Students from two different Dallas nonprofit programs are being given the opportunity of a lifetime: They’ll be accompanying soccer players onto the field during upcoming FIFA World Cup matches at AT&T Stadium.
The first group includes 98 children who participate in the Puede Network, an organization dedicated to helping kids learn, grow, and thrive through a variety of programs. Those eight to 10-year-olds were told at Oak Cliff’s Las Ranitas restaurant on Tuesday night that they’d be walking out onto the field for select games hosted in Arlington. One of those kids is Nathan Gonzalez, a 10-year-old who will be at the match between England and Croatia.
Speaking with KERA News, Nathan said he’s already feeling some stage fight. “It’s basically a stage because you’re on a field, basically a stage, and you’re, like, with hundreds of thousands of people,” he told the outlet. It’s an understandable feeling, especially when you consider the global scale of the event.
Another student attending the FIFA World Cup is Romeo Gonzalez, who’s also 10 years old. Romeo is primarily feeling excitement, though. “I’m very excited because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it’s like not everybody has a chance to go to the World Cup,” Romeo told KERA News. He plays soccer and admires Cristiano Ronaldo, which makes the moment even sweeter.
The impact of being able to help Dallas’s youth live out their dreams isn’t lost on Adan Gonzalez, who founded Puede Network 15 years ago as a way to teach kids various skills. Popular programs include soccer (of course), arts, boxing, STEM classes, and coding. There’s also leadership workshops to help children better navigate the world around them. Giving them the chance to attend the FIFA World Cup is icing on the cake for Adan.
“Kids from Dallas, kids from the hood, from Oak Cliff, are going to have the opportunity to own the world stage. On the night of the World Cup, our scholars won’t just walk onto a field — they will walk out as proof of what’s possible when we trust young people to rise,” Adan said. “That’s what Puede means. You can, because you already are.”
Pleasant Grove elementary students will also take to the pitch
In addition to the 98 kids from Puede Network, 38 children from eight different elementary schools in Pleasant Grove will also be lacing up their cleats for upcoming FIFA World Cup matches. Nine games are taking place in Dallas, with the first taking place on June 14. These 38 students are part of the Pleasant Grove Soccer & Sports nonprofit, which hosts affordable clinics and camps in the area.
The director of the program, Steve Davis, told FOX 4, “This is about much more than soccer. Opportunities like this are generally more accessible to well-connected communities and organizations.” He added, “We are so proud that young people from working-class Pleasant Grove, an area often overlooked in Dallas, will have the chance to stand on the World Cup stage. It’s so cool that the Pleasant Grove community is being seen!”
The concept of being seen is hugely important for parents as well. Alexis Martinez’s child was selected to attend an upcoming match, and she said she “was in tears” when she heard the news. “I promise you I was in tears. To give my son this opportunity through our community and the soccer camp was amazing,” she said to FOX 4 reporter David Sentendrey.
In terms of how the kids feel, they’re experiencing a mixed bag of emotions, similar to the Puede Network students. One told Sentendrey they were excited because they love playing soccer and hope to be able to do so for the rest of their lives. Franco Ortega, on the other hand, said, “I’ll be nervous and excited at the same time because I’ll be with very famous players, and they’re very big.”
Another nonprofit program, Fair Park’s Community Center, will also be participating in this exciting opportunity.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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