TRAIN & DEVELOP

Living in a country like Guatemala where there is a mentality or attitude which tends to overlook youth development, I began to see the tremendous value that soccer has to shape lives and not just entertain the masses. For me, this realization was huge, since I have a strong desire to help my community, and it was in that moment that AFSC Verapaz or “Academia de Futbol de San Cristobal Verapaz” was born.

Despite San Cristobal being a small town surrounded by several small villages, its 50,000-some citizens all share a big love for “the beautiful game.”  Soccer, when done right, destroys barriers. AFSC Verapaz adopted that idea.

Understanding the role that soccer has within the community, AFSC was created to accomplish a purpose: TRAIN and DEVELOP.  We TRAIN young people in the sport while teaching and instilling core values and principles.  Those core values include “we are disciplined,” “we work hard and always give it our best,” “we are good teammates,” “we lift each other up,” “we are mentally and emotionally tough,” and “we strive for progress.” These principles serve us not only while we play, but can also be applied to everyday life, making an impact far beyond the white lines of the field.

As we are intentional and persistent with this model of training, we allow and encourage the player to practice “the beautiful game” so that he or she may DEVELOP as a person–this is our ultimate goal as an academy. We know that not everyone will go on to play pro soccer. Yet our hope and belief is that through soccer, young individuals will be transformed and grow into better people who in turn create a better environment and community for everyone around.