Our Impact – Balón USA

What families say…

“It was close and convenient. The level of challenge was a great intro to sports. It gave my daughter something to earn that she could be proud of.”
“My son learned new skills and made new friends. He had fun and never felt pressure to perform a certain way. This is exactly the type of program we wanted and I am very grateful that we had the opportunity to be a part of it.”
“Just an overall fantastic program. The help that was given to parents about how to support children on and off the field and encourage them at all times was very helpful.”

Spring 2020- 120 players were ready to beginning the program when COVID-19 suspended everything. Instead, each family received a soccer ball, suggestions for practicing at home, and a $25 gift card. Coaches received their $350 stipend.
Fall 2020- We put health protocols in place to serve 36 families for 6-weeks. Families were thankful for the opportunity for their children to be outside and interacting with their peers. Our survey showed many families noticed improved focus in school and better mental health for their children.
We partnered with Edgewater Collective to offer more resources during soccer practices such as tutoring, internet hotspots, STEM activities and gift cards. These efforts impacted approximately 120 people.
We partnered with the Jefferson Center for Mental Health Centro Dones to offer workshops in Spanish and English, via Zoom, entitled “Supporting your children’s mental health during the pandemic”.

Balón USA receives 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
Around 120 students participated in our spring and fall seasons in Jefferson County. Participating schools included: Edgewater, Foster, Lawrence, Secrest and Swanson Elementary.
3 summer soccer clinics for students in 1st-6th grades.
We partnered with the Social Emotional Learning Specialists at our participating schools and the Jefferson Center for Mental Health Centro Dones to offer social emotional workshops entitled “Supporting your child while learning a new sport” at two schools. The workshops helped parents focus on being positive and connected them to additional mental health resources at Centro Dones. Workshops were presented in Spanish and English.

Germán collaborated with the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer for Success to serve from 90-150 students per season each year. The program was active at Foster, Arvada K8, Lawrence, Secrest and Swanson Elementary schools and offered 8 weeks of programming in the fall and spring seasons to boys and girls from 3rd to 5th grades.

Germán Zárate Bohórquez organized and led a soccer club at Foster Elementary in southeast Arvada. Germán used his contacts to organize games with teams across Metro Denver.