“Your values are your superpower.” “You don’t lose, you learn.” “Be one with your team.”
The valuable advice of some of the most successful Hispanic athletes and executives in American soccer will now be more available than ever to the next generation of Hispanic leaders in the United States.
Major League Soccer, P&G brands like Gillette, Always, Crest, and Oral-B, and the Hispanic Star have joined forces to launch Capitanes del Futuro, a unique Hispanic youth leadership program for Hispanic youth that aims to harness the passion for soccer to empower kids across the nation.
The Capitanes del Futuro initiative will focus on providing guidance to boys and girls ages 12 to 18 through free access to role models, resources, tools, and skills intended to open their minds, build their confidence, and help them overcome structural barriers often found along the pathway to higher education.
“Capitanes del Futuro is another way we are powering the progress of Hispanic communities and equipping youth with tools and resources to become America’s future leaders,” said Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer at Procter & Gamble in a statement.
The program will include workshops, live and virtual events and gamified learning. Additionally, Capitanes del Futuro will also offer a digital library that includes inspiring videos featuring conversations between legendary sportscaster Fernando Fiore and top MLS players, including FC Cincinnati stars Luciano Acosta and Brandon Vazquez as well as Inter Miami forward Gonzalo Higuain, who share stories about their own path to success, their mentors and role models.
“I would wake up at 5 in the morning and have one of my parents drive me to border, train and then we would get in line to cross back to the US,” recalled Vazquez in his conversation with Fiore. “I went to school online because I’d go back at 2 or 3 pm.”
In addition to player conversations, the program also includes lessons and thoughts from leaders in the soccer industry, including Concacaf Chief commercial officer, Heidi Pellerano.
“I think it’s important as a woman in the sport to really show the way for others and how to do it well,” said Pellerano to Fiore. “You have an innate ability to teach others."
For more information on to enroll Hispanic youth in the free Capitanes del Futuro program, visit https://capitanesdelfuturo.org.
