(soft guitar strumming)
- I think soccer is one of those sports where
there's a lot of passion involved in the game.
I get very passionate when I play,
I kind of wear my emotions on my sleeve I think.
Just sometimes life is overwhelming
and you just need an outlet.
Hey, you know what? Can you do me a favor?
Will you go get that picture book
that's right there on that tray?
That has the car on the front?
I've been playing soccer since I was a little kid.
I was probably seven or eight years old.
40 years later, I'm still playing.
She was just born.
- [Veronica] Cool.
- Look!
And then when daddy played soccer,
they had a picture of me.
And then they wrote a story about me in the newspaper.
Should I read it to you?
I worked at a nonprofit in the Del Valle school system
a few years ago in an afterschool soccer program.
Meanwhile, I was also coaching in West Austin,
the more affluent neighborhoods
and those kids have everything.
Beautiful facilities, lots of resources,
uniforms, everything.
And the kids in Del Valle were playing on dirt fields,
and I thought there's a disparity here.
I noticed that there was no other soccer club
in the area, which just was,
it seemed like almost a tragedy
because there's a lot of kids wanting to play.
I kind of grew up in that kind of Del Valle setting.
I see these kids, it reminds me of my childhood
I was just like them, And so I
kind of gravitate to those kids. And I want to
give them opportunities that these other kids have.
One thing led to another and let's bring these kids
together, let's give them a place to go,
something to do, and some inspiration.
- This is Del Valle United Soccer Club.
We are a brand new soccer club in Del Valle.
We designed the soccer club for kids your age.
All right, we got it.
We want you guys to come out and play soccer,
but we're also going to try and teach you some other things.
We are trying to use the game of soccer as a platform
to introduce nutrition, social and emotional learning
so that we can raise kind, smart, informed human beings.
To me! How do we pass the ball? Touch!
Everyone as welcome. Alright?
It doesn't matter your skill ability level,
your race, your age, gender. It doesn't matter.
Even if you can't afford it, come, you will play with us.
We use the word 'confidence' a lot in training.
You know, we teach kids that have the ball to keep the ball,
challenge the defender, take them on, be confident.
Don't give it away, don't be afraid.
- Ready?
- Good job, buddy! You're getting it.
- Yes, I'm ready!
- You never know when you're going to get the ball.
And when you do get the ball, you should
already know what you're going to do with it.
And that's what I like about soccer.
You're right there in the moment.
- All right come on.
We only have eight or nine minutes.
- For games, we don't really record scores. We don't post
them anywhere for rankings or anything like that.
And so what we emphasize is player development.
Each player develops, set their individual pace.
Take your time, take your time!
You're all by yourself!
Oh! - Yes!
- I know you got to calm down a little bit. I do it too.
That's all right. You did good, man.
We got right up there. Good stuff.
I think if you keep pressing those types of ideas into them,
it's going to translate into other things
That was too easy!
Kingston, let's do one more.
That was too easy.
Control it, Elias.
Walk it in, walk it in. Baby kicks.
- Yes!
- All right guys come on back.
So that's really what I'm trying to do,
is trying to build confidence in these kids.
To teach them, hey, you may not have everything,
but you just as good.
One, two, three.
- [Kids] We are falcons!
- All right, good job guys.
Hey, I'm going to send you out a the schedule
for this weekend's games.
Your coaches will be in touch.
(soft guitar music)
- I feel like I could potentially give
a kid a chance at something through soccer
that they might not get elsewhere.
And that makes me feel good because you know,
I could potentially change someone's life.
- What do you want to be, pink or blue?
Let's vote. Blue is going to win.
Everybody gets a blue, everybody gets a blue just for today.
- So that gives me a lot of comfort
because I wish that I had that when I was a child
that would of been amazing.
- Okay yellow its your ball,
when I blow the whistle that means stop.
- Belonging to a team, you feel important, you know, your,
your value to your team.
It's going to create a sense of belonging
and a friendly kind of competition.
And so United, I just wanted everybody to,
when we come, come together United,
let's be one and not just for our club,
but for the community,
for the greater whole of the community.
- This is Del Valle United Soccer Club.
Today. We're just gonna come out. We're gonna play soccer.
We're going to have lots of fun okay.