ISSA trip to Mexico

Gathered in the park pavilion was an unlikely crew of mothers, fathers, and children of all ages. The oldest kids - pre-teens and teenagers - stood impatiently in the back, waiting for the opportunity to be released to go play on this gorgeous Sunday morning. A very important meeting was being held for fourteen families and five other adults. The occasion: the Immokalee Soccer School & Academy’s long-awaited immersion trip to Mexico City.
Fifteen middle-school students and players at the Immokalee Soccer School & Academy (ISSA) will have the opportunity to embark on a journey of a lifetime during their spring break this March. Accompanied by five adult chaperones, these students will spend one week in Mexico City, participating in cultural excursions, meeting the players of professional soccer team Cruz Azul, and attending a soccer game, along with many other educational and fun experiences. For many of them, this is the first time they will ever fly in an international plane and stay in a hotel in a city foreign to them.
As we all know, nothing comes for free. This is especially true for the kids in ISSA. Since August, students have been challenged to improve their skills in mathematics and language arts through IXL Learning Inc. Spending two hours every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday night mastering hundreds of these skills on the computers, these young men and women have not only showed their desire to learn but also their drive to get what they want. The students have had to achieve a certain goal - specific to each one’s abilities - in order to earn their ticket to Mexico. Those who will be flying in three weeks have mastered all skills with flying colors.
We cannot wait to send our players - who have played and worked incredibly hard - off to Mexico in just three short weeks. Our greatest hope is that this experience is not only one of reward and relaxation, but of eye-opening experiences in both cultural and educational realms. And we hope that our community in Immokalee helps us to celebrate their return - in their matching blue uniforms - reminding all those they meet that ISSA is truly a place “where angels learn to fly.”
Find more information on Immokalee Soccer School & Academy at immokaleesoccerschool.org.