Coroncoro Soccer Academy kicks off Saturday at Sandpiper Park in Kendall

It took Luis Carlos “Coroncoro” Perea 16 years to officially kick off the Coroncoro Soccer Academy in permanent fields.

“I founded it 1999,” said Perea, who played for Colombia’s national team in the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cups and won the 1989 Copa Libertadores Cup with Atletico Nacional of Colombia. “But I was also coaching at parks with limited time and clubs with other philosophies.”

Now, the Coroncoro Soccer Academy will have its inauguration for children ages 5 to 12 on Aug. 1st at Sandpiper Park in Kendall.

For Perea, the FIFA Grassroots program and his own roots will be the essence of the academy.

“I am supported by the FIFA Grassroots philosophy,” Perea said. “It is a program that FIFA offers with tools for the youth interested in soccer.”

According to FIFA Grassroots, the concept of learning through recreation while being guided by a coach is a specific approach designed to reach out to children and create a process to connect to the future.

“Kids must be kids first to play correctly and learn the basics of the sport through fun games without much pressure so they can grow to be ‘cracks’ playing soccer,” Perea said.

Perea’s childhood influenced the soccer academy.

The colors are yellow, blue and green.

“It has to do with my childhood,” Perea said. “Those colors come from the team where I used to play in a small town in Colombia, where I was born, Turbo, Antioquia.”

The logo is a fish encircling a soccer ball.

“The fish is a coroncoro fish and a famous singer called Emilia Herrera from Colombia had a song named Coroncoro and every Saturday I would call a radio show to request the song because I really liked it,” said Perea, hence his nickname, Coroncoro.

For Juan Morales, marketing director of the academy, the recreational aspect is very important for children learning the basics of soccer.

“I hope to assist in the growth of a successful academy, where the kids are learning, developing their skills and most importantly having fun,” Morales said.

The event on Saturday is open to all kids interested in playing the sport and families who want to be part of the activities.

“Not only this Saturday, but the idea is to have festivals every Saturday with the kids where families can join too, because that is what soccer is, sharing passion and joy,” Perea said.

Morales agrees.

“We welcome everyone to the inauguration, those interested in the sport and those looking for professional guidance to grow in the sport, through training, discipline and commitment,” Morales said.

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This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 6:01 PM with the headline "Coroncoro Soccer Academy kicks off Saturday at Sandpiper Park in Kendall."