Director of 2010 Team Philippines Announced!
March 2, 2010 
16 Comments
Urban Opportunities for Change Foundation is excited to announce Rudy del Rosario as the 2010 Director of Team Philippines. As a national sports hero, motivational speaker, and advocate for all children, he gives us football from within. I learned a new word recently called up-cycling—taking something and not just recycling it, but putting it to another use. I believe the Homeless World Cup up-cycles. It uses football to not win games but to change lives. Rudy has experienced both.
Please join us in welcoming Rudy Del Rosario as the 2010 Philippines National Street Soccer Director.
William Shaw
Executive Director
Urban Opportunities for Change Foundation, Inc.
Rudy Del Rosario—Spreading the Love for Football
By Ana Santos
Trying out different sports until they find one they actually like is a phase most kids go through.
But Rudy del Rosario wasn’t like most kids.
At the age of 10, Rudy, as most boys would, tried out for the basketball team, but didn’t make the cut.
“I’m 5’10”, but I don’t know, maybe I just didn’t have it in me,” Rudy said, looking back on the experience.
With no place on the basketball team, Rudy tried football, and from the beginning, it was love.
A lot of people profess love for their favorite sport, and for athletes, it is certainly expected; but for Rudy, that first kick of a football was the start of a life-long love affair.
“Maybe it’s because I grew up as the only boy in a family of five sisters,” Rudy said. “My dad passed away when I was six years old so I grew up surrounded by women. The lure of the field as my own space was what probably got me,” he said.
Rudy’s love for the sport propelled him to take up a B.S. in Education and a major in physical education from Philippine Normal University and then on to many years of playing football for the national team.
Today Rudy is a football coach in various schools and develops their sports programs.
“I especially like being around children and being the one to put a football curriculum in a school that doesn’t have one yet,” Rudy said. “It’s my dream to have many people fall in love with the sport as I have.”
Spreading the love
Beyond the schools, Rudy has tried to spread the love for football in his own village by hosting a summer camp called “The Art of Playing Football School” (APFS), which he started in 2001.
“It [football] really is an art for me,” Rudy said, whose other talents include being a poet, music composer, and the acoustic guitarist and vocalist for a band called Kaya Green Band.
“Dribbling the ball is like dancing”—a line Rudy often uses when coaching.
With the certainty of one who has mastered movement on the field, “You need rhythm!” he said. “Like the Brazilian players when they play for the World Cup, they bring in their samba players. That’s how they play—one team in tune, moving with a certain beat.”
During one of the APFS summer clinics, Rudy noticed that there were many street kids on the sidelines watching. “When I asked them if they wanted to join in and play, they said ‘yes,’” he shared.
This posed a bit of a problem though as the residents began to worry about the presence of street children in their village. The kids were held at the gate by the village guards.
“I’d have to pick them up from the guardhouse and this made me really sad because this is a sport for everyone,” Rudy said. “And honestly, the street kids play hard; they kick hard even without shoes. Sometimes I would collect old shoes from the other players just to give to the kids.”
“I really believe in Urban’s concept of the Homeless World Cup. It gives hope to these kids, gives them a sense of achievement and builds their self-esteem,” Rudy said, who looks forward to contributing to the success of the Homeless World Cup in the 2010 games held in Rio De Janerio.
“When you think about it, the world’s greatest football players like Pele were poor,” he said. “They all grew up in the slums. And, like I said, the street kids really play with more heart.”
Rudy believes this opportunity with the Homeless World Cup will allow him to spread the love of football to many more people. During his years as a player on the national team, he shared that he was able to make many friends.
“It gave me the chance to travel around the Philippines and abroad. I learned so much from that,” he said.
“People tell me I know people from north to south of the Philippines and can probably run for public office,” chuckled Rudy, referring to the Filipino joke about being as well-known as a campaigning political aspirant.
“I always reply that I’d much rather be running out on the field,” Rudy said, a man still clearly in love with football, even after many years of playing it, teaching it, and living it.
I am part of Kuya Rudy’s love for SOCCER, we were his angels in Philippine Normal University and taught us the value of life through SOCCER….. i love that guy!!!!
Rudy’s passion for the football is very much like his passion for everything in life: pure, infectious, and joyful. Congratulations, Abu Rudz!
This is great coach rudy! Keep it up!
Althought I think I should take your place at KAYA FC HAHA
i am really excited to work for this guy…his passion not just for the game but also to help the less fortunate is really inspiring… so i am inviting everyone out there to join us in this in this project… God Bless!!!
Congratulations,I have been involved in promoting the game of soccer in the Philippines for several years now, being married to a Filipino.I have said to many Philippine politicians I know that a country needs to be involved in sport, especially soccer, to get reconized in the world. Look what Manny Paciquio as done for the Philippines.
Ken Parker,Life Vice President of Morecambe Football Club.League 2 English Soccer.UK
Congratulations Rudy Del Rosario.I have met you on several occasions.If I can help in any way please e-mail me.
Ken Parker.Life Vice President of Morecambe
Football Club.League 2 of English Soccer.UK
we just pray and hope that the boys from samburon,linamon,lanao del norte be given chances for a try out for the HWC team…Just refer to mr.ed formoso about samburon boys…tnx
congratulation rudy for helping those kids through your knowledge and skill for playing in the philippines national team im very glad and praying for your success. i know you do it in a hard way if you need my help dont hesitate to e mail me .
from mr football of the philippines and your teammate ELMER LACKNET BEDIA wish you the very luck and good bless mabuhay ka kapatid
good job my brother! i’ll spread the words and make a difference for this pilipino kids i feel like i belong here. ole!ole!ole!ole!ole!
We here at Pannafootballtube.com love what you are doing. Keep up the good work!
Good luck Rudy! Your Clean Up the Philippines Family is very proud of you. Keep it up! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
I’M SO PROUD OF YOU RUDZ!!!! HOPE YOU’LL BE SUCCESSFUL W/ YOUR ENDEAVORS. KEEP ON HELPING OTHERS!
Parang familliar sha. Is he also the manager for Philippines’ team in the homeless world cup?
Keep it up Rudy! More power and spread the love for football. Make Don Bosco proud. God bless.
Hi coach, I really admire your passion for the game and wish you all the best.
I hope you could also visit Bais City in Negros Oriental and kindly look for Mr Bobby Cadalin as he is a very trustworthy person and I’m sure there are so many underprivilege kids yet deserving to have a shot for the try-outs….
Again, keep it up and more power!
we need more people like you to spread the spirit of “community service thru sports”. ruds, thanks for your service and as a teammate and friend i’l be here to support your cause…