During this summer’s FIFA World Cup matches, some of the world’s most elite soccer players will be joined on the field by kids 8 to 10 years old.
No, they’re not child prodigies ready to take on Lionel Messi. They’re young Dallas students selected for the World Cup Escort Program.
At Las Ranitas restaurant in Oak Cliff Tuesday night, 98 children and their families learned which countries they'd accompany out onto the field when the World Cup comes to Arlington.
The program is part of the Puede Network, a local nonprofit that helps local children grow through various programs.
Ten-year-old Nathan Gonzalez told KERA he will be attending the England vs Croatia game, and he’s feeling the pressure.
“I have a thing of stage fright,” Nathan said. “And it's basically a stage because you're on a field, basically a stage, and you're, like, with hundreds of thousands of people.”
Many kids in the Puede Network play soccer, like 10-year-old Romeo Gonzalez, who said his favorite player is Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I'm very excited because it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it's like not everybody has a chance to go to the World Cup,” he said.
The network was founded 15 years ago by Adan Gonzalez, an Oak Cliff native, who was giddy with excitement Tuesday night as kids ripped open blue envelopes with cards inside showing which match they would attend.
“Kids from Dallas, kids from the hood, from Oak Cliff, are going to have the opportunity to own the world stage,” Gonzalez said at the event.
Nathan’s mom, Nubia Gonzalez, told KERA two of her kids will be escorting players.
“Honestly, there's no words,” Nubia said. “I was thinking of what to say, how to feel, but it's just something that you can’t control.”
The network has programs for soccer, boxing, coding, arts, tutoring and STEM classes. Kids can also attend bi-weekly leadership classes or attend “power talks” with local professionals.
Dallas will host nine matches during the World Cup – more than any other host city. Matches begin June 14 and run to July 14.
“On the night of the World Cup, our scholars won’t just walk onto a field — they will walk out as proof of what's possible when we trust young people to rise,” Adan Gonzalez said. “That's what Puede means. You can, because you already are.”
Dylan Duke is KERA's Breaking News Reporter. Got a tip? Email Dylan Duke at dduke@kera.org.
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