Turning Passion for Soccer to Purpose | George Assafo & Joaquin Ortiz | TEDxMiami Country Day School

Quick Overview

George Assafo and Joaquin Ortiz discuss their organization, Goals for Goals, which leverages the passion for soccer among young athletes in South America to overcome systemic financial, educational, and social barriers faced by aspiring players and their communities, using mentorship and engagement opportunities to foster positive role models.

Key Points: The speakers, George Assafo and Joaquin Ortiz, founded an organization called Goals for Goals to support young soccer players in South America. The organization addresses systemic issues faced by these athletes, including financial necessities, education/nutrition, transportation, and equipment costs. They found that the players' passion for soccer and desire to be role models was a potent driver for change. Goals for Goals organizes educational activities like lunch-and-learns and guest speaker presentations featuring members from the soccer world. The founders realized that the greatest impact comes from embodying the values they preach, serving as role models themselves. The fundamental service provided is acting as role models, which inspires the community to support the mission. The entire endeavor, while challenging, was deemed worthwhile because it helps players turn their passion into something bigger than themselves.

Context: George Assafo and Joaquin Ortiz present their TEDx talk about their initiative, Goals for Goals, which originated from a personal experience where one speaker missed a bus to an Argentina Juniors tryout at 5:45 AM, leading to a conversation with an agent about the hardships faced by young South American players. This experience spurred them to create a system that supports these athletes beyond just finances, focusing on mentorship and community building.

Detailed Analysis

George Assafo and Joaquin Ortiz detail the origin and mission of their organization, Goals for Goals, which assists young soccer players in South America, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds like the one pictured in their introductory visual (00:40). The initial catalyst was one speaker missing a tryout for Argentina Juniors due to transport issues, leading to a conversation with an agent about the immense, often non-financial, struggles these athletes face, such as expensive academies, poor nutrition, and lack of exposure (01:50-04:47). The founders identified four key areas where young athletes struggle: financial necessity, education/nutrition, transportation/equipment, and lack of role models. They established Goals for Goals to address these by organizing engagement opportunities, including educational activities and bringing in guest speakers from the soccer world (6:20-6:25). The core philosophy became that the most profound impact comes from being a role model oneself (08:52-09:17). They emphasize that success in this endeavor is not easy, requiring dedication, but the reward is enabling players to channel their passion for soccer into something bigger than themselves and their immediate community (09:36-10:11). The speakers conclude by thanking the audience and their dedicated team members who help facilitate this mission (11:01).