Following our showcase tours to Sweden and England this summer, we wanted to take time to acknowledge and appreciate the fundraising efforts of LA based youth player JP Aquino, who will be joining up with our UK Showcase this summer.
Players often turn to fundraising sites and opportunities in order to raise funds for their trips, and JP was no exception, who found it a piece of cake to raise the money needed.
Equipped with his grandmother’s cake recipes, the fourteen year old AYSO player was able to raise over $5000 to put towards his trip this summer and realize his dream of playing against professional academy teams in England.
The most popular seller was a pistachio based cake, for which he gave the credit to his grandmother as a family recipe. Aquino, even found time to whip up an extra serving for PSC staff to enjoy at our recent LA pro soccer tryouts.
Aquino is coached by PSC director Tom Taylor who commented “JP is a great example to any player who has a dream of playing in Europe. Like many, he wasn’t in a financial position to afford the tour, but chose to do something about it. At 14 years old he has shown some of his older counterparts what it means to believe in yourself and follow your dreams and showcase professionally”.
He will continue to work with Tom on the AYSO United club team and train with PSC’s UPSL Youth team to continue his development.
All the PSC staff wish JP the very best as he travels to England, and look forward to sampling more of his delicacies at our next LA pro soccer tryout!