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Around the Worlds

Casa
Colombia
Bogotá
Around the Worlds

Play together. Learn together. Dream Together.

Around the Worlds provides free-of-cost soccer programs, whereby children and adolescents have the chance to exercise their right to leisure and play, and their right to partake in the global culture of soccer. The soccer programs are structured to provide lessons on teamwork, problem solving, goal setting, and local leadership. Finally, Around the Worlds concludes each program with a donation of

soccer balls and other equipment, which empowers the participants to be kids and play long after Around the Worlds has left.

11/06/2026

Our third Mexico-based programming day featured a double shot of classes in collaboration with the incredible Ednica IAP team.

Just like the day prior, the session was a reprise of a similar program back in September of 2022, with the minor adjustment of a venue change. And even though Mexico City's unpredictable precipitation tried hard to derail best laid plans, the kids (to their credit) remained resolute - determined to get touches on the ball no matter how much rain coated our playing surface.

Unsurprisingly, with each passing drill, that determination only grew. The giggles of our listening exercise. The concentration of 'Red Light, Green Light'. The humor of our dribbling drill. The fierce competition of our 1v1 activity. A quick break under the dry shade of a tree, and just like that, they were right back at it.

Don't fret though, their effort was rewarded handsomely - with brand new, Nike gear thanks to our friends over at Oakwood Soccer.

“Es nueva!” exclaimed one particular youngster gleefully, a smile wrapping itself around his face as he pulled the new top over his arms and head.

09/06/2026

Our second Mexico-based program (in just as many days) featured a return to Tacubaya and familiar beneficiaries, Afeeci A.C., for an afternoon session with about a dozen youngsters.

Following our first run-in with the Afeeci team back in September of 2022, it was a joyous occasion to reprise the collaboration with just a few minor changes made this time around. The faces were new, though the curriculum was not. Staffmembers had changed, but still carried the same positive disposition as years past. Take-home prizes had been swapped, from soccer balls to equally-appreciated Challenger Sports t-shirts. And most notably, the timing in which those giveaways were distributed had been modified.

"Can we give out the tees before the program begins?" asked Stephen, speaking directly to our community partner, Jessy.

"Sure thing!" she responded, in agreement with Stephen that the matching gear would give the session a real camp-type of feeling.

And that it did. Our 'campers' moved effortlessly from drill to drill, cheering noisily with each elimination, goal, triumph, and defeat. One-on-ones, 'Red Light, Green Light', listening exercises, dribbling drills, and more. No matter the activity, the joy was there and the joy was real.

04/06/2026

Tuesday night, founder Stephen Schirra came back from a week-long run of Mexico-based programming to give out our latest Gabriel Yeris Scholarship.

The night, which has quickly become one of our favorite evenings of the year, featured an impressive cohort of graduating seniors looking to take their academic & athletic talents to the next level at various institutions like UConn, UNC Charlotte, The Ohio State University, and more. A true testament to their accomplished careers at Ellington High School, 79 students were awarded over $165,000 in scholarships thanks to the amazing Ellington Community Scholarship Association team.

And now, in our fund's tenth year of existence, we could not be more proud to announce our 2026 winner - Bryan Margelony.

Bryan's high school tenure saw impressive athletic feats on both the soccer field and the golf course. A born leader, teammates (and coaches) soon took notice, resulting in his captaincy of both squads at the varsity level. That leadership didn't just stop on the field, though, translating over to the classroom and beyond it, with his involvement in Unified Basketball as well as the local church's youth group.

Next year, he'll be heading down south to the sunny shores of Florida Gulf Coast University to study PGA Management, where we have no doubt he will create an even larger legacy than the one he has left in the Ellington community.

Can't wait to see all that you'll accomplish, Bryan. Congratulations, from the whole Around the Worlds team!

30/05/2026

Earlier this week, we kicked off May programming with an afternoon collaboration alongside the incredible Escuela Hogar del Perpetuo Socorro team. Having first worked with them back in 2020, it was special to (once again) help a new contingent of young athletes navigate the beautiful game the Around the Worlds way.

Despite the six year hiatus, our curriculum remained largely unchanged. Thanks to our friends over at Challenger Sports, post-program prizes were plenty, just as they were at the conclusion of our first ever session. Our offerings hadn’t shifted, but rather, upgraded, to now include an arts session for the nearly two dozen beneficiaries present. And the joy… well, that (much like our curriculum) remained untouched, too.

