“What Free Play's doing with it right now, I love it. Being with the kids and them looking up to you, I like that."

“I've made people happy. I’ve given more people access to a lot of new things which is a really cool thing to think about: That I’ve accomplished something in my life.”

Coming from the other side of the world with little familiarity of a new culture is no small feat, but it’s the reality for many kids in Free Play. And as far as coaches go, there are few better-equipped than Junior Coach Sadaf to keep them in good hands.

“When you’re playing with [the kids], and they like you,” Sadaf says, “It makes me happy to be here.”

Thabiso Vela has been involved with Free Play for Kids for the past five years, and she says it’s become even more people-focused since she first started reffing soccer games in grade seven.

Jasmine’s job meant that an after-school option for her two sons, Urijah and Isaiah was necessary. But the options available to her were prohibitively expensive. Free Play was there to lend a hand.

“It’s taught them a lot and has gotten them to experience a lot outside their comfort zone.”

“Daycare and Out of School care programs are expensive. Free Play has provided opportunity for us, even during the summertime with the all-day programs. They help [families] so they don’t have to worry about childcare.”

“We moved [here] for our children’s futures,” she says. “There is lots of struggling and issues [in Bangladesh]... There is a better future in Canada than in [Bangladesh].”

You could recognize, Jaylin is enjoying himself surrounded by his friends. So we asked the question: “Has Jaylin always been like this?”. Jackie explains, “we have a motto in our home: just maintain a positive attitude and keep on smiling”.

When asked what made him want to play soccer, 8-year old Liam Denoon-Bellemore references a familial connection. When he was younger, he and his mother, Kathleen Denoon, would go to the park and play soccer while his delighted little sister would look on from the baby carrier.

According to her mom, Katie has always been a bubbly and kind kid. But thanks to Free Footie, she’s now also much more confident when it comes to interacting with new kids and social situations. “She’s a little social butterfly now,” Angela says. “She can talk to whoever.”

Andres Uriel Neri is no stranger to adversity. The ten-year-old Filipino immigrant, who came to Canada on December 10, 2015, with his mother, Ana, was born with multiple congenital anomalies that have confined him to a power wheelchair.

Take Statira, a 9-year-old who found out she loves being a goalie. When a recent Free Footie game against a rival school went to a shootout, the other team tried to stack the deck by lining up a series of older, stronger boys—and Statira stopped them all.

At any given moment, there’s a pretty good chance David has soccer on the brain. When the 8-year-old isn’t in class at St. Elizabeth Catholic Elementary, he’s probably organizing pick-up games with his classmates at recess, tearing around the field playing Free Footie after school, or just kicking a ball around for fun with friends from around his housing complex.

Ayoub’s number-one goal in life is one day to be a pro player like them, too. But first he needed a proper team to play on. Thanks to Free Footie, he’s found one.

13-year-old Saadabdullah has only been playing Free Footie for a couple of months, but he’s already got an entry for his own personal highlight reel.