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Copa Jarritos is for soccer-loving families
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If you thought soccer moms were committed to transporting their broods to matches and cheering them on at games, wait 'til you get a load of true futbol fans.
Hordes are expected to turn out Sunday for the Copa Jarritos, a youth tournament and accompanying festival for soccer-loving families at Scottsdale Sports Complex. Translated to the "Jarritos Cup," the event takes its name from the colorful Mexican sodas in old-fashioned glass bottles found in soft drink aisles all over the Valley.
"If you love soccer, and if you want to see a real professional player who was on the national team, it's a good place to go," says César Maldonado, a local rep of Novamex, the El Paso company that distributes Jarritos and other Mexican food and drink to American retailers. The company sponsors more than 50,000 kids in soccer, or "futbol" leagues, across the United States.
At the Copa, fans will meet pro soccer superstar Ramón Ramírez, who played for Mexico in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups and joined Major League Soccer in 2005 as captain and midfielder for team Chivas USA. Ramírez retired because of knee injuries in 2007, but he'll be at the event all day, speaking with spectators and signing autographs.
Several teams of kids ages 6 to 16 will face off in fervent, tournament-level matches, which are free to watch. There will also be a free Soccer Fest, where giant inflatable soccer fields and obstacles will challenge families to discover, test and build on their skills or just play for fun.
Food will be available at a concession booth, and a small info fair will feature booths from local Spanish-language TV and radio, and sporting goods manufacturer Voit, who makes the official ball of Mexican pro soccer.
Copa Jarritos takes place in nine U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Chicago and Charlotte, N.C.
Maldonado says the events always draw a crowd of people who are passionate about the world's most popular sport.
"This all started with sponsoring a few soccer teams in California, and it got bigger and bigger," says Maldonado. "It's something we do to give something back to the community and the kids."
Futbol fiesta
What: Join other soccer-loving families for Copa Jarritos 2009, a youth tournament and celebration of soccer, or as they say in Latin America, futbol.
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Scottsdale Sports Complex, 8081 E. Princess Drive
Cost: Free
Information: www.copajarritos.com
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