Beyond just soccer – what the 5 v 5 soccer tournament means to the Riverside community

Riverside’s Destino Success club held its bi-annual 5v5 soccer tournament yesterday after school.

Despite the rain, all 10 teams took to the football field. Wielding over 70 players and dozens of other volunteers, the tournament is a vital fundraiser for the program. 

The soccer was paired with music, tacos, and Mexican hot chocolate. Although popular amongst Riverside JV and varsity soccer players, the tournament attracts other athletes as well. Senior Aziz Latta is a Riverside football player who heard about the tournament from a friend. 

“I thought it would be fun, and there’s a lot of great people out here,” Latta said. 

Latta’s team, “The Dark Horses,”  was composed entirely of football players who had admittedly never played much soccer before. 

With only four teams advancing to the semi-finals, the games were short and the tournament was very efficiently run. 

Some teams were just there to have fun, and others were there to compete. 

“It doesn’t mean the whole world, right?” said senior Aaron Villanueva. “It’s just for fun, but we are here to win.” 

Villanueva’s team, “Los Pibes Chorros,” Spanish for “The Kid Robbers,” went on to win the tournament, becoming the fall 2022 5v5 champions.

For Junior Grace Lowder, the tournament is a great way to get back into soccer. As a Riverside athlete, she is not currently in soccer season. 

“I thought it would be fun, and good practice because I play soccer in the spring,” she said. 

Women’s soccer is a spring sport, and practices won’t start until February. 

It’s not just a big community event, but also a way for the club to make money. The $2 entry fee is affordable for students, but still manages to supply a profit. Destino Success returns these funds to the school and the people around them. 

“[Club members] have ownership over deciding what is a priority in supporting the Riverside and Latino community,” says club advisor Ms. Swaim. “It’s not really a big money-maker. Over everything, it’s a community event.”

The field was host to Spanish National Honor Society’s hot chocolate sales, a taco food truck, and a DJ. 

“For me, the tournament is definitely one of my favorite things that happens at Riverside.” Swaim said. “It’s one of the times that I see so many segments of the Riverside community come together.” 

The tournament this year overlaps directly with the 2022 Qatar World Cup, which added to the excitement surrounding the sport. 

“[Soccer] means everything,” Villanueva said. “It’s life. It’s more than that.”