Los Lobitos: Second Generation

Hacienda’s children’s soccer team, Los Lobitos, has a second generation in our Plaza de Los Robles community thanks to the hard work and dedication of our coach, Jose Guadalupe Vazquez, and our Youth & Family Services team.

Read more of Jose’s story and what this team of Los Lobitos means to him, our youth and their families, and the community at large.

by coach Jose Guadalupe Vazquez

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The Lobitos’s story began 2 years and 3 months ago, when one day back in April 2022 we met and started to train and to play as a team. During this time, we had several games and we have participated in several tournaments, in some, we have done very well and in others not so much, but we continue learning. 

But now it is worth telling the story of the second generation of Lobitos.

During the games it has been very satisfying to see the families living together and supporting the team, that is where we realized that we have several small children who get very excited when they celebrate a goal from their brothers' team.

One day, during a gathering we had on the beach with all the families on the team, I saw that there were small children about the same age, and I commented “I think there are several children with whom we could put together another team” and the small children who when they heard it, they jumped and said “Yes, we want to play too.”

And it is incredible to see how the youngest children, sometimes in their innocence, believe that they can help the team. I remember that one time they were not winning the game. We were all distressed that their shots were not coming out, that their tactics and moves were not functioning, and they were not scoring goals. A younger brother of a child on the team told me, grabbing his head with his little hands, “coach, take my brother out and put me in, I play better than him.” I smiled and told him, then hurry up and grow up, and he very seriously said yes.

“This would be their first experience as a team, we knew that we might not have good results, but it didn’t matter, at that age I think the most important thing is to play and have fun.”

Another day a little girl told me “Coach, when is the team coming?” and she pointed to herself to indicate to me that she was referring to the youngest children's team, and from that time on, she asked me the same thing every time she saw me. Until one day it happened. I spoke with the second coach and father of one of the children on the team to ask him if he would be interested in coaching the youngest team. He accepted the ask. So, we had to adjust with the names, the big kids' team is now Lobos and the little kids kept the name Lobitos.

On the first Tuesday of August, Lobitos training began, and 11 children between 7 and 9 years old showed up. Oh, by the way, they are all brothers of the Lobos. In the second week, a girl asked: “Coach, when are we going to play a game?”  and everyone was excited to know that maybe it would be soon.

The children hadn't even been training for a month, but they had a huge desire to compete. So, they invited us to a tournament and we asked if there was a category for the little ones, and luckily for us there was. We talked about it with the parents and although there were doubts that perhaps it was too early to compete, they accepted. This would be their first experience as a team, we knew that we might not have good results, but it didn't matter, at that age I think the most important thing is to play and have fun.

“We had fun, we enjoyed their enthusiasm, and they made us very happy that day, I think we will remember it as the best Sunday we have ever had.”

Result of the day, Lobos won 3-0 and Lobitos won 2-1 in their first match, and they were losing 1-0, but their emotion, their dedication and their desire to win made them turn the score around, between kicks, falls, pushes, plays and tears. We had fun, we enjoyed their enthusiasm, and they made us very happy that day, I think we will remember it as the best Sunday we have ever had.

Our Sunday is about getting up early, carrying chairs, water, uniforms, shin guards, balls, and everything to go see our Lobitos play. Surely, we will have incredible days in which we will all get excited watching the game, discovering who already hits the ball better, who already dared to make a play, who for the first time scores their goal, or outwits the entire defense and gives a pass to goal. The emotion of the game won was great and brought us a smile for the rest of the day, and we continued to comment on the plays and the goals. But surely, we will also have not-so-lucky days, in which for the rest of the day we will not want to talk about the subject, but then we will start again because in reality that is life, we are going to win and lose, and we are going to overcome, to correct, to prepare, because we have to always move forward and happy.

Have you already realized that we also have about 5 or 6 children between 3 and 5 years old? I'm just saying.

We appreciate the support that Erika and Hacienda have provided to this team, to Mr. Mario Cortés coach of the Lobitos, and to the assistant parents Mr. Luis Orozco and Mr. Francisco Ruiz who support us by training the goalkeepers. And undoubtedly to all the parents for always being there supporting their children, because sometimes, even if they cannot attend training or games due to work, and cannot take the children to the games, together we all organize to try that the team is always participating.

Thank you, Lobitos Family.