Youth sports, especially soccer, have been an integral part of my life. The enjoyment of playing and the challenge of competing at the highest levels has instilled in me some important life skills such as organization, time management, patience, diligence and sacrifice. I competed in my first triathlon at age 5 and won my age group at age 7. I have spent the last 5 years dedicating myself to the game of soccer. It has been a journey of ups and downs, successes and failures, joys of improvement and frustrating stagnation. One thing has been clear to me . . . everyone needs to feel and experience all the benefits of sports that I have.
As I entered middle school and began speaking to my club soccer coaches and professional players, I learned that there is more to sports and youth sports than just playing and coaching. There is a business framework behind all the beauty. In the search for further knowledge. I began an internship with Chicago House AC, a semi-professional club based in Chicago. It was through exploration and curiosity I learned the following: playing sports in the U.S. as a child is expensive!
Through Give and Go, I want to give other youth athletes the opportunity to play and develop their interest in sports in the U.S without having to worry about the cost.