Nate Burkey supports the 'futkaleros" dream of making it big

Nate Burkey of Azkals supports the dream of futkaleros by training with them and giving them tips on how to play the most loved and watched sport in the world.
Nate Burkey, together with FutKal founder Pete Amores, LBC Foundation Executive director Nena Wuthrich, and LBC Chief Marketing Officer Javy Mantecon joins the media people, futkaleros and coaches for the LBC Foundation and Futkal Primer event last July 19, 2014 at Sinulog Hall of Blue Leaf Filipinas.

(From left-right) Nate Burkey of Azkals, Pete Amores – FutKal Founder, Ms. Nena Wuthrich – LBC Foundation Executive Director, and Mr. Javy Mantecon – LBC Chief Marketing Officer

 LBC foundation, a supporter and believer of FutKal Field of Hope who are reaching out to the poor is hoping to go international with their "futkaleros".


Field of Hope, is a project aimed to help victims of the Yolanda tragedy recover, both mentally and emotionally, through "the beautiful game", football. Through sports, arts and music activities, and discipline, the program is giving children a new lease on life despite tragedy and poverty.

Futkaleros and coaches

FutKal has been implementing social development football programs in different provinces and regions since 2006. Through the years, the program has evolved and is now being praised for its recent efforts in Tondo, where they have trained a good number of Futkaleros. FutKal founder Pete Amores describes these children as ‘football enthusiasts that manifest a positive attitude and a purpose driven life.’

FutKal’s success on their “Kick for Life” program in Tondo has attracted the attention of the LBC Foundation, which prompted the latter to partner with them for “Field of Hope”. Nena Wuthrich, Executive Director of the LBC Foundation, hopes to achieve something equal to the success of “Kick For Life” or better with Field of Hope.

“Field of Hope is something that FutKal and LBC have been working on for quite a while,” said Wuthrich. “We saw the effect of FutKal’s programs on the kids in Tondo, and were hoping to inspire children affected by Yolanda from Tacloban in the same positive way,” she continued.

LBC Foundation and FutKal recently held an event at Blue Leaf Filipinas to show everyone how the programs are run. After a brief introduction, members of the press, special guests, and their children took part in an intense and fun football clinic with FutKal coaches, complemented by arts and music workshops.

“These programs are specially designed to appeal to the youth,” said Amores. “It gives them an outlet for their creativity and passion while teaching them the discipline they need for a better future,” he stressed.

“Aside from rebuilding homes and restoring livelihoods, we really want to help the children cope through post-traumatic stress therapy,” Wuthrich added. “This is all part of the LBC Foundation’s commitment in moving lives, businesses, and communities.”

To know more about FutKal and their activities, you may visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/FutKal.

The LBC Foundation also supports other causes and programs to help move communities. To know more, visit the LBC foundation Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/LBCFoundation.

FutKal partners with LBC to rehabilitate Yolanda victims

FUTKAL FRENZY.

Tondo kids of the FutKal program enjoying a fun and challenging training camp at the Don Bosco Field

Football has become the most loved and watched sports in our country next to basketball,  in a basketball crazed country such as ours. It sparked the interest of everyone and suddenly the sports that we used to snubbed becomes a staple in every sport minded filipinos. As of this writing, everyone whose a fan has seen or watched any 2014 FIFA games online or on TV,  and as a football spectator myself, I am  rooting for one great team to emerge as winner. Its about time to concentrate on this sport and we are glad that Phil. Azkals has sparked the interest and has been a steady team for us filipinos since then.

Kicking off trauma through FutKal


Countless metrics have identified Football as the most popular sport in the world, but even its global acceptance does not begin to capture the artistry and spirit of the game. Indeed, it is a sport that can unite entire nations, and when internationally competitive tournaments are staged, people from all walks of life are momentarily riveted.


Notwithstanding the glamour and spectacle involved at the highest levels of the game, Football is firmly embedded at the grassroots level. Due in great part to its minimal requirements, even a patch of dry land, bare feet, and a worn out ball can provide hours of fun and enjoyment. It is this profound modesty that inspired the people behind FutKal to use football as a means to rebuild the morale of calamity victims.

FutKal– an abbreviation of “FutbolsaKalye” – is a non-profit organization aimed to promote football through sports programs to open up educational and financial opportunities for its beneficiaries, which are mostly children from urban poor and devastated communities. In short, the organization views football as the perfect vehicle to teach the values of discipline, sportsmanship, and fairplay, and to bring back meaningful play to tragedy-stricken areas.

“FutbolsaKalye doesn’t necessarily mean that you play on the streets,” FutKal Founder Peter Amores clarified. “Kalye or street is a symbol of equality, an avenue where everybody has the freedom to express themselves with the ball, with the game. No restrictions, and just fair play,” he continued.

The organization started out in 2006 and has been touring the country to recruit potential FutKaleros, whom Amores defines as ‘football enthusiasts that manifest a positive attitude and a purpose driven life.’

One of the most noteworthy projects of FutKal is “Kick for Life”, which was implemented in Tondo. The program has helped transform countless Tondo youths into healthy, upstanding, and responsible citizens. FutKal has also branched out to many other locales in Quezon City, Bukidnon, and Cebu, riding the momentum from the success of their efforts in Tondo.

Currently, FutKal is exploring the possibility of using the program to rehabilitate and debrief victims of calamities, especially children, in order to help them recover from the mental trauma they experienced. The organization is currently partnering with the LBC Foundation to implement this program on survivors of the recent Yolanda typhoon in Leyte.



To know more about FutKal and their activities, you may visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/FutKal.

Go #teamHavaianas for the love of football

For the Love of Football

For most countries around the world, football is regarded as a religion as the relationship between the fans and football transcends to even more than sports, with a love for this game making and igniting a unique passion that drives them from simple joys to an extravagant celebrations. A passion that started with a spherical leather ball and has been passed on from generation to generation, fan to fan, and foot to foot.

In true support of football this season, Brazil’s well-loved flip-flops brand, Havaianas spreads the football love to our feet by coming out with a limited edition Teams collection – a special set of flip-flop styles that celebrate football’s greatest teams and enable football aficionados to pledge their allegiance to their favorite football team in true fashion. With a roster of 16 countries, this assortment features designs of the world’s most iconic football national teams led by the football powerhouses Brazil, Argentina, France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal among others.

For PHP 1145, you have a chance to channel the pride of these nations with its symbolic styles true to its country. More importantly, however, is that a percentage of total sales from the Havaianas Teams collection will go as proceeds to the Field of Hope – a long-term advocacy program started by Futkal founder Peter Amores to rehabilitate communities affected by the Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, using football as a tool for social change and development. The project specifically aims to help the children from affected communities recover from the trauma, rebuild their lives and put them on the road to a brighter future through football programs.

In partnership with Project Headshot Clinic and celebrated photographer, Niccolo Cosme, Havaianas is joined by over 40 individuals, a mix of football enthusiasts, coaches, players, and some celebrities that have an affinity with football and sports in general, all with a great love for football to inspire support for the cause and help spread awareness for the advocacy. Some notable names are Freddy Gonzalez, James Younghusband, Matteo Guidicelli, Armand del Rosario, Natasha Alquiros, China Cojuangco among many more.

Don't miss out on rooting for your favorite nation and extending the love for football with a united #teamHavaianas pride as the Teams Collection kicks off this June in All Flip-Flops stores and other authorized retailers

Visit www.teamhavaianas.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more information about the collection and Field of Hope campaign.