Ex-Toronto FC midfielder gives back to his community

His voice could be heard over the squeaking shoes pounding up and down the floor of a high school gym, and a noisy bunch of screaming young children passionate to learn the game of soccer. He loves what he does. A teacher by day, soccer coach by night, Richard Asante, 28, has taken his organization — the Asante Soccer Academy (ASA) — to new heights. The former Toronto FC defensive midfielder stresses the importance of respect and team work as he molds a large group of inner city children, ranging from the ages of 5-14 years old, in the game that has brought him much success. With a soccer career behind him, due to contractual complications when signed with Toronto FC, Asante is dedicated to passing on his knowledge to what he calls the “future of Canadian soccer.”

“This is for the kids. This is to give back to the community that I was raised in. This organization is my way of helping to rid the negative portrayal of the youth here in the Jane and Finch community, by teaching them life skills, which I expect them to retain for the remainder of their lives. I am not profiting from this, and that makes it more worthwhile, for me, to see that the kids and parents enjoy it,” said Asante, president of the Academy.

Founded in 2010, the Asante Soccer Academy is an innovative soccer program structured to develop, improve and enhance the skills and potential of every young person. The organization is dedicated to promoting excellence within soccer, with a vision of creating an outstanding and positive environment where all children can apply their soccer skills and knowledge of the game as part of their daily living. Apart from teaching the fundamentals of soccer, Asante is keen on educating the kids to be positive role models in their communities. As an educator himself, Asante stresses to the children the importance of education and its many benefits.

He grew up in the Jane and Finch community, was a prominent athlete and has since played against some of the world’s greatest footballers as a part of the Canadian U-20 national team. He was the captain at Syracuse University, where he was given an athletic scholarship in his final two years, then was drafted to Toronto FC in the 2007 MLS Super Draft.

Though his professional career came to an abrupt end, due to a mutual agreement between Asante and TFC for his release of his contract, it didn’t rupture his love for soccer. What was promised to him was not honored. He was drafted as a first team player, but during preseason when TFC suffered a four game losing streak, management was forced to make cut and release players in order to have the necessary funds to bring in new players. Asante was one of those affected. His yearly wage of $30,000 was dropped to $18,000, as did his role on the team. He was demoted to the practice team, and during that time, with a year still remaining in his studies, he felt it was only right to leave the game he loved to complete his studies.

In 2009, he returned from Syracuse having officially completed his post-secondary education with a different passion for the game. With his playing days behind him, he decided to take on a new journey – one that would see him pave a way for families who were financially unable to put their kids into organized soccer.

“I felt it was important to start this academy because I wanted to close the gap between the kids that had the money to pay, to play for the big clubs, and the kids that financially did not have the money to play, so therefore they were left behind,” said Asante. “Soccer is not for people that can afford to pay to play, it’s for everyone, in my point of view. Soccer paid for my school, so I figured that’s the best way for me to help the kids by giving back to them, by starting a soccer school so that they can work on their skills, while at the same time building some friendships, building some unity, and building a sense of belonging to something worthwhile.”

There are countless soccer academies in the greater Toronto area. Clubs such as Woodbridge SC, Vaughan SC and SC Toronto are established organizations that strive to improve the quality of soccer programs. Registration for such top clubs is daunting on families who are financially unstable, and that ruins the chances of kids with the talent and the skillset to develop. That’s what motivated Asante to establish his program – to make sure every kid is given the opportunity. At the cost of $200 for a 15-week session, with three days a week practice ASA offers a lot more than other organizations and at a cheaper price. Asante’s installment payment program gives families who aren’t able to pay the full charge at one the stability most academies don’t provide.

An academy by the name of USC Academy provides similar training but charges a bit more. Prices range from $250 for 10 sessions, $475 for 20, and $900 for 40. At Asante Soccer Academy, $200 for a 15-week session with training three times a week, which equals up to 45 sessions, is a bargain. USC Academy charges $900 for 40, and at $200 for Asante Academy, the kids receive an extra 5 sessions for the amount of 10 sessions at USC.

Giving back to the community isn’t just limited to providing a program that’s affordable to families. There are further components associated with Asante’s organization, from its “Mentor-Tutors” program to its “Parents in Action,” where parents participate in exercises and workouts in order to promote a healthy lifestyle in their children. Another important aspect to the organization is the “ASA in the Community.” With this, Asante, along with coaches provide soccer clinics to willing elementary schools to expose the game of soccer to every child, from kindergarten to grade eight. Last year they successfully completed their first clinics. Participating schools were: Brookhaven Public School, Greenholme Junior Middle School, Gracedale Public School, Firgrove Public School and Yorkwoods Public School.

“It was a fun opportunity, to give back to the kids and expose those that had no clue of what soccer was, or how to play the sport,” said ASA Vice President, Richmond Baah. “We engage the community in hopes of building long lasting relationships with the schools and principals, so when we want to do it again they can support us. We are able to provide a full day of soccer for kids who aren’t able to attend any of the trainings throughout the year. As a company or an organization, this sums up what we are about … providing services for others. Since we are a young company, this is the best type of event to hold in order to get the name out there. If the kids at the school enjoy themselves, they will go home and tell their parents about it.”

Portia Agyemang, 25, has a four-year-old son in the program, and she values the academy’s agenda.

“I like the fact that it’s not always all about soccer here. They do learn things that the kids can take into their day to day activities. And they also do a lot of school work they can use to prepare them for actually doing things at school.”

The Asante Soccer Academy runs all throughout the year, with indoor season starting from October to April, then the outdoor season from May to September. It also offers March break and summer camps.

Indoors locations are at: Westview Centennial Secondary School on Tuesdays, Beverly Heights Middle School on Saturdays, and Driftwood Community Centre on Sundays.

“For the future, what I am hoping for is that the organization continues to grow. We started with 10 kids, right now we are at 75 to 100 kids. We hope to see more kids come in and graduate into something better, whether it be from a soccer scholarship or even through education. We’d love to see that,” said Asante.