The first Amarillo Soccer Academy camp was held last week.

Jose Vejar has a dream that he is pursuing wholeheartedly. He wants to start a children's soccer team for low-income families in the Texas Panhandle and teach young athletes about the fundamentals and discipline of sports. But as with all goals, there are already obstacles slowing down Vejar's dream.

From July 25th-29th, Vejar and his family hosted a camp for kids interested in joining the Amarillo Soccer Academy. Over 60 kids showed up and showed great enthusiasm to be part of the team. The camp was held at John Stiff Park and Southeast Park and Vejar hoped that he could continue practicing at those locations. However, Amarillo city officials informed Vejar that he could no longer host the Amarillo Soccer Academy at the park. According to Vejar, officials said that Amarillo club soccer teams have first priority over the fields.

However, Vejar has not given up hope. He is currently looking for an open location to host soccer practice for the Amarillo Soccer Academy. If you know of a location, please contact us and we can put you in touch with Vejar.

After the camp, over 40 parents signed up to continue their children's memberships with the Amarillo Soccer Academy. These families came from Amarillo, Fritch, Dumas, and Pampa and were Hispanic, white, and other races.

Vejar is willing to work with families who can't afford to join club teams. He charged $50 for the entire week of camp, did not require special equipment like cleats, and allowed people to pay $10 per day if the $50 was beyond their means. He wants the academy to be completely non-profit, saying that he's not in it for the money, but for the benefit of the kids.

Because of that, Vejar will also be searching for donations and sponsorships for things like uniforms and equipment. If you own a business or know someone who would be interested in offering their services, please contact us.

The Amarillo Soccer Academy wants to provide a safe, structured, and fun environment for kids ages 6-16 that have an interest in sports but don't have the means to join one of the bigger clubs.

You can check out the Amarillo Soccer Academy Facebook for more information.

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