Much More Than Futbol

For 6 years Coach Ali Andrzejewski has been coming to Holy Cross with a team of volunteers to run a week long futbol (soccer) camp.

The More Than Futbol program teaches positive life skills & values using the ever popular game of futbol (as soccer is called in Central America). The kids love the camp and each year Coach Ali and the other volunteer coaches are anxious to return and see their children again.

This year More than Fulbol took a first step in a larger dream  by extending the week long camp into a futbol league. Coach Abby Paris took on the challenge of staying in Belize for 3 months, forming teams at the school and watching them flourish.

The program has older students from Standards 5 & 6 (7th and 8th Grade) training as junior coaches who help with the younger students. The older students also have their own team, who are training to play a rival school later in the year.

 

The middle grade students really grasped the fulbol opportunity, with enough players signing up to form 4 boys team and 2 girls teams – see the team photos at the bottom of this page.  Each team chose their own name and had 2 – 4 junior coaches to support them.

Open play days were also held for the youngest students once a week.

Coach Abby says it’s awesome to see the older kids coaching the younger kids and becoming a mentor for them. The kids really enjoy the chance to be a part of a team.

Coach Abby also ran an Empowerment Program for the students at Holy Cross School.

After such a great start, Coach Ali hopes to find the right person to continue the league next winter. You can learn more about the More Than Futbol program here, and contact Coach Ali at ChampionsSoccerTraining@gmail.com if you’re interested in helping with the futbol program.

Read about their previous futbol camps here: 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016,