80 underprivileged kids attend Milo-FC Barcelona clinic

IN LINE with their shared vision of getting more kids into sports and help advance Philippine football, Milo and FC Barcelona successfully held a special football clinic on Sept. 10, which was attended by 80 underprivileged kids in Cebu City.
Held in conjunction with the second installment of their values-driven football program “Road to Barcelona,” the Milo-Barcelona special clinic, which was facilitated by two coaches from the FCB Youth Academy, FC Barcelona’s flagship youth development program, saw the young Cebuano athletes experience playing the Barca way through theoretical lessons and practical drills.
At the center of the clinic, held at the Cebu City Sports Complex, was the reinforcement of the groups’ shared HEART values (Humility, Effort, Ambition Respect, and Teamwork).
Visiting FCB Youth Academy Spanish coaches Jordi Aguilar and Albert Batalla led the once-in-a-lifetime training session for the beneficiaries from the Cebu City Central Elementary School and the Sisters of Mary School — Boystown, the bases of local grassroots efforts in the city and in the province.
Capping off the clinic was the gifting of footballs to the kids of both beneficiaries by Milo, which brought heartwarming smiles to all the young players and will aid in the development of their respective grassroots football programs.
“Through this special opportunity, we hope to nourish the ambitions of these kids and inspire them to continue pursuing sports. We strongly believe that sports is a powerful teacher that will help them succeed and become champions in life,” said Willy de Ocampo, Nestlé Philippines Vice-President and Business Unit Manager, of the event.
It is a mission that football stakeholders in Cebu very much welcome and rally behind.
“We are honored and grateful to have Milo and FCB partner with our grassroots programs for this incredible experience for our Cebuano grassroots communities. We know that what they’ve learned here, the skills and most importantly, the values, will only push them to become even better, both on and off the field,” said Francis Ramirez, Cebu City Division Sports Coordinator and Cebu City Sports Commissioner. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo