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| Football (soccer) was my religion and my god. But I didnt believe in the true God. Lets say I didnt consider myself an atheist but an agnostic, because my motto was "seeing is believing". If you read what Im about to write or listen to my story you might be inclined to think I have quite an imagination, but I had a close encounter with GOD. I tell you the truth when I say that He sent me signs. That was my burning-bush experience!!! I just had to ask Him to forgive me, and my new life began... |
| So, now I'm a believer! But... how did that happen? September 2001 - When God changed my plans I was doing well in a third division club, the coach liked me, and maybe I would have made it to second division in a couple years (or so I hoped) but as you will see, God had different plans for me. Trust me, it was God. You’ll see. My dad decided that we should leave the country because violence was hitting too close to home. He told us we would flee to the US. It was obvious for all of us that he was right, so we all agreed. The trip was delayed for a week because of the attacks of 9/11 and airports were closed, but when flights resumed our immigration was successful and we were granted political asylum. We settled down in a small city called Aventura, in the greater Miami area. Football was my only passion and I thought I would find the way to keep playing in Miami. I visited the Miami Fusion (one of two Major League Soccer teams based in Florida), but a few days later the Fusion declared itself bankrupt and dissapeared. That was the beggining of my worries because there were no second or third division teams in the whole state. That left only one MLS team in Florida: the Tampa Mutiny. I didnt even get to visit the city of Tampa, because the Mutiny also declared bankrupcy and dissapeared. It all happened pretty much at the same time, so fast! Suddenly the whole state of Florida had no proffesional soccer. I couldnt believe my bad luck but I would not give up: even if the whole universe conspired against me, I would persevere because soccer was all that mattered to me. My last chance was college soccer. December 2002 - This cant be a coincidence! Only one school in Miami had a team participating in the highest level of college soccer, and it was FIU, the city´s public university. I decided to enroll for a master in sports management. At the end of 2002 I was admitted and I went straight to the soccer coach. He didnt give me much hope but he did suggest I should come for the tryouts next month. He didn’t know I was a great player, but I intended to show him soon enough. Next month came and I cant tell you how great my dissapointment was when I learned there would be no tryouts. FIU announced that because of a budget-cut the school would eliminate the boys soccer team. (The girls team would go on but what could I do? shave my legs and wear a wig?). There were big protests because boys soccer was the only team FIU ever had at the top level of college sports... and it was a winning team! It was so absurd that I just couldnt believe it. It made no sense but it was happening... everywhere I went, soccer disappeared and now I was out of options. What to do now? Maybe try another state, but I had already paid college tuition and I had also found a job at a gym. In spite of all I would see it as just coincidence and I refused to accept that my destiny was to renounce my only passion. One blow after another had me quite depressed, yet I decided to keep trying at any cost. Having no choice, and trying to stay in shape, I practiced with the best amateur team around, with other frustrated players who found no place to develop their skills. I needed more soccer to fill my days, so I volunteered to coach for an under-16 team. I got the job, so I would set up training exercises and games where I would run and practice more than the kids themselves. I also joined a hispanic jew (from Argentina) and we created a soccer academy called “Soccer Paradise” in the city of Aventura. We had about a hundred students, most of them jewish from argentina. There I coached another U-16 team. One day after practice, another coach invited me to play a little game with some of his buddies. I was inclined to pass because I hadnt taped my ankles, (which I always did for protection) but I was so eager to play that I told myself: “oh, its just a friendly game”. One of those guys was not so “friendly” and he slide-tackled me in such a horrible way that he destroyed my right ankle. The doctor said it was impossible to perform surgery, so all I got was a cast, crutches and painkillers. I realized that it was the end of my soccer career. (PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR PAGE 2) |
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| The founder's story |
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