiled and said, “Of course, because after this we will go buy a pizza.” We both smiled and laughed together at the thought.

After, we said our goodbyes and I wished the team good luck with the playoffs coming up the following weekend. Their whole season had built up to this very day. “¡Éxitos!” I yelled, as the very last of them trickled off the field and back to their casas.

I hopped into Juan’s car, greeting his wife and his son before asking him a question – “¿Tienes hambre?”

We went to a restaurant nearby my house so I could thank them all for their help in facilitating the afternoon session. The whole car ride, Juan’s son said he wasn’t hungry but I kept warning him… “When we arrive there, surely you will be hungry.” He smiled softly from behind a bag of soccer balls perched on his lap.

Sure enough, we got to the restaurant and Hector, Juan’s son, ordered a plate just like the rest of us.

We had a chance to talk a bit, albeit between bites, and I continually thanked Juan for his work and for bringing the collaboration to life. I shared to him that Victor had mentioned a phrase Officer Juan would say in the weeks leading up to the program: una atleta más, una delincuencia menos.” Coming from a police officer, a phrase like this certainly holds its weight.

To me it showed a man who wanted what was best for his community and the future of it, through the youth and through the platform of sport.

I told him that somehow over the course of three hours I had forgotten I wanted to get the kids’ signatures for a jersey in my bag.

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I rummaged through it and pulled out an “America” jersey, matching the one he was wearing.

He signed his name carefully. After, he passed it across the table to Hector, who politely signed his firma too.

“Should I write something,” Hector asked.

“If you want bro, like a message or your team number, or even your favorite Chinese food if you want,” I said, with a smile and a laugh.

“His Chinese food order!” laughed Hector’s wife from across the table

After, she donated her signature and we all hopped into the car with full stomachs to head around the corner to my place. I gave Juan one last handshake and thanked him for the thousandth time before heading back into my quarters.

Later that night, as we exchanged words via WhatsApp – I again wished him and the team good luck with the playoffs at the weekend.

“The truth is, I wish you could be present there with us,” he wrote.

“Para darnos más suerte jajaja,” came the second text.

“Me too profi,” I said. “Para disfrutar más risas jajaja” recalling all the jokes and laughter we shared together as a team earlier that day.

“Today was a very good mood, we all laughed,” he concluded. “Muchas gracias por todo hermano.”