IMMOKALEE, Fla. — A local soccer club is making a difference in young athletes' lives by focusing on more than just their performance on the field.
The Immokalee Cobras use soccer as a vehicle to promote character development and education for players like Ethan Sierra and Aneyli Velasques.
Click here to see Immokalee Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak with the Immokalee Cobras:
"Soccer is second to everything we do," said Saintano Damas, an Immokalee native who now coaches with the club.
Sierra, who joined the team from Estero, quickly made an impression on his coaches and teammates.
"He's really good kid. He's got a good head on his shoulders, and, I mean, he's amazing out there on the field," said team coordinator Leonel Velasques.
For 16-year-old Aneyli Velasques, the Cobras have been a constant in her life since she was seven years old.
"This young lady has a great GPA, she's a very intelligent young lady and a hard working soccer player," said coach Manuel Preciado.
Velasques has seen the program's growth firsthand, including its expansion to include more girls and younger players from throughout the community.
"They really try to get the whole community to be involved with soccer," Aneyli said.
The club requires all players to maintain at least a 2.0 GPA, emphasizing that success in the classroom takes priority over achievements on the field.
"Soccer is not the biggest part of this. It's actually the educational piece. School comes first. Soccer is always second," Preciado said.
"They can outgrow the sport. But, you know, they'll never outgrow an education," Leonel said.
For Damas, working with the Immokalee Cobras holds special significance as a native of the community.
"So we use the sport to kind of mold these kids into doing something positive, and soccer is more like a vehicle that we use," Damas said.
The Cobras' philosophy centers on developing the character of players like Sierra and Velasques, with an eye toward their futures beyond soccer.
"It's not today's practice. It's where they end once they're done with our soccer….I've never been one about the goals. I've always been one about the improvements and the goals that the kids set on themselves," Preciado said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
