Shoes for a dream
Who is Andres?
About him
Andres loved playing soccer; he was incredibly talented and an outstanding athlete. His passion for sports began when he was given a soccer ball in Ecuador by his grandfather. His talent came so naturally and effortlessly at such young age. He was only six years old when he played his first tournament at a summer camp; he then went on to play at The Aleman Humboldt, Pajarito Cantos, and Sub 8 and 9 at the Interbarrial in Ecuador. When we decided to return to the United States, he was ten years old, I was so eager to find a team for Andres to play in, and luckily, we found the best one. Los Peladitos allowed him to meet genuine, kind people and two friends that became like family. In his teenage years, he played in B.W Gottschee and Albertson Academy, where he met Brad, who was the manager of the team and later Andres’s mentor and friend.
At 15, Andres was presented with a unique and exciting opportunity to live and play at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Andres loved and cherished his years spent at the academy where he played, went to high school, and shared memories with an endless group of friends. When it was time to leave for college, he was recruited to attend and play for the University of Dayton Division I. He spent some of the best years of his life there. He fulfilled his dream of playing and successfully achieving a bachelor’s degree in political science/ Spanish and a master’s degree in computer science. Andres was a beautiful person with a great personality and a generous heart. His big smile is in my thoughts every day. His dedication and passion were unmatched, and anyone who ever saw him play knows that he was and will always be an unforgettable player- my lefty, my #7. It has been hard without you, and my love for you is endless. I know that where you are, you are succeeding and making everyone around laugh the way only you knew how to. My son, you live in my heart, and you always will through my memories.
Thank you for giving me 27 years of your life here on the earth and giving me the fortune to be your mother. You made me so proud, and you always will. Andres is loved by his father Edgar, brother Edgar jr. sister Daniela and the entire family. Andres was engaged to be married to his beautiful fiancée Janna Krafka who met in college.
Mom
Estiwar Tenorio
Soccer Player
"We remember Andres with a lot of love. He was a great person, and I myself was able to witness what a generous and kind heart he had. I met him in a soccer practice for the team of Barcelona in Ecuador, where in the middle of this practice I had one of my cleats break. This was a very important tryout for me since this is what would determine whether I'd be able to make the team or not. After seeing me very sad because of what had happened, Andres gifted me his very own cleats. Thanks to this enormous gesture of generosity, I was able to score many goals and made the team. He is now scoring goals in heaven. He is missed by everyone."
Brad Butwin
Mentor
"Andres Acevedo’s greatest loves were his family, fiancé, and friends; soccer; children;
Ecuador; and helping those in need. He would be so proud of this organization that
supplies low-income Ecuadorian children with soccer gear, to brighten up their lives.
I had the privilege of bringing Andres into the Albertson Academy Soccer Club in 2006
(when he was 14), and of having a very close relationship with him until he passed
away way too early in 2019. I was truly blessed to have spent several days a week and
almost every weekend with Andres for many years. Andres had this huge, infectious
smile, and an even bigger heart. He loved life and had a wonderful sense of humor and
an exemplary work ethic. He was respectful of others and well-liked. Every day he
would arrive at practice an hour early and stay an hour after practice ended to hone his
skills and work on his fitness. His eyes would light up when we travelled to out of state
soccer tournaments, like to the Disney tournament in Orlando, Florida. As much as he
loved soccer, he loved his teammates more.
Andres went on to college, excelling in both the classroom and soccer field. He then
obtained a graduate degree and landed a great job. And in the nine years since he
started college, he would email and call me constantly to check in, see how I was doing,
and thank me for what he said I had done for him (which wasn’t very much). He never
missed a birthday, or a holiday. He was so thoughtful.
There is nothing Andres would have loved more than to help low-income children with
soccer shoes, equipment, and other gear they may need in Ecuador. The foundation
reflects many of Andres’ loves: helping others, soccer, children, and Ecuador and
appropriately honors his memory."
Dennis Currier
Soccer Coach
University of Dayton Division I
"This is my favorite story- in 2013, the men’s soccer team started off with a 9-0 record. It became a goal of ours to be the only undefeated team in the nation at that time. Well, the other 9-0 team….lost. So we were playing at home against UIW and it was a tough game. UIW came back on us and drew the game up late in the second half 2-2. In the 2nd OT, Andres was not on the field. He approached me down where I sit. He said ‘Coach, I know you hate players asking to play and I am not here to do that. I just want you to know if you put me in I will score the game winner...that’s all I want to say and I promise I am not being disrespectful.” My initial reaction to that at that immediate moment is probably….a little anger (ha-I am so into the game at that moment) but, it wasn’t too long after I started to think about that statement. I trusted Andres and I knew how far he had come in his journey. I also knew at that moment, it wasn’t about him scoring, it was about him knowing that we trusted him with everything he did- he built that himself. I put him in the game. And this is the part that I cannot hold back tears……..he scored the game winning goal for us. This holds a very special place in my life and I want you to know that. It was the world conforming to his insatiable desire to succeed and change his path. It was the culmination of the hard work, persistence, buy in, trust, perception, etc…to complete the journey. That was the first time we shared a hug after the game."