Miami-Dade teens get a World Cup moment through Boys & Girls Clubs

FIFA World Cup admin June 15, 2026 0 Comments

Miami-Dade teens get a World Cup moment through Boys & Girls Clubs

A 16-year-old from Homestead said he was “shocked” to find out that he will be one of four Miami-area teens to step foot on one of the biggest athletic stages in the world.

Through its partnership with Coca-Cola, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade is sending four teenagers to be flag bearers for a World Cup knockout matchup at Hard Rock Stadium on July 3.

Jayse Borges, a rising junior at Christopher Columbus High School, said this opportunity was offered to him after he completed an online course with Coca-Cola’s Future Careers Academy. Borges said the course was “very informational about different careers that were involved in the soccer world.”

The academy, which focuses on building soccer-based careers behind the whistle — such as in sports marketing, media, sponsorships, creative industries and leadership — is led by Coca-Cola and is open to all teenagers “who are ready to explore and learn about careers in sports.”

“It kind of opened my eyes to different careers and opportunities that I can do in the future,” Jayse said about participating in the course. “I’m going to graduate in two years, so it gives me a wide variety of things I could look into.”

Alex Rodriguez-Roig, president of the Boys & Girls Club of Miami-Dade, said that Coca-Cola’s Future Careers Academy goes hand-in-hand with the career readiness programs at the club.

“It goes along with those programs that are really focusing on getting you ready for the next level, understanding that you might not be the star athlete, but there’s so many different opportunities within that,” Rodriguez-Roig said. “Whether it’s marketing, whether it’s coaching, whether it’s medical. There’s so many different opportunities … within all of these professional sports.”

Rodriguez-Roig said that the criteria to be chosen for this opportunity went far beyond grades.

“It’s showing up throughout the year. It’s showing their discipline to get things done, their teamwork abilities, Rodriguez-Roig said. “All these different types of things.”

And through this program, Jayse Borges said he found a career path that spoke to him and could be an option for his future.

“The part about marketing the different teams really sparked my interest as well,” Jayse said. “I’ve always been interested in that side of business, marketing, but with doing it with actual … soccer teams and the players and to be up close with them and work directly with them, it sounded really, really cool.”

The beverage company celebrates 80 years of partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America this year, and through this partnership, the flag-bearing opportunity arose.

But to Jayse, who was unaware that his participation in the course could allow him to step foot on the same pitch as world-class soccer players, this was just an opportunity to learn more about career opportunities.

“I didn’t even know I was being put up for it,” he said. “I was just really surprised, shocked and ecstatic.”

As for how he thinks he’ll feel walking out of the tunnel of Hard Rock Stadium, carrying the flag as fans around him roar, Jayse said he’s “going to be nervous,” but will also make sure to soak up the moment.

“The Boys & Girls Club has played a really huge role in who I am [and] my daily life for a couple of years now,” he said. “I’m just extremely proud of myself for the progress that I made through the club.”

“Being chosen for this, it means that they trust me enough in the things that I’ve done, and they see the good things that I do here at the club, and I feel very honored for being even considered.”

The other teenagers who will act as flag-bearers are Luis Hernandez, 17, a rising junior at Coral Gables Senior High School, Sarah Lara Corrales, 16, a rising senior at School for Advanced Studies and Maria Aguilera, 17, a rising senior at Southwest Miami High School.

In addition to the four club members who will carry the flags onto the pitch on July 3, Rodriguez-Roig said the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade is also sending teenagers — and sometimes their families — to watch World Cup games from the stands.

“This could be life-changing for many kids.”

This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 6:11 PM.