Children run, kick, dribble with All-Army soccer at youth soccer clinic

FORT HOOD, Texas - Children ages 5 and older showed off their soccer skills and learned some new ones with Soldiers participating in the 2026 All-Army Men's Soccer Trial Camp at the team's annual youth soccer clinic March 10 at Phantom Warrior Stadium.

Participants were grouped by age and rotated through nine stations, which included sharks and minnows, a relay race, mini scrimmages and penalty kick practice.

"Every year, I think the clinic improves," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Raul Almendarez, head coach for the All-Army men's soccer team. "This year, we had a lot more kids than we anticipated and expected, but it is an opportunity for our guys to give back to the community and (for the Soldiers) to remember when they were young and have that opportunity to get trained and given a lesson by someone."

Sgt. 1st Class Alan Ibarralepe, 262nd Quartermaster Battalion, 23rd Quartermaster Brigade, Fort Lee, Virginia, said it was a lot of fun teaching the children.

"I personally have three kids, so I guess (I have) a little bit of experience with little kids, and then just seeing them have fun, seeing the joy come out of it, and then just seeing the little bit of progression, even though it was a short period of time, … was a lot of fun," he said.

Spc. Isaac Garza, 1st Attack Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, agreed.

"It's fun watching the kids learn how to play soccer, and there were some kids that already knew how to play, and they really impressed me with some of their skills," he said, "but overall, it was a fun experience, and I was glad I was able to be with them and teach them."

Amaya Doyles, 9, wants to be a soccer player when she grows up, she said. The clinic was a new experience for Amaya to "unlock new chapters."

"I'm very thankful that I had this and my mom took me to this," she said.

Amaya learned the importance of passing the ball.

"… I saw a lot of people getting cornered up and stuff, and I don't think that that's the right thing because they didn't pass," she explained, "and I feel like if you pass the ball, you can actually win instead of lose."

Learning a sport is a critical aspect in a child's development, Almendarez said.

"I think every kid should play a sport regardless of what the sport is," he expressed. "It doesn't have to be soccer necessarily. It teaches cohesiveness, it teaches teamwork and overall builds character.

While the clinic may be over, the trial camps are underway for the All-Army men's soccer team. They are gearing up for the Armed Forces Men's Soccer Championship March 28-April 3 at Phantom Warrior Stadium. Garza feels confident about Army's prospects for this year's championship.

"Last year was a lot of new people," he said. "This year is also a lot of new people, but I feel like this group is different. This group shows a lot more maturity and ambition, and everyone's really hungry at this camp to make the final 18. The cohesiveness of this team is already building really well, so I really think we have a really good shot at winning gold this year."

The Armed Forces Men's Soccer Championship kicks off with an opening ceremony 3 p.m. March 28, followed by the first game, Army vs. Marine Corps, at 5 p.m. All games are open to anyone and free to attend. To view the full schedule, visit hood.armymwr.com/view-event/armed-forces-mens-soccer-championship/7210064/107979.