DES MOINES, Iowa — For the first time ever, the Des Moines United Futbol Academy has a team heading to the National Championships, but it’s not just one.

The Des Moines UFA under-13 girls, under-14 girls, and under-15 boys are heading to Tampa, Florida for the Presidents Cup in July.

These teams practice several times a week throughout the year, and some have been playing together for almost a decade. The players say it goes beyond teammates.

“I’m really proud of the entire team for putting all the work in because they worked really hard and they all love the sport and they’re just such good girls,” said Elena, an under-14 girl’s player. “The entire families at UFA and like all the coaches, they don’t just like us as players, like we do things outside of soccer all together as like, a family.”

“It’s nice, I have more people to talk to on the field or off the field. Building that relationship brings them closer to me as family, a lot like family,” said under-15 boys’ players Leo. “I say I treat them like brothers.”

This group had quite a turnaround from last year; the under-14 girls went 0-3 at regionals but wanted to turn it all around.

“It really sucked to not be able to like, play as good as we used to, but now that we’ve set higher goals and we’re trying to reach that, it’s been really easy now,” said Emerson, an under-13 girls’ players. “And being friends with other players helps like encourage everyone else to be able to play better and do better.”

These three teams are taking 50 players to Tampa, but that comes at a cost. They need to raise $110,000 to cover airfare, hotels, and meals. The UFA says the cost is nothing compared to the opportunity.

“We are very diverse in where we come from culturally, where we come from in terms of where our players live. Some of these kids have never been on an airplane or in fact, you know, further than the Midwest. So, this is a great thrill for them. And I think this is an opportunity and an experience that they will talk about for years to come,” said UFA Technical Director Ozzie White.

As part of their fundraising, the UFA is teaming up with the Des Moines Menace. They will be honored during the Menace halftime on Saturday. The team has also set up a GiveButter account for a portion of the costs.

Visit the UFA Facebook page to follow along as the teams participate in the National Presidents Cup, July 11-15.

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