In 2019, five childhood friends decided they wanted to give back to the south side Latino community where they grew up by founding Street Dreams Soccer Academy. All five had played soccer at the club level, which offers young athletes advanced training, travel matches, and intense competition.
The founders wanted to make their very positive experience widely available in their community—to guarantee that every youth’s talents are discovered, cultivated, and encouraged, on and off the field. They also are especially focused on making soccer accessible to low-income families. Unlike many clubs with high costs for equipment, uniforms, and fees (for referees, team registration, and tournaments), Street Dreams keeps costs low by keeping registration affordable, keeping practices local, training local rec league coaches to become club coaches, and engaging families through family sessions and community events.
The academy has grown rapidly. In 2020, it had two teams, 36 players, and five coaches. By 2025, there were 17 teams, 230 players, and 19 coaches. This year, it formed its first girls’ teams, Las Soñadoras (Lady Dreamers), to empower young girls to dream big. In the current season, there are five all-girls teams and 80 female players.
In 2024, the Foundation gave Street Dreams a $10,000 Reasons for Hope MKE Fund grant to provide hourly wages for its coaches.
Azael Flores Guerrero, co-founder and director of development & strategy, talked about the impact of the Foundation’s grant and Street Dreams’ commitment to its community.
Street Dreams has exploded in a short amount of time, and coaches have risen to meet the need.
How has the Foundation grant impacted your ability to grow?
Obviously, coaches are key. They put in a lot of work; they don’t just show up at game time. There are practices; games (developing a game plan, warmups, and debriefings), sometimes six to eight per weekend; and professional development sessions. Thanks to the Foundation’s grant, the coaching stipends allow us to reward their hard work.
Why is the Las Soñadoras girls’ program important?
Despite soccer’s deep roots in the Latino community, Latina girls remain significantly underrepresented in organized club soccer. At Street Dreams, we actively work to remove barriers like language, cost, and transportation. We want to make sure the girls feel supported, especially by having female coaches.
Talk about Street Dreams’ strong emphasis on both family engagement and future readiness.
When you join Street Dreams, it’s not just about you; it’s about your whole family. We have family events such as Harvest Fest each October when families share food and cultural activities. We help players with the recruitment process for college teams, and we also help them explore other possibilities, such as trades and the military. We want every kid to have options.