NAMPA, Idaho — A weight room, classroom, and soccer training academy all in one? It seems too good to be true, but Elite International Soccer Training is helping young athletes tackle it all in one building.
The academy opened in May 2020 and is currently in its fifth year, with multiple students advancing from their Nampa fields to Division I soccer at the collegiate level.
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"That is why we do it. We do it for the people who have more to give and maybe who aren't being seen right away, but then they come in and put in the work, and this is why we do it. We do it so they can be seen and get to the next level," said Mariah Castillo, Owner of Elite International Soccer Training.
Castillo and her husband met in college and decided they wanted to grow and develop Treasure Valley athletes through the sport they both played and love.
"We both just thought that giving back to the community that specifically raised me was something that we couldn't picture doing anywhere else except for here," Castillo explained.
Caden Jackson is a current student/athlete who uses the facility and says he's become more than just a great soccer player. He's a better person.
"I just want to say thank you. I mean, I wouldn't be half the person or athlete that I am today without them, and just all of these learning experiences and great people that are in this environment have really helped me become a great soccer player and human being," he said.