And what played out for the following 90 minutes was a flurry of excitement - only crescendoing from one exercise to the next art activity. Enthusiasm stretched from the pitch to the classroom. Eagerness jumped from the ball to the canvas. The girls could surely play, and they weren’t shy to share it loud & proud.

“You guys all like soccer, right?” Stephen asked, polling our first set of participants.

“No…,” said the littlest of the bunch, a soft spoken girl with glasses. Imagine Stephen’s shock. “No me gusta el futbol,” she continued.

“Me ENCANTA el futbol!” she exclaimed, with a grin that could reach from one sideline to the other.

20/05/2026

Our fifth and final Lima-based session kicked off with nearly 20 beneficiaries from Casa San Buenaventura of Ciudad de los Niños. Having waited patiently in the wings for five whole days, the group was eager as ever to participate - with all of them set to experience our curriculum for the very first time.

Adequately prepared to not just match their excitement, but exceed it, Stephen brought out the big guns - hitting ball control grids, listening exercises, one-on-ones at goal, and a (crowd-favorite) shooting drill. It was a joy to see the boys, our eldest participants in this marathon set of sessions with Ciudad de los Niños, transition effortlessly from drill to drill, carefully mastering one skill before moving expeditiously to the next.

And once all those skills had been successfully mastered, there was nothing left to do but showcase them in an all-out, competitive scrimmage.

"Futebol!" the kids screamed out with glee, for this was the part they had been waiting for all morning. Coaches, field players, goalkeepers - everyone played their part. Highlight reel-level shots were met with equally-as-impressive saves. Five-star skills were met with bone-crunching tackles.

Off to the side, Stephen couldn't help but smile. For the scrimmage, itself, was a coach's dream. The kids were applying the exact things they had learned earlier over to practical, in-game scenarios. There was nothing left for him to do, but sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of his labor on display.

10/05/2026

Our second to last Lima-based program featured an early morning session with Casa San Antonio of Ciudad de los Niños. Similar to years past, the boys entered the fray donning their finest (matching) Peru kits. Checking in at a baker's dozen, they stood at the ready, eager to learn and even more eager to play.

Just like with their brothers from Casa Niño Jesús and Casa Sonrisa Franciscana earlier in the week, Stephen shepherded the day's participants through a variety of drills - specifically designed to test their skills, knowledge, and (in some cases) their patience. Perfection was never the goal, as long as progress was being made along the way. And though sometimes slow or hard to come by, that progress was there. Not because of Stephen, but because of the boys and their willingness to improve.

Breaking into a one-touch passing grid, our group hit a snag. They just couldn't seem to find their footing, and the drill was completely out of sync. Stephen let things run their course for a bit, but eventually had to screech the exercise to a halt. He didn't scold though, instead, he saw it as a learning opportunity.

"Bring it in guys, bring it in… let’s have a chat," Stephen said. "Tell me, what went wrong there? It was complicated, no? Why?"

"Pues, Profe, he would pass the ball too strong and I couldn't control it without taking an additional touch," said a young boy, gesturing towards another.

"Wait up, we don’t need to use names, it was a challenging drill for all of us. So what’s the trick? What do we need to change next time?" Stephen replied.

"Suavecito, Profe… if we all pass the ball gently, the drill will run smoothly," an older boy said confidently and correctly - his teammates nodding in agreement.

04/05/2026

Our final day of Peru-based programming proved to be particularly special, not for what happened on the field, but rather, for what happened off of it.

In between sessions, Madeley, our community contact at Ciudad de los Niños, approached Stephen with a boy by her side. That boy, Paolo, was set to become the sixth member of our family of W***y Garcia Memorial Fund scholarship recipients.

Having first crossed paths with Around the Worlds back in 2022, Paolo had progressed tremendously in the short 3.5 years that followed. Though just a young boy in that first session, he had a smile (seemingly) bigger than his body, and a joy for the game rivaled only by a joy for life, in general. Now, he dreams of one day becoming either a systems engineer or a civil engineer - an aspiration rooted in his self-proclaimed passion for mathematics.

