ABOUT
SPIRIT FOOTBALL

My name is Benji and I am a High School student and I am an all year-around soccer player. I was lucky enough to be able to play soccer during most of the pandemic with my school and club and decided to do something to help those who could not be as lucky. It began one day with my niece and nephew over Facetime when they needed to spend a little energy (and their parents just needed a little relief) and I got them to exercise… and gradually it turned into something more with soccer.

 

The mission of the Spirit Football organization I created is to provide fun workouts and soccer drills, as well as donate soccer balls to those in need, for youth who are running out of ideas during the pandemic or simply want to have fun with soccer.  I also included some healthy snack and smoothie suggestions that can be easily prepared and that will help instill good healthy habits for life. 

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I have been playing soccer since I was 6 years old: I started in Los Angeles, with my school, the LILA international School, where we would play arena soccer at the local YMCA in Van Nuys. Arena soccer is one of the most thrilling forms of soccer for me as it is fast and requires skills. It is also a great way to socialize with other teams and a great feeling of belonging to a soccer community. I then joined a travel soccer team with Real Socal (now LAFC SoCAL soccer club) and more recently since 2017 I have been with FC United just north of Chicago. I could not live without soccer, it is not called “the Beautiful Game” for nothing! For me it is about so many things: it’s about team and individuality, hard work and fun, growth and empowerment. I love that it is a universal sport that can be played pretty much anywhere by anyone; it is easy to pick up yet difficult to master! With my family we moved around quite a bit and soccer has always been a great way for me to integrate fast into my new neighborhood, and in my new schools. It has taught me perseverance, patience, communication, quick thinking and leadership. I hope I can share and get you to experience some of the wonderful feelings you get when you play soccer.