Giuseppe FC unveils ‘field of dreams’

CEBU, Philippines - The Giuseppe Football Club has formally inaugurated its new home located at Sanchez Compound in Banilad. The 'field of dreams,' which the men behind Giuseppe FC describe it, is a field with an artificial turf, the first of its kind in Cebu.

It's just a small-sized pitch, but at least the aspiring booters under Giuseppe FC including those less fortunate kids they have "adopted" from Banilad now have a conducive venue they can use anytime of the day, rain or shine.

"Finally, we already have something we can call our home," said Rachel Genco, one of Giuseppe's founders.

Oliver Colina and Eleazar Toledo, two of the club's resident coaches, said they started dreaming about building a field on an artificial turf two years ago, but it was only after Maylene Suarez's visit to Italy last April that this so-called 'field of dreams' got more color.

Upon seeing several Italian football schools using artificial grass, Suarez, Giuseppe's co-founder,  realized that a small-sized lot area owned by her family could be utilized for such purpose.

Building the artificial field may a bit expensive, but Genco and Suarez are gambling on it for the sake of their kids and the grassroots sports development program they are pushing for the young aspirign booters.

All materials were imported from Italy except the sand, which they got from Luzon.

Campo Giuseppe, which can accommodate seven-a-side tournaments, is mainly for their members' use, but the group is thinking about renting it out to outsiders so long as it is not in conflict with their club's training and other activities.— Caecent No-ot Magsumbol (FREEMAN)