Soccer Tournament in Tijuana Encourages and Inspires Vulnerable Children
Unity 4 Orphans’ Mexico Team holds a soccer tournament for children living in poverty in the Tijuana area, providing them with a place to play and learn valuable life skills.
Mexico Partner Marco and his dedicated team across the border have been working with children at the orphanages we serve and the community centers we’ve helped establish. Not all of the children are orphans, but they are all experiencing poverty and have limited opportunities to see a world outside of their harsh realities.
U4O’s Mexico Programs Give Vulnerable Children a Place to Belong
Our team in Tijuana, Mexico have been planning and the children they serve have been practicing for the first-ever soccer tournament for kids from community centers and orphanages throughout the area.
Our team realized three things. First, the kids need to feel like they belong to something. Second, they need to experience life outside of orphanage walls or their communities; they may not be orphans, but they are all poor. The third thing is they need affirmation and validation. We realized we needed a tournament to bring these things together and create a whole experience for them.
–Marco, Mexico Programs Director
The children competing in the soccer tournament are boys and girls ages 10-15, most of whom come from difficult backgrounds. This includes 130 kids and 11 teams from around the city. One of the ministries in an especially dangerous neighborhood has brought in kids whose mothers are prostitutes and who live amongst the daily violence caused by drug cartels.
Tijuana Soccer Tournament Teaches Kids Perseverance and Teamwork
Organized sports teach athletes important skills beyond the playing field. The children playing in the soccer tournament are learning discipline, to be organized, and to accomplish their priorities so they can practice. Through their hard work they’re also learning perseverance and teamwork, tools that will help them in all areas of their lives.
The kids love to play on the soccer team; they’re part of a family now and have a community center to belong to. We have years of experience working with children at the orphanages but the results of working with kids at the community centers are just amazing.
–Marco, Mexico Programs Director
The event will include multiple activities for the kids to experience, such as hydration tables, cheer teams, food, games, face painting, snow cones, bubbles, counselors to talk with the kids, and trophies to congratulate the winners. Twelve-year-old Oscar says his favorite thing about being on the team is having people encourage him and tell him he’s loved.
Community Centers in Mexico Facilitate Healthy Relationships and Self-Esteem
One community center wall displays logos representing organizations like U4O which support the well-being of the children and their families who belong there. Marco tells the kids that each logo represents people who love them, donate to their cause, and want to help them succeed. More than 150 children will participate, along with caregivers and directors, as well as over 70 volunteers and 10 organizations who have joined the adventure!
Being part of a team is so important, even for adults. We’re so grateful that Marco and his team are doing this. By providing education, belonging, and counseling in those community centers, they’re on the front lines of keeping kids from getting involved in gangs and helping them have a brighter future.
–Caitlin Snyder, Executive Director
Through these ongoing soccer discipleship programs, vulnerable youth from orphanages, tough neighborhoods, and broken families can find belonging, believe in themselves, and experience healthy relationships with adults. Their coaches and team camaraderie reinforce the message that they’re not alone, and their lives matter. Join us in supporting this important outreach!