DENVER — Two former professional soccer players from Venezuela are now using their skills to give back to the community in Denver by hosting camps for kids to teach them all they know.
For Rene Alarcón and Jeison Pirela, soccer is much more than just a sport.
“Soccer is passion, it’s love, something in your heart that runs through your veins," Alarcón said, in Spanish.
The two spent over a decade playing soccer professionally in their home country.
“It’s something I fell in love with as a kid," Alarcón added.
The brothers-in-law are from Venezuela but immigrated to the U.S. a few months ago and are now living in Denver with their families.
Pirela said he grew a lot professionally and personally throughout the years playing soccer professionally.
“I learned humility, that’s the most important thing for a player," He told Denver7 in Spanish.
But they left that dream behind to pursue another one here in the United States.
“I don’t regret coming here, I did it for my family," Pirela added.
With the help of their new community in Denver, they came up with the idea to host soccer clinics for kids, to teach them everything they know about soccer.
“The most important thing for them to learn is not only to play soccer but to be the best people they can be," Pirela said, in Spanish.
They hosted their second sports clinic on Saturday, at Paco Sanchez Park, where about a dozen kids came out to participate.
“The most important thing for them to learn, is not only to play soccer but to be the best they can be," Pirela said.
They have launched a Facebook pageto keep the community updated about future soccer camps.
