Two Connecticut-based not-for-profit organizations – Futbol Friends International Inc. and Intersport USA – are recruiting male soccer players, ages 16-18, from the greater Danbury area for a mission of friendship and good will to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

The team along with coaches and chaperones will spend 10 days from August 14 to 24 traveling, playing soccer and learning about Brazilian history and culture.

Players from diverse economic, social and ethnic backgrounds who are both good soccer players and good young men are needed. The desire is to form a team of competitive soccer players who have an interest in service to others and in learning more about other neighbors in the world.

Interested players, parents or coaches should call John Pereira at 203-648-3981.

The group will depart from John F. Kennedy airport and will arrive in Sao Paulo early the following day. During the nearly week-long stay in Sao Paulo, the group will play two soccer matches against teams from local sports academies, attend a professional match at Maracana Stadium (the world famous stadium holds 200,000 spectators) and either observe or participate in training with a professional soccer team.

During the day the group will lead activities with former street kids who are involved in the residential program of the first Perricone Community. The group will present several activities, such as a basketball clinic and “soda and cookies” parties. The goal of these activities is to share information about the lives of young people in the United States and demonstrate the human values that make understanding, compassion and friendship possible.

The group will also visit historic, cultural and scenic attractions. Of course, soccer will be part of the daily menu in the form of training sessions or actual games with teams representing Sao Paulo’s sports academies.

After six days in Sao Paulo, the team will travel by bus to Rio de Janeiro. At midpoint in the journey the group will stop in the city of Volta Redonda for a soccer match and reception. In Rio, the group will tour points of interest, including the area’s world-renowned beaches. A single soccer match is planned for Rio, followed by a day at the beach before departing from Rio for New York on August 24.

In addition to our coaches, the group will include David Talamelli, program director for Intersport USA, with Christopher Armentano and his wife, Cheri Hicks. David has accompanied dozens of groups of young athletes on overseas trips since joining Intersport in 1989. Over the years he has taken sports teams to Russia, Cuba. Vietnam, China, Italy, England and other nations. Chris is a professional social worker and life long recreational soccer player. Cheri, an Australian native, is a professional trainer of horses and riders.

Coaches John Pereira and Joe Dos Santos are Brazilian natives and citizens of the United States. John has played soccer semi-professionally in Brazil and the US and has served as coach of the Portuguese Club of Danbury and most recently coached the U14 girls premier team from Newtown. Joe is a life long soccer player who played for the developmental team in his hometown before coming to the states nearly 15 years ago.

The group will be hosted by the Legion of Christ and Catholic World Mission. Both organizations have long histories of working to improve the conditions of Brazil’s poor. Father Ernesto, who is coordinating efforts to build the first of multi-service Perricone Communities for Brazil’s poorest children, will be the host in Sao Paulo.

The pre-fundraising cost per player is estimated at $2,412. This includes air and ground transportation, visas, hotel accommodations, meals, sight seeing, gifts for our hosts and receptions for our soccer opponents. The fee also includes gifts and snacks for the young people involved in the Perricone project.

In order to reduce the per-player cost of the trip the group will organize a fundraising event in collaboration with local organizations. Parents and players will be asked to promote the event by selling tickets and soliciting donations of auction items, raffle prizes and cash.

These fundraising activities should significantly reduce the cost to players and permit the group to offer scholarships to deserving players.

More than simply a fun South American soccer outing, the goal is to impact the lives of the area players as well as the children with whom they will interact. An additional goal is to build support for Perricone Communities: a comprehensive community development program that has the potential to benefit one million of Brazil’s most disadvantaged children.