Football was very difficult to find anywhere  And, predominantly, were the children of immigrants who practiced  I was lucky to have my father who transmitted the passion for what he loved playing in the garden  You know? There are rules when you're on the football field are the same as when you leave  It is to respect each other  This is how we can live together with our differences personally, i think we should use more football to educate young people.

Football from the highest levels of the professional leagues,  the humble parties in every corner of the world,  It is truly most loved sport in the world.  Manchester City and Etihad Arways proudly stand behind amateur football and we will travel to four different destinations Etihad,  including New York, home of NYCFC and its solidarity program: City in the Community. 

 This is our ode to the unsung heroes who make football a truly beautiful game  Grassroots unknown stories  There was one player who stood out particularly in the group  And his name is Shaeline Diaz any girls were playing football at the time, but she was one in a million  He taught that a

girl can do what a guy  It was as if she was one of us  You could talk to her, and you hear  He kept the game alive  If she had not been there, I do not think I'd had the skills I have now i had never seen a girl like her  I really did not know what had happened  Suddenly he stopped coming to training, he stopped coming to parties ... 


 We were worried about her  We wanted to know what had happened  We tried to contact Shaeline and see why we had left but we never found an answer  It would have gone and would not be back ... he left a big hole  Shaeline was always playing sports with the boys  I Shaeline Diaz, I have 15 years and live in the East Harlem  My father left when I was 8 years old  To survive my sister had to leave school and my mother had to work harder my mother is basically a single mother raising four children  It is our backbone  I think I can remember the first time I became interested in football, when I was in elementary school  I remember saying: "Why do you play football?"  But she said, "I'm going to do is I want to do"  And he did when football became interested, he was nine and was in fourth  And I said, why not?  Why not try something new?  During this stage, the friends I made were Forfilio, Sahir, Eddie ... 

 We were the Four Musketeers  It was amazing, we unite through football barry knew we were very close  And, when we go to different schools, we will separate in the future  So I decided to make us play in a league  We remember the first game, we were sure we would win  But when the game started we did not know how to communicate or pass the ball  Just we do not know what to do and chut?bamos, did anything  I remember we lost much  Yes, it was 12-0, 9-0 ...  Shaeline captain decided it was because she stood out from the rest of the group  It never came down and when he saw that his companions yeah ... I just wanted to get that first goal  After working so hard we will not lose, we win, win and win we encouraged us whenever we lost on the court  "Come on guys, we can do"  Some kids were shy, or cared more about his own game  While Shaeline cared more about the group and tried to pull the rest forward  It stood out as someone who ... 

 "I'll take control of the situation, follow me" he struggled more than anyone and helped us win many games  We went from losing almost every game, and forcefully,  A start competing and winning our first matches  And confidence grew  And suddenly, a weekend, did not come Shaeline  He was changing a lot during that time i went from being a small start growing child, things became more serious  It was stressful  You want to be a child forever, do not want to have responsibilities but you have them  And that played a role  We were all sad, because he was not there  He was upset because I lost a good friend and lost a leader it was a difficult decision not to go into something that helped me for so long  We miss his character, his jokes ... sense of humor contributed to the group  During the period when I stopped playing football I lost focus  Basically derailed  I became a rebellious  Did not respect teachers did not want to go to class ... 

There were times when we saw on the street and we did not know  I felt that everyone had a bond and I was out of it  I was always like that perfect girl who got good grades, doing sports ...  I was good at home and out of school ...  And I always wanted to do things, there was always something that motivated me to be good  And when I left football was like ... 

no sense two years ago I received a message from an amazing girl named Lilly  He said that I had lost for two years and wanted to return  When I met her two years ago, I think Shaeline happened so spend many girls her age  It grew older  He was going from school to school  It was a bit shy and reserved and we started to go out and play, and as progressed could see he was superinvolucrada  I watched growing up, how growing confidence  It was very insightful for someone who went to high school  Very smart  It is a leader in the project  'Saturday Night Lights' is basically a safe place for girls to play on Fridays and Saturdays is a community of people who want to help you play football with school and grow  As a mentor, 


Lilly has given me a lot of advice  But the most important thing is that it's okay not well  Start with 'Saturday Night Lights' after two years out is great  It was like a pressure in my body and what I've been looking for and what missed him so much  I realized it was a ball and fitness shaeline has grown into a role model for girls  Not only here in the 'Saturday Night Lights' but out in the community  I remember growing up, my friends not playing sports were always in trouble  Because they had more free time  So these projects, and sport gives much more  Until a child is unable to do so does not realize i think it's great to see these kids join a project that has a huge impact on their lives  In 2010 we opened a court on the roof of a building in Lexington  And part of that project was fantastic  Just being there and seeing the smiles on the faces of children ...  The fact that they have a field where they can spend time playing and having fun, getting to know more ...  


I think this is how it will be better people when they grow up in February I received an invitation from coach Barry to return to PS 72  I feel if you had asked me six months or even a year ago, there would not be answered  I would not have said anything, but now I am more mature and go through certain things allows me back  Seeing Shaeline with the boys was very exciting today  See how returns and joins the group in which it all began ...  Seeing her again, finally, it was great honestly, I had a feeling I was going to mourn to have her back as captain Play with them the other day made me realize how I've missed you  We will be connected forever  You can not forget what you created  We were the first children to play soccer at PS 72  Now we hope to return to old ways 


In the future, football will allow me to educate other children  It always gave me then give someone else  For me, football means ...  Family  In New York City FC Community programs are very important  They are at the heart of what we do at the club we have several projects in the five districts  And we tried several thematic  Create 50 courts ...  We try to give something special for those connected to the club  We are thrilled that Etihad, one of our partners, assess community work as much as we  We continue to do so in the future to grow the community projects we Untold Stories of youth football  Join us at our next destination City2City  When we visit Mumbai to discover more stories ever told Grassro.