STORY AND PHOTOS BY GUSTAVO PEREZ

With the end of the year approaching and winter weather arriving comes the end of the fall soccer season for many local teams. As players begin to put their cleats in storage, they are now concluding the final step in a generational tradition for many Latino and non-Latino families.

Hidden at the center of the Latino community in Blaine County lies a tradition of soccer that finds its roots as far back as the1990s.

It has gone from neighborhood pick-up games to now being part of a major Spanish academy. Since the 1990s, soccer has had a light presence with teams out of Carey, Picabo and Bellevue made up of many of the first generation of Latino workers in the area.

Coach Teofilo Leon and his son/player William Leon hold up a Latino X team jersey that mixes their new identity and Peruvian roots. The jersey has the name of the team, as well as the logo of Universitario, a major Peruvian soccer team from Lima.

Although lacking in any organization structure, some would form the first team from the area to win an official tournament in 2003—a culmination of the effort made since 1996. Led by Teofilo Leon, the head coach at the time, they would play in a Peruvian league in Utah--the only team out of Idaho.

“I remember the pride I felt when we played in Utah,” said Leon, when asked to recount some key moments over the years.

“We were newcomers to the area and just settling in,” Leon added as he looked at the trophy they had won then. “Seeing us play under the name of Wood River gave us a sense of belonging that we had missed. We were representing our new home.”

From local community tournaments in the valley to ones in Pocatello and Logan, Utah, Leon and his team would show this newfound pride for the valley.

Leon Teofilo’s team “Latino X" pose with the trophy from the first local Peruvian soccer tournament in Blaine County.

It was, he said, a combination of pride in the Peruvian culture and love for Blaine County.

From there, soccer became a staple in the Latino community and started to incorporate all parts of the community. In the early 2010s, the Valley League--more commonly referred to as La Liga del Valle--was formed and teams such as Lions Academy, Hailey FC and Los Lobos competed in a summer league with varying divisions.

Teams from Shoshone, Jerome and Twin Falls made regular appearances, as well.

At the time, Los Lobos head coach Juan Salamanca was a pillar in establishing the league. He also assisted as a coach for the Wood River High School team alongside Luis Monjaras. Both would later become key figures in one of the community's most impressive partnerships.

Coach Teofilo Leon and staff unveil the first custom-made jerseys for the team.

Community businesses, such as KB Burritos and Archive Painting, began sponsoring the teams. Not only was the league bringing new life to the sport but other soccer programs began to see a growth in numbers. Among them, BCRD’s recreational league, Sun Valley Soccer Club (formerly Sawtooth United), Surf Soccer and more.

Wood River High School has also seen a growth in its soccer department, with 2025 being the fourth year that the varsity team has won the state championship.

As the influence of soccer in the valley took over, Monjaras and Salamanca did not allow any of the momentum slow down. This year—2025--marked one of the most important years to date for the soccer program with the establishment of the Villareal Idaho Academy in Hailey.

This marks the opening of Villareal’s 14th affiliated academy in North America.

Villareal CF is a professional Spanish soccer club based in Villareal, Spain. The club is currently sitting in third in the top flight. Its expansion into the Wood River Valley marks a new chapter for soccer in the area, allowing for better development for players and more opportunities to play in the region.

In fact, what used to be just a neighborhood activity has blossomed into a possible path to the professional level.