The Yellows’ U17s enjoy taking part in the RSC project together with the autism centre
The players and coaching staff of Villarreal U17s (Juvenil B) team accompanied the users of the CAU (Autism Centre) to visit the Estadio de la Cerámica. Asked by Mark Pla, one of the team captains, some of the players of the team coached by Saúl Fernández praised their participation in Endavant Igualtat, the Submarine’s Corporate Social Responsibility project through which different Yellows Academy teams spend the whole season with associations in the province of Castellón and get involved with their cause.
One of the players who took part in the interviews with Mark Pla was the international goalkeeper with Spain’s youth teams. “Endavant is a project organised by Villarreal in which different teams from different categories collaborate with associations and we have been involved with CAU from Castelló. Today we came to visit the stadium with them, but other times we go to their residence and play with them or have a bite to eat,” says Polo.
Pla decided to ask Álvaro Alcaide, one of the team’s midfielders, who has been with the club for five seasons, about his experience with Endavant Igualtat. Alcaide replied that it makes them “get out of the bubble.” “In the end we don’t see the reality of other people or realise what they are going through. By living with them we learn a lot,” said the promising young player, son of one of the analysts of the first team, Pepe Alcaide.
Manolo Portela arrived at Miralcamp from Galicia a few years ago and, despite the break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he was able to live with a couple of associations before doing the same with the CAU. “The first year I was with AUPA. It is an association for abandoned dogs. You put yourself in the shoes of the carers and also of the people who have abandoned them. It’s not nice to see. Then I was with people with Alzheimer’s disease. You wouldn’t want that part of your life, but it helps you to know how to deal with it calmly,” explains Portela.
Most of the Yellows Academy teams have already finished their Endavant Igualtat activities for the current campaign, with the exception of the Final Party that will be held tomorrow, Wednesday 22nd May, at the Casal de Festes de Vila-real.
