Soccer Families Dig Deep to Send Shoes and Uniforms to Colombia

Westport’s soccer families dug deep at the opening weekend of the new season, donating hundreds of items of clothing and equipment for disadvantaged children in Colombia.

Popular soccer coach Jorge Acosta, who played for the U.S. national team in the early 1990s, started collecting unwanted soccer equipment to send to his native Colombia eight years ago. This year the Westport Soccer Association helped his effort.

``The response actually overwhelmed us all,’’ said Lauren de Bruijn, Director of Volunteers for WSA. ``It has been a pleasure helping Jorge.’’

Once Acosta has raised the funds to ship all the equipment to Colombia, he will travel to the region with wife Claudia to distribute the items to soccer-loving youngsters in poor areas.

``I’m very, very happy,’’ said Acosta, who has worked with Mickey Kydes Soccer since 1997 and coaches two teams in Greenwich. ``I know how tough it is to have a pair of shoes, or a soccer ball.’’

The WSA helps a charity each fall. Last year the organization collected more than 600 boxes of cereal for the Gillespie Center to help the homeless and needy families.