Help Ry Take His Football Dreams to Spain 🇪🇸⚽

A year ago, our seven-year-old Ry was too nervous to even join in at his first football training session. He walked around the outside of the pitch, watching and taking everything in, until eventually he found the courage to step onto the field.

He hasn't looked back since.

In that moment, Ry discovered something that would completely change his world.

In just one year, he has completely fallen in love with football. What started as a nervous first step has grown into a passion that has him dreaming big about where football might take him.

Now, those dreams are reaching all the way from Far North Queensland to Spain.

An incredible opportunity

In March 2027, Ry will have the opportunity to travel from Far North Queensland to Spain with The Futbol Academy and CB Football.

The trip will include a 5-day training camp at Atlético de Madrid, followed by the 4-day Torrevieja International Cup.

For Ryan, this is a chance to step outside everything he knows, experience football in a completely different environment, learn from new coaches and players, and compete internationally.

More than anything, Ry wants to learn and experience everything he possibly can while he is there.

For a little boy who was once too nervous to step onto the pitch, being given the opportunity to train at Atlético de Madrid and compete internationally feels incredibly special.

A very different little boy

Before football, Ryan was often too nervous to participate in structured sport. That first training session could have easily been the end of the story.

Instead, it became the beginning.

Football has given Ryan a space to grow and shine in a way we hadn't seen before. It has challenged him, given him confidence and allowed him to discover a passion that he genuinely loves.

We've almost come to think of them as two different versions of our son — Ryan and Football Ryan.

The little boy who can be quite reserved away from the pitch becomes a completely different kid when football is involved. He has found somewhere he feels comfortable, somewhere he can challenge himself and somewhere he can simply be himself.

And his love for football doesn't stop when training finishes.

Ry loves watching football too, especially the Marlin Coast Rangers Premier League team, who he affectionately calls "his boys."

How far he's come

In his first year, Ry has already played in three tournaments, including travelling to Townsville to compete in an Under 8s competition.

He was given the opportunity to captain his team for two games and finished the tournament by being awarded Player of the Day on the final day.

While we're incredibly proud of those moments, what means the most to us isn't simply what he has achieved on the pitch. It's seeing how much he has grown since that first nervous training session.

Ryan wants to become the best footballer he can possibly be, and he's dreaming big about where football might take him one day.

We know that one trip won't determine his future, but we also know that opportunities like this can open a child's eyes to what is possible.

Spain is an opportunity for Ry to experience football at a different level, see what exists beyond his own little corner of the world and discover what he might be capable of.

We're going to throw everything we can at making this trip happen for Ry. We're fundraising through this page, reaching out to local businesses and our community for sponsorship, and planning other fundraising activities along the way.

The funds raised will go towards Ry's flights, accommodation and football programs while he's in Spain.

If you are able to contribute, no amount is too small. Every donation will help get Ry one step closer to stepping onto that pitch in Spain.

And if donating isn't possible, simply sharing Ry's story with friends, family or local businesses would mean the world to us.

When we look back at that first training session, it's hard to believe how much has changed in just one year.

A little boy who was once too nervous to join in has found something he loves.

He's found confidence.

He's found joy.

He's found a place where he can simply be himself.

And somewhere along the way, he's found a home on the football pitch.

Now, he's dreaming of Spain.

We would love to help him take that next step.

Thank you for taking the time to read Ry's story and for supporting his journey.

We can't wait to see where it takes him. ❤️⚽🇪🇸