About
Home Field Advantage is a sports leadership nonprofit organization that focuses on soccer and coaching education. The program offers soccer sessions and coaching education that involve both youth and adult participants. Sports programs are led by local leaders, with student coaches from local high schools taking an active role in running sessions while receiving mentorship.
• Ages: 6–18 years old
• Schedule: Sessions run in multi-week blocks and include youth and adult options, with evening time slots.
Home Field Advantage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 in Downey, CA. What began as a 6-week program to get elementary school kids active and teach soccer skills quickly grew into something more impactful. HFA’s mission is to create healthier, stronger, more active and connected communities through sports leadership development. HFA’s vision is to create a sustainable sports structure within communities by activating local neighborhoods through coaching education, using existing underused facilities.
The organization builds healthier, more connected communities by mentoring local leaders to coach sports in underused neighborhood spaces and neighborhood playing grounds, fostering an inclusive and sustainable sports ecosystem that creates opportunities for play and leadership. Mentor coaches take part in a structured development program with ongoing training, education, and support to ensure consistent, high-quality experiences for youth athletes. Student coaches from local high schools develop their leadership skills and many student coaches go on to become mentor coaches, creating a sustainable cycle of leadership and growth. By investing in local coaches and activating underused community spaces, HFA fosters a sense of belonging and identity while breaking down barriers to play, and serves as a platform for leadership development, youth empowerment, and advancing equity in sports.
Home Field Advantage discovered a synergistic way to create homegrown leadership while providing safe after-school sports programs by teaching high school students coaching techniques and leadership skills. The organization is a Community Champion for the Los Angeles World Cup Legacy Program. It is part of LA Familia and part of the LAFC family. After partnering with the Downey Foundation for Educational Opportunities in 2017, HFA continued to grow at public elementary and middle schools in Downey and expanded to other Los Angeles County cities such as El Monte, Whittier, and Compton.
Home Field Advantage is proud to partner with PUMA to outfit its coaches, athletes, and programs across all the cities it serves. The leadership team includes Founder and Executive Director Sacha van der Most van Spijk, Director of Programs Giovanni Leguizamon, Director of Brand and Operations Yolanthe v., and Program Coordinator and TC Director Joshua Esparza. The board includes Chair Luz Lluncor, Treasurer Giovanni Leguizamon, Secretary Yolanthe van der Most van Spijk, and board members Allison Box, Cris Gilmore, Matt Morse, Donna Vasquez, and Anthony Zegarra.
Last updated March 24, 2026.
• Ages: 6–18 years old
• Schedule: Sessions run in multi-week blocks and include youth and adult options, with evening time slots.
Home Field Advantage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 in Downey, CA. What began as a 6-week program to get elementary school kids active and teach soccer skills quickly grew into something more impactful. HFA’s mission is to create healthier, stronger, more active and connected communities through sports leadership development. HFA’s vision is to create a sustainable sports structure within communities by activating local neighborhoods through coaching education, using existing underused facilities.
The organization builds healthier, more connected communities by mentoring local leaders to coach sports in underused neighborhood spaces and neighborhood playing grounds, fostering an inclusive and sustainable sports ecosystem that creates opportunities for play and leadership. Mentor coaches take part in a structured development program with ongoing training, education, and support to ensure consistent, high-quality experiences for youth athletes. Student coaches from local high schools develop their leadership skills and many student coaches go on to become mentor coaches, creating a sustainable cycle of leadership and growth. By investing in local coaches and activating underused community spaces, HFA fosters a sense of belonging and identity while breaking down barriers to play, and serves as a platform for leadership development, youth empowerment, and advancing equity in sports.
Home Field Advantage discovered a synergistic way to create homegrown leadership while providing safe after-school sports programs by teaching high school students coaching techniques and leadership skills. The organization is a Community Champion for the Los Angeles World Cup Legacy Program. It is part of LA Familia and part of the LAFC family. After partnering with the Downey Foundation for Educational Opportunities in 2017, HFA continued to grow at public elementary and middle schools in Downey and expanded to other Los Angeles County cities such as El Monte, Whittier, and Compton.
Home Field Advantage is proud to partner with PUMA to outfit its coaches, athletes, and programs across all the cities it serves. The leadership team includes Founder and Executive Director Sacha van der Most van Spijk, Director of Programs Giovanni Leguizamon, Director of Brand and Operations Yolanthe v., and Program Coordinator and TC Director Joshua Esparza. The board includes Chair Luz Lluncor, Treasurer Giovanni Leguizamon, Secretary Yolanthe van der Most van Spijk, and board members Allison Box, Cris Gilmore, Matt Morse, Donna Vasquez, and Anthony Zegarra.
Last updated March 24, 2026.
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