The borough of Brooklyn in New York City is a divided community. On one hand, neighborhoods like Williamsburg are home to trendy restaurants, hipster enclaves and scores of millennials eager to move to the area. But, Brooklyn is also home to another community — a major Hispanic presence consisting of families who are often undocumented or low-income. According to the 2015 U.S. census data, 19.5 percent of Brooklyn residents are of Hispanic or Latino descent.
In 1998, the Buenavista Futbol Club was established by Mexican immigrants to teach soccer to low-income youth in Brooklyn. According to the club's president, most soccer clubs in the city are extremely costly and inaccessible for these families. Buenavista works to offset these costs and make soccer more accessible for kids. Teams range from U8 to U18, with five travel teams and weekly games at a community center in Park Slope.
Buenavista is more than a soccer club for these families; it’s their lives. Every Sunday, entire families, who often only speak Spanish, make the trek from neighborhoods like Sunset Park or Red hook to watch their kids play. But, the club faces major challenges. With lack of funding or organizational knowledge, the league's future and dream of becoming a top-notch soccer club in the city is more uncertain than ever.
