Competitive soccer in St. Louis can be expensive, often placing the sport out of reach for many families. Jorge Flores, a lifelong soccer enthusiast, experienced this firsthand and decided to do something about it. In 2017, he founded the Dream Big Foundation, a nonprofit that provides affordable soccer programs to kids across the St. Louis metro area.
Flores brings a unique perspective to the program. Born in Mexico, he immigrated to Chicago at age 3 before eventually settling in St. Louis. Growing up, he played soccer recreationally and briefly in high school, but club-level play was out of reach.
“My family was never really able to afford the club soccer environment or culture,” he says. “As I grew up, I just always had that chip on my shoulder, and I wanted to change that pay-to-play system that I feel is affecting the game so much.”
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That mindset inspired him to create a program that removes financial barriers and gives children from all backgrounds the chance to play competitively. Flores began his journey in youth soccer as a referee for the St. Louis Youth Soccer Association (SLYSA), but soon realized he wanted to do more.
“I thought I’d make my impact through officiating,” he recalls. “But I decided to start working with kids coaching instead and that led to something bigger.”
As a father of five, Flores’ drive to positively influence young lives came naturally. And his work has paid off, as he’s watched his participants make the same high school soccer teams that larger club participants do.
“It’s amazing to see them walk into high school and be playing on varsity teams… All of our boys that were freshmen were varsity players,” he says. “The training prepares them for that next step—without the crazy costs of club soccer.”
Dream Big currently fields U9 and U17 teams and has offered girls’ teams and co-ed “learn-to-play” programs when interest is high, often playing out of Maryland Heights. While they compete with larger clubs like Scott Gallagher and STLDA, Flores keeps the focus on character, development, and community rather than wins and losses.
“For me, it’s not even a win and loss situation. It’s more like, ‘Are we developing on the field? Are you showing up on time? Is there discipline? Respect between players?’” he explains. “What we do isn’t just about soccer. It’s about discipline, patience, teamwork, and being a good human being.”
The organization is powered by volunteers and grassroots support. He shares that some of his older players come back to help out with the younger ones. As he puts it, “It’s truly a collective effort.”
“It started with a group of friends, who brought in more friends,” he says, “and more volunteers just came along.”
Looking ahead, Flores hopes to establish a permanent facility for Dream Big.
“A homebase would let us run programming year-round without the burden of high rental fees or weather issues,” he shared. “Giving these kids a homebase would be huge for us, so hopefully one day in the future.”
Until then, Dream Big continues to provide opportunities for kids to play, grow, and dream, both on and off the field.
“Soccer is just the tool,” Flores says. “What we’re really building is better humans.”
