When Joel Johnson was growing up in Spain, soccer was always a big draw. But that didn’t always translate to big money.
The current Westchester Soccer Club midfielder fell in love with the game at the age of six, and by the time he was nine, he was recruited to play for the Valencia FC Academy. At age 15, he signed his first professional contract.
“The money I was making was for my mom,” Johnson said. “She lived by herself and used that money to pay bills. Fortunately, I made it onto the team, and that’s when I started to become a true professional, training in the morning and all that.”
After getting married and having a daughter, Johnson came to the United States in 2016 to pursue better opportunities. He went to North Carolina for an open tryout with the Charlotte Independence – like WSC, a member of USL League One – and made the team. After an initial contract of roughly $500 per month, he played his way into bigger deals, remaining a member of the Independence for eight years until joining WSC in the team’s inaugural season.
As someone who’s now risen the professional ranks in two countries, Johnson said one of the biggest differences he noticed between the sport in Spain and the United States is its accessibility to the youth.
“In America, the soccer is private,” Johnson said. “If you don’t have $5,000, maybe your kid’s good, but nobody’s going to see them. The only people who get access to the best training have money. There’s a bunch of people who maybe don’t have the resources to get in a good academy and dream about becoming a professional soccer player.”
Due to his own personal experiences, that reality had been on Johnson’s mind since his arrival in the United States. Sara Hess, a Rye resident and team psychologist for WSC, provided the push he needed to do something about it.
With the help of Hess, WSC’s head of community outreach Ari Kwitkin-Close, and the New Rochelle-based club’s support, Johnson created 4 the Youth, a free soccer camp for low-income children ages six to 16. The first camp was Aug. 4, and future dates remain in the works.
“Sara was asking me if I have something I worry about or care about in the world, if I’d join any cause,” Johnson said. “I wasn’t thinking or expecting to make a camp at the time. I was just telling her I can do something for people to pay it forward.”
Johnson has traveled to watch pickup games in low-income New York neighborhoods, keeping an eye out for children who have the potential, but maybe not the resources, to make their soccer dreams a reality. Kwitkin-Close put him in touch with the Boys and Girls Club, who made up much of the first camp’s 60-person attendance.
Several of Johnson’s WSC teammates and coaches helped with the event, which included plenty of on-field action, but also important lessons on how to eat properly, maintain strength and conditioning, be respectful, and prioritize schoolwork.
“There are other camps out there for low-income communities, and that’s great and there should be more,” Hess said, “but I don’t often see such high-level coaching, training and staffing. What’s unique here is you have incredibly high-level professionals who are now in front of these boys and girls. And these guys aren’t looking for a transactional, financial win. They’re there to impart their information. That’s very authentic.”
While Hess acknowledged Rye isn’t the demographic for the camp, she said there is a way locals can help. She and Johnson said they aren’t seeking monetary support, but would appreciate small sponsors, either by providing drinks and snacks to campers, or merchandise such as shirts or magnets.
Perhaps the best part is the most deserving players at camp were offered scholarships to the Westchester Soccer Club Academy, providing direct access to some of the area’s best professional soccer training.
“I think it’s great trying to create a platform for all these kids because you see so many who don’t have the chance, but they’re actually good. The big clubs, that’s what they do,” said Johnson, referring to youth academies at European soccer powerhouses like Real Madrid. “They go to the small towns and see the talent and now they recruit these players, put them in the academy environment, and that’s how they grow.”
Johnson noted there are many success stories in the United States of basketball players who get recognized on street-ball courts and make it all the way to the NBA. His hope is to help do the same for the sport of soccer, while providing valuable life lessons along the way.
“For me, soccer was everything,” Johnson said. “It gave me discipline, gave me an understanding of being in a group, respecting teammates, and understanding you’ve got to go to the gym, and sometimes do things you might not like. A lot of things that will help you succeed in soccer, but also can apply to anything in life.”
“Where else does this ever happen? The hook is soccer. But that’s not what this camp is there for,” Hess added. “They think they’re going to play soccer with pro athletes, which they are, and that’s important, but we’re bringing them in to give them all this other stuff. They’re walking out with a t-shirt that I’m seeing them wear in the community. Now, they have a sense of purpose. It’s really incredible.”
