MILWAUKEE — On Saturday the steps leading up to St. Hyacinth Church on 14th and Becher are makeshift stands, filled with moms and dads, brother and sisters, cousins and grandparents. And the street below them is no longer for cars, instead it's where soccer's future stars compete.
It's the Street Dreams Soccer Academy annual 4 vs. 4 street tournament.
The academy was started in 2019 by a group of five friends who grew up playing soccer together, including Cesar Castillo and Favian Gonzalez who have been teammates for about two decades.
"We grew up playing first against each other, and then around U-10 we played for the same club. From there we always played together," Castillo recalled.
And it's their experience playing the game that led them to create Street Dreams Soccer Academy.
"For us growing up, transportation was an issue because we often played for clubs that were out in the suburbs. We were lucky enough to have coaches and teammates that would come and give us rides, but it was still challenging," Gonzalez shared.
Castillo added, "although it was a great experience, we wanted to provide that in our community and stay in our community while also bringing others into our community."
Thus, Street Dreams Soccer Academy was created as an affordable and accessible, yet still competitive, option for families in Milwaukee.
"We feel that through soccer we can develop talents, find new talents and then teach our youth how to use those outside of the soccer field as well," Castillo shared.
According to it's website, the Academy's mission is "to provide an affordable and transformational soccer experience where every youth's talents are discovered, cultivated, and encouraged on and off the field."
The academy keeps costs low by relying on fundraising and donations, community partners, and using public parks and schools for practice and games.
It's also based on Milwaukee's south side where Gonzalez and Castillo grew up.
"That's where we grew up. The population that lives in this area, soccer is the main sport. It makes sense. The kids want it, the families want it," Gonzalez said. "Our big vision is to empower our community through the game."
But more than just playing the game, Gonzalez and Castillo hope the players in the academy foster a deeper appreciation for their community and life-long friendship with each other.
"We want that for the kids that are participating in our club, to have those life-long friendships and to be able to have those support systems throughout their lives," Castillo said.
"It's creating opportunities for the kids to experience joy," Gonzalez added.
Together, they're using the beautiful game to build a beautiful community.
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