Dear Families:
We are excited to announce the launch of a wonderful collaboration that brings the Real League to Lewis and Clark Middle School.
Thanks to the generous financial support of the Real Soccer Club and the Linda Ventura “Spark Fund,” all students in grades 6–8 will be able to participate in a fully funded Soccer Program. The goal is to engage students in soccer to teach them valuable lessons such as discipline, empathy, sacrifice, communication skills, leadership, and teamwork, while also helping them maintain good physical fitness.
This initiative is made possible through the dedication of volunteer coaches, and we especially thank Kristy Zabala for her commitment. We asked Kristy about this, and we are pleased to share it with you:
“I decided to volunteer as the soccer coach because I felt like this would be an amazing opportunity for our multi-lingual students to play a sport alongside our English-speaking students, finding common ground with a sport they all love. It helps them build relationships, develop their language skills, and have fun. It was so awesome to see the kids all working together and making new friends. We learned a lot from each other, and I am so grateful to Real Soccer Club for their generosity in bringing soccer to our kids.”
Juanjo Carmona, Real SC founder and owner, emphasized the club’s commitment to youth development, saying:
“We at Real Soccer Club strongly advocate for soccer’s ability to change lives and bring communities together. Collaborating with the West Ada School District to introduce the Real Soccer Recreational League to some of their students perfectly embodies our commitment to ensuring soccer is available to everyone.”
Juanjo Carmona added that:
“The Real Soccer Club has a rich tradition of providing local youth and coaches with exposure to international programs. This includes hosting camps in the Boise area led by esteemed coaches and technical directors from renowned European soccer clubs. Additionally, we facilitate opportunities for families, players, and coaches to partake in soccer and cultural experiences abroad, allowing them to engage in high-level training and immerse themselves in diverse cultures for varying durations. Moreover, extending our storied soccer program to students in the West Ada School District, including immigrants and refugees from various parts of the world, adds an extra layer of depth to our program.”
See more at: https://realsoccerclub.org/overview-of-the-exchange-program/
Another significant contributor to this project, our esteemed coach and former player Luiz Novoa, (also with the West Ada School District Federal Programs), said:
“I believe in the power of connection and belonging. When a student enters a school, they have to overcome many obstacles, but soccer is a universal language that many of our students already have a passion for. Our families often do not understand the system and do not know how to get students involved in sports outside of school. The connection with Real has made it possible for students and families to access a sport and become part of the school culture.”
During the pilot program in Spring 2024, the Lewis and Clark soccer teams participating in the Real SC internal recreational league practiced every Monday and Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Those interested in supporting the Real League initiative can contribute to the Linda Ventura “Spark Fund” and/or Real Soccer Club to ensure the sustainability and growth of the program for future years.
For more information about the Real Soccer Club and its programs, including the Recreational league at Lewis and Clark Middle School or to get involved, please visit realsoccerclub.org or contact Luiz Novoa, West Ada School District Federal Programs at novoa.luiz@westada.org.
To make a donation to Linda Ventura “Spark Fun” please visit the West Ada School District Education Foundation and enter “Linda Ventura SPARK fund” in the comments. To sponsor Real Soccer Club, please visit https://realsoccerclub.org/sponsors/
We are honored to extend our Club’s experience, our values and what we can offer to West Ada, who supports its mission of “preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges” by offering many programs and great opportunities! We hope that our football community will grow more and more by including more children, including refugees, in our program.
Thank you as always for your attention!
Real Soccer Club
