Independiente del Valle: Teaching Humility - Something to Be Proud Of
Written prominently in the main stairwell of the facilities of the rising Ecuadorian football club, Independiente del Valle, is the following quote: “My greatest enemy is pride & my greatest virtue is humility.” In the highly competitive environment of professional soccer, this philosophy of humility sets Independiente apart, and may very well be a large contributing factor to the club’s continued success.
Independiente del Valle (IV) is currently ranked #1 in the Ecuadorian Serie A, and has performed exceptionally among the top teams in South America, reaching the finals in the 2016 Copa Liberatores. Recently, they have been looking globally for competition, both in North America and Europe and just this summer brought their first players from the US for a 3-week long summer camp.
“We had them here for 3 weeks so they could get acclimated to the altitude,” says Roberto Arroyo Stael, director of the Professional Academy. “I just brought them to the airport this morning, and they left crying because they didn’t want to leave.” Arroyo attributes the youth’s quick attachment to the club’s focus on solidarity. “Here we are more than a club; we are family,” he continues.
Being located in Sangolquí, a suburb in the south of Quito, players of IV train at over 8,000 feet above sea level in plain view of the volcano Cotopaxi on clear days. A few days of acclimation was definitely necessary for the US players, and as they adjusted, they were able to experience some of Ecuador’s treasures, like the Mitad del Mundo and the beautiful historic district of Quito. Coach Mario, scouting and recruitment director of Soccer Scouting Pros, and Arroyo agreed that there is great potential in exploring talent in the United States.
As Arroyo showed us around the facilities, he greeted each player we passed by name and stopped periodically to answer questions and offer feedback. He shared the triumphs of the club and their ambitions for the future with the same humility named a virtue by the quote in the stairwell. One of those players was Luis Fernando Saritama, a midfielder who played for the national team at the 2006 World Cup and is now a mentor player for Independiente Juniors. We took advantage of a quick photo shoot.
Coach Mario Erazo (right) with Luis Saritama (center), former member of the Ecuadorian national team, and Mauricio Casav, coach at Juvenil Caleño
The residences of the players are divided by age and serie level. When we arrived at the Serie A players residency, Arroyo told us that their tradition is that only the Serie A players are allowed behind the gates. Along with Arroyo, we all looked from a distance at the state-of-the-art facilities afforded to those players who worked over the years to achieve this high honor. This kind of right of passage respects the achievements of the players without demeaning those who are still on the path, reinforcing the familial feel of the club.
Independiente del Valle Serie A Players’ Residence
As IV expands to accept invitations to play in tournaments around the world, they do not forget where they are from. They have been a major contributor to the recuperation of the coastal area of the country that was devastated by a major earthquake in 2016, donating ticket sales and supplies. Social responsibility and solidarity are central values they work to develop in their players, so that they are not only great soccer players, but good, contributing citizens to their “patria.”
