By JayDe Beaudry
Long Beach FC is delighted to welcome Alvista FC as a community partner.
"We enjoy the fun that they have and the joy they bring to the Long Beach community through the beautiful game. We think the sport should be celebrated at all levels regardless of competition levels, so we're excited to collaborate with Alvista FC." - Willie L. Alexander III, Co-Founder of Long Beach FC.
Since 2023, Alvista FC has organized pickup soccer events in Long Beach, welcoming all participants regardless of skill level or background.
"Our goal is to get the community together through soccer and showcase the talent that we have here," said Alvista FC founder Alfonso Castaneda.
Born and raised in Long Beach, Alfonso Castaneda grew up with a ball at his feet.
As a freshman at Cal State Long Beach, he found his love for the beautiful game was matched by the teammates he played indoor soccer with at the Student Wellness and Recreation Center.
"We started off as a team, we played on Monday nights and Wednesdays," said Castaneda.
"We were playing at the YMCA's and, you know, everywhere. And from then on, we were like: let's create something, because our community was growing."
From humble beginnings, Alvista FC has grown into an inclusive space for the Long Beach community; serving thousands of participants from Shoreline Village to Bixby Knolls, Cambodia Town to Belmont Shore and beyond.
"We want to provide a space where people can play, have fun, and just be themselves. I think the biggest thing is providing a space for people to feel comfortable, feel welcomed, and have a good time through soccer," said Castaneda
"We've got all these type of people with many different diverse backgrounds. They just love playing soccer, love talking about soccer, and love watching soccer."
Long Beach FC will join Alvista FC for their annual holiday toy drive on December 20th.
Click here for more details on how you can join the event.
https://longbeachfootballclub.com