Growing up in war-torn Lebanon, soccer was a great way for myself and other children to escape everyday struggles and engage in a mutual passion. The love that I developed for the game as a boy inspired me to extend opportunities for other children. I established Cedar Stars Academy (CSA) which has steadily grown ten branches and become a member of the United States Soccer Development Academy since 2011. I also transformed one of my properties into an indoor training facility known as the “Capelli Sport Center” which is home to hundreds of young players who are personally sponsored through The Altirs Foundation. Through CSA and the Altirs Foundation, hundreds of soccer players, both boys and girls, develop in three crucial ways: physically, socially, and mentally.
1. Athleticism
While soccer is an athletic game, it helps kids establish the groundwork to remain active and healthy throughout their lives. Soccer requires serious training. The constant physical activity builds up strength, agility, stamina, and overall health. In turn, this fosters hard work, motivation, and dedication for a player’s personal and professional goals. As a father/coach, I have seen these benefits first hand, having had all of my kids play the sport from a very young age.
2. Cooperation and Communication
Soccer isn’t just a great investment in athleticism, but also in other people, cultures, and the self. The sport helps kids develop communication skills, including team cooperation, social perspective, and nonverbal cues. Even if kids speak a different language, they have to learn how to support each other. In this way, team members can become connected across cultures. At CSA, kids come from all backgrounds, and as they interact more, confidence is built. For me and many of my players, soccer is an equalizer: because all a kid needs is a ball, some shoes to play the sport, and a few friends to build a team.
3. Education/Mental Stimulation
Soccer is more than a physical and communicative activity. Through the sport, kids adopt educational and logical strategies that can help them in school. When viewing soccer on television, there is a level of skill involved in analyzing the very complex strategies found in the game. Soccer, being the only sport that bridges multiple countries together every four years at the World Cup, exposes kids to different cultures and traditions. With an investment in other countries comes an expansion of the mind and sense of self. The Cedar Stars Academy also supports divisions in countries like Ghana and Peru, sponsoring travel for dedicated players.
I feel honored for being able to impact and invest in our future soccer generation because the skills they develop are ones that will follow them no matter where their careers take them.