While Los Angeles fans are attending World Cup games this summer, kids from Boyle Heights had a tournament of their own.
More than 150 young players from public housing communities across LA competed in a World Cup-inspired soccer tournament organized by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA). The four-week event brought together 11 teams, including players from Estrada Courts and Ramona Gardens, for weekly 9-on-9 matchups that culminated in a championship at UCLA’s Wallis Annenberg Stadium.
Just like the world stage, each HACLA team represented a country and wore matching uniforms.
For most kids, it was an opportunity to stay active during summer break. For 9-year-old Anthony Cos Campos of Estrada Courts, it was a chance to experience playing on a pitch.
“This is my dream to become a soccer player and to play on a team,” he said.
The tournament also allowed Campos to play alongside friends from his neighborhood.
On the sidelines, at the first matchup in June, Boyle Heights resident Christian Beltran cheered on his two sons who represented Estrada Courts.
“I’m happy for them; they get to experience the World Cup in their own way,” he said.” “They love playing soccer, so it’s right [up] their alley.
Beltran said programs like this can offer neighborhood kids a chance to stay out of trouble.
“It’s important to keep them off the streets, keep them engaged in something, in a sport. So I’m all for it,” he said.
Neither Estrada Courts or Ramona Gardens advanced to the championship round. San Fernando Gardens defeated Pico Gardens on Saturday, July 11, to win the inaugural title.
All participants will receive commemorative medals, awards, and trophies at a celebratory banquet hosted by HACLA in the coming weeks.
The final championship game also served as a tribute to HACLA Community Engagement Manager Eric Washington, who died earlier this month. According to the agency, Washington played a key role in several initiatives, including leading the inaugural HACLA World Cup Youth Tournament and coordinating the distribution of facemasks and air purifiers to the Boyle Heights community following the Lineage warehouse fire.
In his honor, Build Hope Inc., a HACLA nonprofit affiliate, will establish the Eric Washington Community Impact Award, a scholarship presented annually to HACLA youth.
