Page 11 - HOH

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local Saturday 20 auguSt 2022
Fabio Alexander,
An 11-year-old with a big dream of playing professional soccer

Soccer is one of the most team of Real Madrid.” had to pay for his spot. “This
popular sports around the year, a man contacted me
world and also in Aruba. A Alexander said also that his asking if I was interested
lot of young people share favorite aspect of the clinic in a free spot for the clinic
the dream of playing pro- was that the coaches were of the Real Madrid Foun-
fessionally for big teams. very kind. He said he had a dation this year. I said yes,
Recently in Aruba a soc- great time and he learned that my son was very inter-
cer clinic was held by Real new techniques which will ested.”
Madrid Foundation, during help him improve his skills to
which a group of young play soccer. During the clinic there were
sportspeople got the op- different categories, each
portunity to receive differ- Alexander plays with a with around 12 children
ent techniques according well-known local team, participating. By the end of
the philosophy of discipline and his position is defense the clinic, of all the children
and the play style of the although he can also play who participated, one who
soccer team Real Madrid. midfield, defensive mid- stood out was selected to
field. He doesn’t hesitate to travel to Madrid for free
One of the participants at defend his team’s goal until and to take part in a cham-
the clinic, Fabio Alexan- the end. pionship in Madrid. Aside
der Montilla, an 11-year- from that, another ten kids
old soccer player with Despite his newfound love will also receive an invita-
the dream of becoming of Real Madrid, his favor- tion to go to Madrid.
a professional player, told ite team is Barcelona and “We are waiting for the
our reporter about his ex- his favorite player is Lionel end of the month to see if
perience during the clinic, Messi. Our reporter asked he gets an invitation. On
what he learned and what what he would do if in the the last day of training they
his dream is. future he gets an offer to do the closing of the clinic,
play for Real Madrid, but they hand out the prizes,
When he was only two his favorite team is Barce- certificates, the balls. They
years old, he received his lona. Alexander laughed select one child in each
first soccer ball, and by the and answered: “I would category who is going to
time he was three he was play for Real Madrid. I like Madrid for free, and for
already part of a soccer them a lot as well; it’s just those who get an invita-
team in Aruba. that since I was very young tion, they send an e-mail
my father would show me after one or two weeks.
He said that his experience Barcelona before Real Ma- They send the list of invitees,
during the clinic of the Real drid. Becoming a profes- which is around ten chil-
Madrid Foundation was sional player is my dream dren”, Meriño explained.
very good and he learned and I am working very hard
a lot of new things. “It went to reach it.” For his part, Alexander says
really well, I had a lot of that he is waiting anxiously
fun and I think if possible Claudia Meriño, Alexan- and hopes that he can be
I would like to go again der’s mother, explained to one of the invitees to go
next year”, he said. “I knew our reporter that Alexan- play soccer in Madrid, an-
a couple of things, but I der received an invitation other dream which could
learned more which makes this year to take part in the come true. “If they invite
things easier, and I feel like clinic, because last year he me to go to Spain, I will go”,
we played just like the first also participated but they he said.q