A group of young boys gathered on the grassy field at Fort Worth’s Hillside Park every Wednesday evening to play soccer. The group, Rebelz Futbol, organizes free soccer pickup matches for kids every Wednesday and for adults every Friday.

Free Soccer for All

The idea for Rebelz Futbol came from its co-founders, who previously coached together for a children’s soccer league in Fort Worth. They noticed that the cost to play became a barrier for kids to enjoy the sport, so they decided to create a space where anyone can play soccer without paying a fee.

The co-founders, Daniel Garcia Rodriguez, Henry Alvarez, Fernando Olmedo Rivera, and Oscar Enriquez, have experienced the financial challenges of playing soccer themselves. They began holding their own free pickup matches for any of the kids in their leagues who wanted to join.

Rebelz Futbol has been holding practices at the Marine Park soccer fields in Fort Worth and other fields around the city. However, as the summer of 2024 came to a close, they found a new location at Hillside Park, which has a cement tennis court with lights that can be turned off and on by the public.

The group was approached by a worker from the Jefferson Community Center about the possibility of Street Soccer USA providing funds to transform the tennis court into two mini pitches. The new field was officially open by April, and the organizers have seen an even higher turnout since the pitches were installed.

Rebelz Futbol has been determined to keep the space open for anyone to use and has made efforts to host events that cater to the surrounding community. In May, the group hosted “Copa Rebeldía” and donated the proceeds to a family dealing with lawyer fees after a relative faced deportation.

Original reporting: Fort Worth Report — read the source article.