Pursuing big goals on and off the field

Like many kids across the globe, Iker, a 15-year-old boy from Mexico’s Chiapas state, looks up to international soccer star Lionel Messi for his talent, tenacity and accomplishments on the field.

Iker dreams of playing professional soccer someday, and he sees Messi, playing in his sixth World Cup, as proof that with perseverance and belief, people can do big and meaningful things, despite any disadvantages or obstacles in their way.

“He has very good skills,” Iker said of Messi. “He has so much speed, and he inspires me because since I was young, I have been short, and his story is that he was also short. So, I am going to be like him.”

Shaped by adversity

Iker started playing soccer when he was 5 years old. At first, he kicked the ball around with his dad, but after seeing the energy and teamwork in his older brother’s matches, he wanted to experience that, too.

He asked his mother repeatedly to let him join a team, and when he was 6 years old, she finally agreed to let him play on his brother’s team.

Iker’s size put him at a disadvantage, especially competing against older children.

“It was difficult because of my height,” he said. “Since I didn’t train much and I had to play with the older players ... I was afraid.”

In one game, he was knocked to the ground by a powerful free kick, but he quickly returned to the field, pushing past his fear to keep going.

While his father, Luis, a tour guide, and mother, Fernanda, a homemaker, work hard and sacrifice to support their sons’ aspirations in school and sports, economic hardship presented yet another challenge to Iker’s soccer dreams.

Opening opportunities through sponsorship

When he was 8 years old, all Iker wanted was his own pair of soccer cleats.

That goal, along with many others like education, became more attainable after he was sponsored through Unbound.

Sponsorship support has helped cover educational and other needs, along with expenses related to soccer like bus fare to matches, registrations, socks, shin guards and other equipment, allowing Iker to continue developing as a player and a person determined to help others. For the latter, he’s inspired by his sponsor, Nancy of Wisconsin.

Iker credits his sponsor with playing an important role in his growth, offering both financial support and personal encouragement, fueling his goals.

He described her as a truly selfless person.

“She motivates me mainly in my studies. In the letters she sends me, she tells me to give it my all,” he said. “I’ve always believed in aiming for the top, and she motivates [me to do that].”

Sponsorship helps Iker’s family create their own path out of poverty through programs and support from the local Unbound staff and community. That involves setting and attaining goals for the entire family.

For Iker’s part, as he prepares to enter high school this fall, he is saving up his sponsorship funds for a new school uniform and soccer shoes. He still plays with the same soccer ball he bought five years ago, as he’s careful to use funds wisely.

Through the letters exchanged by Iker and his sponsor, he feels a genuine connection has formed. He hopes that one day he and his sponsor will meet in person so he can thank her, and they can share a meal of mangoes and tamales cooked by his mom.

Finding purpose off the field

While soccer has taught Iker discipline and commitment, he has ambitions beyond the field. His favorite subjects in school are history and chemistry, and he works hard to maintain high grades.

His town in Chiapas state is primarily known for agriculture and its indigenous communities like his, the Zoque people. When he’s not in school or playing soccer, Iker helps his parents plant crops like squash, corn and beans.

Iker’s understanding of how poverty affects education, resources and financial stability for the people in his community has sparked a desire to pursue higher education and one day become a lawyer to offer his services to people who couldn’t otherwise afford legal counsel.

“I’ve seen on the news that there’s a lot of inequality affecting low-income people,” he said. “That’s always stood out to me, defending them.”

A future worth building

Iker wants to inspire hope in others, like his soccer hero Messi does for him. He is chasing more than success; he is pursuing change.

“I don’t want to be just another face in the crowd — I want to stand out, work hard, earn money and help my family financially,” he said.

Unbound’s regional reporter in Guatemala, Oscar Tuch, along with Unbound Kuxtal staff, contributed information and photos for this story.