The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Passion for favorite sport unites neighbors
The ball speeds down the soccer pitch, guided carefully by Mario Natarén who dribbles cautiously. He shoots the ball and lets out a sigh. He does not score, but the intent was worth it. It might be an ordinary Saturday for most people, but for 12-year-old Natarén, this is the day he gets to play his favorite sport.
“My dad had to go to Honduras, and it’s just me and my mom and my little sister. But my dream is to be a soccer player,” said Natarén.
For the Sequoyah Middle School student, playing in the Passion Soccer Club is one of the best moments of his week. The community league is managed and coached by José Almaraz and began 17 years ago, thanks to the efforts of activist and former consul general of Mexico in Atlanta, Teodoro Maus.
“This is Mr. Maus’s league. We had his help here and he is a fundamental part. Thanks to him, we got organized and up and running, and that’s how this organization started. He didn’t notice if you were Argentine, Uruguayan or Mexican. To him, we were all equal,” explained Almaraz, who is originally from Argentina.
According to Almaraz’s estimates, thousands of children have played in the league over the years.
Countless parents have come together as a community to help Almaraz with the task of coaching the teams, whose players range in age from 6 to 18 years old. Beyond just providing a fun environment to play soccer, the league seeks to help children excel in academics and as community members.
“I am an educator before I am a coach. It’s so satisfying to see an accomplished child. We aim for that child, when he leaves here, to be an example in the community and to be a good child in society,” said Almaraz.
Natarén is an example of the fruits of this labor.
“On Tuesdays and Thursdays we would do an hour of homework and then practice,” said Natarén. “That helped me a lot.”
He speaks in past tense, because that was a year ago. This year, the league has had to deal with an unexpected challenge that puts the service it offers to the community at risk.
“We used to be in Dresden Park, but now we don’t have access to the facilities, because the city of Chamblee made a series of changes and improvements to the park. Before, we could use the whole park. But now we can’t,” said Almaraz. “We had a place because of the tutoring. Now we don’t. We don’t have anywhere to put desks and we can’t make the children sit on the ground. We’ve had to abandon that proposal.”
For the coach of the club, which is registered as a non-profit organization, soccer is not necessarily the most important service his group offers. “Our commitment is not just that they play soccer but that they receive integral support as human beings,” said Almaraz.
This same sentiment is echoed by Jenni Fernández, a mother who volunteers – along with at least 30 other parents — as a coach for the league.
“We started playing soccer with José, and now we have our own groups. I feel very proud, because we help so many children. What we want is for children to stay out of trouble,” said Fernández, a native of Honduras. “A lot of moms complain about their children wandering around the streets. But we don’t make time for them.”
Alfredo Hernández, another parent coach for the league and a native of Mexico, hopes to instill the same values as the club. “It’s important for children to have this opportunity.
They flourish and get along together, and they learn life values. I, for example, didn’t have this opportunity with my father in my country, and now I can with my son,” he said.
Everyone who participates in the league feel the same way as Hernández. Although the organization is facing substantial challenges, the desire to keep it alive is strong.
Every Saturday they gather at Silverbacks Field, because, for this group, community and soccer are the perfect duet.