The Ucal McKenzie Breakaway Foundation

Early September, 2007. It was my senior year of high school and we were in a tight, intense game against Medford. I received the ball right around midfield with a player on my back. I saw a second defender charging towards me, so I dragged the ball back away from him while shifting my body to keep my center of gravity low. Instead of stopping, the defender ran into me. We both fell to the ground and rightly so, a foul was called. I got up immediately and aggressively. I stood over him ominous

It was fall of 2004, we were headed to an out of league game versus Lowell High School. It was cold. My feet were freezing, and if you’ve played soccer before then you know that the ball seems to weigh an extra 10 pounds when that happens.

We go through warm-ups, and the whole pre-game routine. I remember some of our players feeling intimidated because the Lowell players were bigger than us. They strike first and take a 1-0 lead, which they held onto for most of the game. Then we scored wit

Be thankful for every breath you take.

That’s what I have for the “bio” section on my twitter page—and at one point, that is truly how I felt.

Growing up in the Philippines I have experienced many things that others cannot even imagine. I was exposed to the true, unforgiving life of the third world country; from there I learned who I was and what I believed in.

I think in today’s world most of us do not realize how privileged we are, or simply ignore how privileged we are.

Today, 73 people were killed after a melee broke out after a game between two Egyptian teams. Sources say over 1,000 were injured in the chaos.

Soccer is an emotional game. Sport in general requires an emotional investment that no other product requires. I understand that more than anyone else. But why is it that we forget what is more important? Is a game, a rivalry, a bitter hatr

Greetings readers! What it do?

I love the smell of progress. I’m excited to report that our foundation director, Suzanne McKenzie, has officially joined the board of America Scores. This is huge! The America Scores mission statement goes hand-in-hand with the work we do here at the Breakaway Foundation. I’m excited to see how UMBF can provide support as we

David Beckham is BACK!

Simply put, David Beckham loves America. He got his 5 year dose already and some weight gain to his wallet. He could have bolted, but who would bolt the glitz of LA? Los Angeles is the hub of celebrities, and it’s the perfect place for him to fade away from the game and into the world of glamour. This was a post-soccer career choice more than anything. I’m not a big fan of Becks but I do respect his work ethic, his humbleness for where he is in life, and his ability to

Working with Suzanne and everyone who’s been part of the Foundation for the last three years has been an experience that is like no other. At first, the Foundation was a means for me to deal with the loss of a loved one. My desire to continue his legacy and remember him by continuing his dreams helped me through the toughest year of my life. Three years on, Ucal’s dream has become the Foundation’s dream and also that of mine.

I often wondered how and why Ucal was so passionate about

2012 is going to be a huge leap of progress for the Foundation. We’re only six days into the new year and I’m already excited for our plans to unravel. I’ll be your insider and keep you up to date on anything I can publicly disclose. Just don’t tell our Director, Suzanne!

I’m fresh off of a trip to beautiful Venezuela. A world where the adults play dominos and the youth play soccer. For some reason, I wanted to shoot some hoops and get some shots out of my system. Let me tell you that EVE

Some players love their sweets and treats, and others feel that a good soccer or sports diets means no sweets whatsoever. The truth is a good sports diet can include a reasonable amount of treats. Below is some advice on how to balance sweets and treats in to your sports diet. The information is taken from Food Guide for Soccer: Tips and Recipes From the Pros by Nancy Clark RD and Gloria Averbuch.

Although nutritionists recommend eating a wholesome diet based on grains, fruits, and vegetables,