Between an impromptu photoshoot & the delivery of some other scholarship-related goodies, Stephen had a chance to chop it up with the young, but effervescent Paolo. It was an important moment, and Stephen relished the opportunity to share with our newest recipient the significance of the scholarship - why he was chosen & why the scholarship even existed, period.

How, now & forever, he was a part of W***y’s story and W***y, a part of his. And in a way, both of them a part of ours, too.

30/04/2026

"Coach?" one of the boys said, following our first session in this Peru-based programming run. "When are you coming back? he asked. His voice filled with worry, trepidation even.

"This Thursday!" Stephen answered. Almost immediately, the sense of fear drifted from the boy's mind, as his eyebrows flattened back out and his lips curled up into a smile.

"Make sure to wear your new shirts!" Stephen instructed, referring to the brand new Challenger Sports tees the boys had only just received moments ago.

"Of course, Coach!" the boys responded, in unison.

And when Thursday rolled around, that's exactly what they did. From the school, to the cafeteria, to their living quarters and back - there's not a single place they went on that particular day, without donning their perfect, new threads. So it should come as no surprise at all that when our second Ciudad de los Niños program kicked off, there they were... side-by-side, wearing their matching kits.

For the next hour, the boys kept the energy extremely high. They ran, they jumped, they cheered, and they played. Older boys led their younger counterparts through drills, and to their credit, the little ones didn't back down when it came to competing against opponents twice their size. It was a beautiful display of grit & tenacity, with a real "camp-style" feel to it. All thanks to those matching camp shirts.

27/04/2026

Our second program in just as many days featured a return to Magdalena-based partners, Beneficencia de Lima, for an afternoon session with 15 of their beneficiaries from Puericultorio Perez Aranibar.

Playing host (now) on four different occasions to our free-of-charge programming, it was amazing to feel a deep sense of familiarity almost immediately once on campus. Staffmembers and contacts had, for the most part, remained the same. Certain past beneficiaries had moved on, while some were still present - both on the field & beyond it. And our playing space, though still nestled in the back corner of the grounds, had experienced some significant upgrades... including a large, spray-painted KIA logo at centerfield, effectively simulating a professional-level experience for those gracing the field with their presence.

That's how it felt, and that's exactly how our young athletes carried themselves - professionally. Crisp push-passes, laser-focused attention, and pride-filled celebrations. Rainbow flicks and effortless roulette turns. They were keen to showcase their skills, but careful not to abandon their humanity in order to do so.

Why? Because for them, the scoreline mattered far less than the experience shared by all. Older boys carried the ball smoothly down the field, abandoning an intention to score and rather, replacing it with a desire to get their younger counterparts involved. They'd beat a man off the dribble, sometimes a second, clearing space only just long enough to dish the ball off to a youngster in front of goal, so they might etch their names on the scoresheet too.

20/04/2026

Last Tuesday, we opened up a fully-loaded week of Peru-based programming with an afternoon session alongside familiar community partners - Ciudad de los Niños.

The organization, operating out of the San Juan de Miraflores district, has spent the past 70 years bettering the lives of Peruvian youth during some of the most formative years of their childhood. Here, children learn values the ‘Ciudad de los Niños way’ - with an approach focused heavily on respect, fraternity, commitment, and responsibility.

We have now, on three different occasions, had the pleasure of working alongside Ciudad de los Niños & their incredible support staff, to refine some of those values through the simple (but mighty) platform of sport.

With our last collaboration dating all the way back to November of 2022, so much had changed on Ciudad’s campus. Of course, that was to be expected after such a lengthy passage of time. The large dirt field we once played on had been replaced by three gorgeous, regulation-sized turf pitches. Old faces were replaced by new ones. Familiar staffmembers had transferred to different departments, while new volunteers were only just being onboarded merely days prior. And of course, new beneficiaries had been ushered in, following a number of graduating classes.

But still, so much had stayed exactly the same. The cheers, the laughs, the greetings and expressions of gratitude. The boys ran around freely, with nothing but a ball at their feet and the wind at their back. Sure, like Ciudad’s approach, our program was values-based… but it was joy-centered too. And that’s not a lesson we’ve learned or anything revolutionary, either. That’s just the magic of Ciudad de los Niños.

Dirección

Bogotá

Página web

http://www.aroundtheworlds.org/

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