The Sports Creative & Natlik Highlight Coaches Stories in Xico Mexico
September 29, 2023
Community-led sports and arts non-profit, The Sports Creative (TSC) and Mexican sport for development organization, Natlik have teamed up to highlight sports coaches from Xico, Mexico through the ‘Voices from Xico’ exhibition (Sep 18 – Oct 5). The storytelling series follows the journeys of nine community coaches and highlights stories of sports’ impact, particularly football, baseball and rugby.
In 2006, Xico, Valle de Chalco was recognized as part of one of the world’s largest ‘mega-slums’. In 2020, over half of the population was at risk of moderate poverty and 17.3% was at risk of extreme poverty. We spoke with TSC’s Project Manager, Lisbeth Custodio who explained that one of the many challenges facing the community is the lack of inclusion due to the vast diversity of cultures and people in the city. “It is necessary to develop a culture of inclusion since there is a lot of diversity in Valle de Chalco, which is caused by its multiculturalism as it’s home to thousands of migrants. Whether kids from area ‘x’ are not welcoming to kids from area ‘z’ because of bullying due to disabilities and different abilities for example, it’s part of the coaches' job to make sure these differences stop being a barrier for every kid to be part of the game,” said Custodio.
She also shares that Valle de Chalco is on the national list with a second Gender Violence Against Women Alert – a protection mechanism set in place in 2015 in Mexico to guarantee women and girls are free from violence. The second alert by the government was established in 2019 due to the number of disappearances of young girls and women. Data shows that the State of Mexico tops the list of states with the greatest emotional, economic, physical and sexual violence against a woman by her partner – one of the municipalities being Valle de Chalco. As a result, it’s important for coaches in the area to address gender inequality amongst young participants so that they feel safe and know how to create safe spaces.
Voices from Xico offers nine first-person perspectives on the transformative impact of community sports through local coaches on the ground who work to make a positive change to the community and in the lives of the young people they serve. It highlights how sports shape lives and foster unity in Xico, featuring stories spanning football, baseball, rugby, local culture and everyday life, intertwined with themes of resilience, pride and optimism. Stories from Voices from Xico can also be found on TSC’s website.
“Through Natlik, our role is to help the community with tools to change the challenges of their locality. Soccer is a sport that has challenged me and helped me grow. It has changed my life and I want to share this with my community,” shares community football coach, Aileen Pérez de la Cruz.
The stories provide a unique reflection on Xico by documenting their personal journeys, detailing how community sports have uplifted them and fueled their dedication to guaranteeing every child in their community has the same opportunity. The narratives reveal benefits beyond physical health, highlighting the mental and social well-being participants gain. The exhibition also explores the value of collaborating with sport for development partners including love.fútbol, City in the Community (Manchester City), and Xylem.
“Communities must have a voice because it allows them to share everything that happens to them: their feelings, their challenges, absolutely everything. The reality is that a community without a voice, or platforms to make its voice heard, is condemned not to move forward,” said Luis Enrique Martínez Barrón, General Assembly President at Natlik.
The coaches are part of the Natlik organization and have gone through TSC’s Play curriculum, which is an empowering co-creative curriculum intended to upskill communities and help them deliver play programs. Over a year, TSC conducts a thorough assessment of existing programs, guiding local coaches in revamping, launching and maintaining their play initiatives. What sets this curriculum apart is its Story curriculum component – a narrative-centric approach that enables participants to hone writing, photography, videography and vocal storytelling skills. The result is a community-driven "play-for-good" initiative. As the year concludes, the artworks and content developed throughout the program are showcased in a community exhibition. The Voices by Xico exhibition is open to the public and displayed at the Central Patio of Tecnológico Universitario de Valle de Chalco in Xico.
With the belief that every young person should have access to play in their community, TSC, creates community-led sports and arts programs for young people, supporting their physical, social and emotional wellbeing. Its programs are based on the understanding that youth acknowledge their own context and needs and are integral to contributing to a more sustainable future for all. TSC has trained and equipped over 40 coaches, impacting 4,000 children per week in a holistic approach to overall wellbeing.
The Sports Creative is a long-time non-profit partner of Beyond Sport.