The Salvation Army’s Victory Sports Ministry gives opportunities to all youth to develop and become the best athletes they can be.
This summer, the focus is to continue building the youth soccer league but its efforts require the help of many.
"A year-and-a-half ago Major Angel Calderon looked for me saying that he wants to wheel a soccer league for kids," sports coordinator, Jesus Hernandez, said. "He said, 'Well, I need some help,' and I asked, 'Well do you have fields that we can play on,' and he said no, and I said, 'Well how are we going start then?' He said, 'Well they told me you can help me,' and I said, 'OK, well let’s see what we can do.'"
From there the whole community came together, providing a fun and athletic atmosphere to children who come from low-income families and foster homes.
"They are really nice kids, sometimes they come up to me in the store and hug me and I'm like what do I do," Hernandez said.
The league continues to grow as the years go by. The first season brought in 60 kids. This year, coordinators are preparing for more than 300 kids as the program reaches heights they never expected.
"We have a lot of testimonies that many families tell us a year. It’s the first time they played soccer because their families don’t have money to pay or to put them in more than one program," Calderon said. "To me, my happiness is to see the face of these kids in the moment they play in the field. We just look to provide as many opportunities we can for them to participate."
Soccer parents love the benefits the program provides for their children and believes it has had such a positive impact on their lives.
"Just yesterday we were playing in the backyard for about an hour, just kicking the ball around and playing. You know he's getting better so it builds character and it helps you spend more time with your kids," San Angelo resident, Ruben Perez, said.
Practices begin Aug. 1, and will occur every Tuesday and Thursday. Games for the youth league will officially begin Sept. 2. For more information, contact Jesus Hernandez at 325-374-7541 or Calderon at 325-387-4070.