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UNCARDED
THE RED CARD PROJECT
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WE ARE BUILDING A NEW STANDARD FOR YOUTH DIVERSION—POWERED BY THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
In soccer, a red card means you’re sent off the field. One moment—one decision—and the game keeps going without you. In life, young people can experience the same thing. A mistake becomes a label. A slip becomes a sentence. And instead of getting coached back into the game, they get pushed farther away from it.
That’s where Uncarded | The Red Card Project begins.
We believe accountability should come with a pathway forward. We built Uncarded as a diversion-to-development program that uses the beautiful game to restore routine, purpose, and belonging for youth affected by substance misuse and system involvement. Soccer is the entry point, but it’s not the finish line.
Our model is built on three pillars: community connection, financial literacy, and a coaching certification pathway—so growth doesn’t end when the session ends. We’re not here to excuse choices. We’re here to coach change, build identity, and create real opportunity.
Our Uncarded story starts here—on the field, in the community, and alongside partners who believe youth deserve more than consequences. We will continue to welcome judges, schools, mentors, clubs, and supporters who want to turn “sent off” into “sent forward.”
WE ARE STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY THROUGH CONNECTION
WE ARE BUILDING FINANCIAL READINESS FOR REAL LIFE
WE ARE CREATING FUTURE COACHES THROUGH CERTIFICATION
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LED BY
ALBERTO LOPEZ
Alberto Lopez is a Founder and Youth Development Leader from Mission, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley. Raised in a border town where poverty isn’t a statistic but a daily reality, Lopez grew up seeing how limited access—to resources, mentorship, and opportunity—can shape choices long before talent ever gets the chance to speak. In communities like his, young people often carry adult responsibilities early, navigate instability, and still show up with resilience, humility, and a deep commitment to family.
Lopez founded Uncarded | The Red Card Project, a diversion-to-development initiative built for youth affected by substance misuse and system involvement. The program begins with the beautiful game—not as an endpoint, but as a doorway back into routine, purpose, and belonging. Uncarded is structured around three pillars—community connection, financial literacy, and a coaching certification pathway—so growth doesn’t end when the session ends. The mission is simple and demanding: accountability paired with a real pathway forward.
In addition to leading The Red Card Project, Lopez serves on the Opioid Affected Youth Initiative (OAYI) Youth Advisory Board, a national network of young leaders bringing both lived and professional experience to the response to substance misuse. Through OAYI, he has mentored youth across the country and contributed to youth-led tools, research, and strategies that elevate a youth-driven approach to the opioid epidemic.
Lopez is also a participant in the Canary Impact NextWave Leadership Program and remains committed to developing youth, strengthening communities through sport, and building solutions that confront poverty at its roots. His long-term vision is philanthropy through education, sports, and development—and a personal goal to coach at the highest level one day, proving what can happen when young people are coached forward instead of counted out.
Uncarded is growing, and we’re building it alongside partners who believe youth deserve more than consequences. If you’re a judge, school leader, mentor, club, funder, or community organization interested in collaboration, we’d welcome a conversation.
BUILT WITH YOUTH.
Program design was informed by youth input at every step. Through structured surveys and feedback sessions, participants helped identify local needs and refine the Uncarded model—ensuring the program is relevant, practical, and community-grounded.
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One season. Three pillars. A coached way forward.
Our pathway
COACHING CERTIFICATION
From athlete to accredited leader. Participants earn U.S. Soccer’s Introduction to Grassroots Coaching and the 4v4 Online Course. This is a nationally recognized professional credential through the U.S. Soccer Federation. Translate on-field experience into a license for immediate employment.
FINANCIAL LITERACY
Money skills as freedom skills. Youth move beyond basic budgeting to master investing fundamentals. We bridge the gap between assets vs. liabilities and the power of compound growth. By building financial readiness, participants gain the economic stability needed to make future life choices with total confidence
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Belonging and leadership in action. Cohorts build lasting trust with mentors and local partners to restore a sense of routine. The journey comes full circle as participants host a community soccer clinic together. We turn "sent off" into "sent forward" by restoring purpose and identity through the beautiful game.
