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 News from Around Banderas Bay | September 2006 
Soccer League Starts Saturday at Sports Stadium
 Bob Cohen - PVNN
| | If you have children between the ages of four and seventeen who love to play soccer, be sure to take them to the Puerto Vallarta Sports Stadium on Saturday, September 23rd at 8:30 am, where they can join the Puerto Vallarta soccer league. |
La Unidad Deportiva Agustin Flores Contreras, better known as the Puerto Vallarta Sports Stadium [across the street from the Sheraton,] will host Puerto Vallarta's new youth soccer season this Saturday, September 23rd at 8:30 am on the main soccer field.
Amazingly, there will be 115 teams from around the city, with children from almost every Colonia in Vallarta competing in leagues made up from players in the same age category, which range from 4-5 years old to 16-17 year olds. The league is primarily for boys, but girls also make up a part of many teams, as long as they are in the same age group.
The age groupings for the league are as follows: 4-5 years - 6-7 years - 8-9 years - 10-11 years - 12-13 years - 14-15 years - 16-17 years
Though most people only see the four soccer fields that occupy the stadium, there are actually about 30 fields in Vallarta that host games all year long. Since the City of Puerto Vallarta virtually supports the league, the cost for the entire season is only $100 pesos (about $9.20 USD) per child. This fee covers the cost of field usage, soccer balls and trophies - but not the price of uniforms.
In order to put as many teams in uniforms as possible, the Director of Sports for Puerto Vallarta, Ignacio "Nacho" Curiel, is continually seeking donations from the private and public sectors, as well as from individuals.
| Earlier this year, Leigh and Melissa Kirmsee, two soccer moms from Concord California who are involved with the Mount Diablo Soccer Association, came to Puerto Vallarta bearing gifts for the local kids. Join BanderasNews video journalist, Laura Gelezunas, as she shows us how the teams scored big.  CLICK for photos & more info. |
Earlier this year, Leigh and Melissa Kirmsee, two soccer moms from Concord California who are involved with the Mount Diablo Soccer Association, along with their two children Joshua and Kathryn, came to Puerto Vallarta bearing gifts for the local kids.
Working with other soccer moms, they managed to generate a huge donation of 160 brand new uniforms, 140 soccer balls, and other soccer gear and equipment, which was presented to seven local soccer teams whose players had never worn a uniform in their lives.
The value of their generous donation was over $50,000 pesos, which was presented to the kids at a special celebration ceremony in the Sports Stadium last April. Everyone in attendance was witness to the joy this gift brought to 125 kids, who quickly disrobed so they could put on their brand new uniforms.
Don of Pizza Papa Don added to the festivities by supplying 20 pizzas and handing out free shirts to feed and further clothe everyone. (See the video)
The event started with an email I received from this wonderful family who had been following sports reports I write for BanderasNews and Vallarta Today asking if I knew of any needy kid's soccer teams that could use some donated uniforms.
About 20 emails later, and after a lot of time and energy expended on both ends, Leigh and Melissa found others in their area that had equipment to donate as well, and as each day passed, the size of the donation grew.
Steve Price, the owner of Soccer Magic in Walnut Creek, California heard about the Kirmsee's mission and added quite a bit of equipment to the pot, increasing the size of the donation dramatically.
And even though the Kirmsee family had to pay the duty taxes to bring the gear into Mexico, they promised to come back again after their local season ends to bring even more equipment to the children who gratefully await their return.
There is still time for kids that speak any language, are of any race and any age to join the league. Just come by the Sports Stadium on Saturday morning at 8 am, when representatives from each of the new teams will be on hand.
There will also be an awards ceremony at the kick-off inauguration with trophies presented to last season's league winners. So, whether you want to be a part of this season's soccer league or offer to help support the kids, be sure to stop by the Stadium on Saturday morning to cheer on the teams and join in all of the festivities.
Who knows, maybe some of these kids will play in a future World Cup, so don't miss the opportunity to see them. |
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