Honduran footballer Alberth Elis grew up in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where his way of life was no where near what it is now. The conditions in Honduras today hinder the growth and education of children due to a lack of resources. Not to mention the difficult living conditions these children face having to be alone a majority of the time while their parents work, as well as being in an impoverished area with violence and areas that are not secure for them to be wandering the streets by themselves.
Elis’ childhood was a bit more fortunate as he had soccer as an escape. His career began when he played soccer for a youth team in San Pedro Sula before moving to the professional Honduran team C.D. Olimpia. Elis also debuted for the Honduras senior team in 2014 before catching his big break.
He escaped the difficulties of his home country and moved to the United States when he was loaned to the Houston Dynamo for the 2017 season. At age 21 he debuted for the Dynamo, immediately making an impact, and now two years later he is still making his mark in the MLS.
There's no stopping @alberthelis17
Another Team of the Week performance for La Pantera: https://t.co/WQhrA7qfgH // @Audi #ForeverOrange pic.twitter.com/4tGA1oIB5X— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) April 1, 2019
His success does not stop in Texas as La Pantera uses his platform to give back to his home country.
A coach he had during his youth playing days reached out about the lack of technological resources the kids were being exposed to and Elis knew how important it was for these children to have the chance to use a computer. His donation of a computer lab made a huge difference for these underprivileged children, who may have never seen or touched an actual computer before. There school is considered a safe space and for them to have an inspiration like Elis, and now with the use of computers and printers, they will be better prepared to succeed in the future.
And who knows, maybe the next MLS star will come from Honduras and it’ll all be thanks to the contributions and heroism of Alberth Elis.
It is heartwarming to see athletes or anyone of upper class-caliber giving back to those in need, especially areas that they once were a part of — proof that there are good people out there that want to make our society better.
San Pedro Sula, Honduras @alberthelis17 is known for scoring goals on the field, but “La Pantera” makes his mark off the field by improving the futures of school children in his hometown. // @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/fmBUup2enN
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 10, 2019
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