Youth soccer academy squares off with Watsonville Police in friendly match

Azteca’s Academy is not just a soccer team.

“We’re a tiered mentoring program with a soccer component,” Azteca’s Soccer Academy founder Gina Castaneda said.

11 years ago, Castaneda, who is a juvenile probation officer in Santa Cruz county, started the academy targeted at young men who have a passion for soccer but just got caught up in a path that led to trouble.

“The love. The care. The mentorship. The skills. The education. That’s all free to them,” Castaneda said.

Castaneda had a tough upbringing in her own right. She grew up in a family of abuse but discovered one escape: soccer.

“I found security and safety in a time when it was pretty horrifying in my life,” she said.

So when Castaneda created this academy over a decade ago, she identified a group she oversaw in probation that needed that security and safety but instead had been pulled down a path with gangs, violence and drugs.

“They join the gang because they feel out-of-place maybe and the gang supports them and here you tell them the same and you’ll see the difference” Azteca’s mentor Jorge Camora said.

Jorge was one of the first kids in the program 11 years ago. He went on to play college soccer and has stayed with the academy as a mentor ever since.

He says it’s changed the path of his life.

“Oh yes for sure,” Camora said.

This summer, Angel Hernandez stepped into a mentor role after graduating from high school. He says what they have is family.

“When we want to go eat we’ll text everyone else to come with us and even then when we’re outside of soccer we’ll stick together,” Hernandez said.

Sunday, the quick footed and skilled soccer players went up against law enforcement. The same guys in uniform that in a world without Azteca’s may be interacting with them on the streets instead.

“It started a community conversation between the kids and officers that had arrested them in the past, and the cops got to see them be very successful,” Castenada said.

To no surprise to the officers, Sunday the score wasn’t very close.

“They’re way too fast. They’re way too talented,” Watsonville police officer Adrian Alvarez said with a chuckle.

In addition to raising money for the club, it’s added something else.

“It makes them look at us from a different perspective. From us being in uniform to outside the uniform, we’re the same as everyone else,” Alvarez said.

Some of the police officers, like Alvarez, are even mentors to the Azteca’s. The academy has had so much success, other areas have looked into adopting a similar program.

The soccer clubs big fundraiser is September 20 at the community foundation in Aptos. Tickets will be available on their website.