Armed with suitcases, soccer balls, and a genuine desire to improve the lives of others, the McGill Martlet women's soccer team recently completed a trip to Paraguay, where they made a profound impact in the local community.

The McGill contingent of 25 players and coaches volunteered in a remote part of the country by working at a soup kitchen and interacted with locals.

They even got to pave the way for future soccer players by helping turn a swampy marsh into a soccer field.

"We had to chop everything down to the ground and it was all very bumpy," said head coach Jose-Luis Valdes, who spearheaded the initiative along with former Martlet defender Lisa Perrett. "It was very bumpy, so then it was shovels to flatten the field out."

Once completed, the field will be a major part of the community life.

"It will have an outdoor gymnasium as well," Valdes said.

The team didn't limit itself to just the soccer field either.

They also helped construct a soup kitchen and bathrooms for the community.

"We were making the cement," Valdes said. "Pouring it, laying it down, placing the bricks and everything else they had. We moved dirt around and things like that."

Valdes also had his players out in the community and connecting with locals.

"The main thing was for us to empower the people there," he said.


In addition to volunteering, the Martlets also took the field against a handful of teams around the country.

"It was fun," he said. "The girls got to compete and play. Two games against the Paraguayan pro teams were very competitive."

Overall, Valdes was amazed by the perspective his team gained during the experience in the country. He communicated with his players during the trip and heard firsthand how the experience resonated with them. Some said they appreciated their own families more because of seeing life in Paraguay. Others said they would be less materialistic.

"A few of the players openly said that they now knew what happiness should look like," he said.

"They now knew that materials are things you have but not things that necessarily bring you happiness."