Spain-bound football success story for local Hermanus Teen

A dedicated football player, 14-year-old Lucas Isaacs is an inspiration to all to follow one’s dreams and make them come true. 

He has been selected to play in an under-23 squad in Madrid – an incredible feat for his age.

From the tender age of 4, young Lucas loved the sport as more than a hobby; it was his passion and it showed. He would spend hours on the field, dreaming of one day becoming a professional, either as a football player, pro coach, team or stadium manager. He idolises some of the greats in the field like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo… And now he has the incredible opportunity to play on the very grounds where they too were scouted into their journey to great heights.

The ESC La Liga and NBA Sports Centre in Madrid, Spain, will be accommodating a showcase tour to play friendly games against five professional clubs. Lucas was selected by BT Football Recruitment Agency as part of an under-23 squad to show his skills, gain exposure and take a significant step closer to achieving his ultimate dream.

This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Lucas as scouts offer scholarships and professional contracts. However, the cost of flights, a visa, travel expenses, accommodation, attire and scouting sessions by pro scouts are not as easily within his reach as the possibility of being scouted. This is where the power of community comes in. Together with the help of his family, they have started a fundraising campaign to raise what he’ll need for this trip, with the hope of making his dream a reality.

Lucas is an incredibly driven young man who is both playing and studying the game. He asks thousands of questions, he is intelligent and analytical. He is an avid reader of football biographies, analysing the moves and strategies of great players to improve his own game. His father, Larenzo Isaacs, says “He does this out of his own, he does research on coaches, players, what they’re doing and have done in the past and what they’ve done to get where they are.”

Larenzo believes this is an excellent strategy: to first identify what you want in life, then find out who has got it and what they did to get there. If it worked for them, it can work for you too, and you get a chance to capitalise on their victories and try perfect where they made mistakes.

He is the captain of the Generation School Hermanus U16 team, which won their first trophy in May last year in Franschhoek, a tournament that was hosted by Global United FC (based in Germany) and Bafana Bafana Legend Matthew Booth. Lucas joined the Hermanus Hotspurs at the age of 4 and then made the move to the Vivo United Soccer Academy, his current club, at 9.

He grew up in Hermanus, as did his father. Larenzo says he cannot imagine raising his children anywhere else in the world. They are well-travelled within South Africa and abroad, and believe that South Africa, especially Hermanus, is home. It’s all about the quality of life that Hermanus has to offer.

The Generation School Hermanus offers a vocational exit and Lucas wishes to pursue business studies, management and coaching in the football industry, all of which align with his plans to manage a team or a stadium one day.

As a father to two children who are both pursuing their passions, the family motto has always been ‘if you can't do it whole-heartedly, don’t do it’. When you commit and your heart is in it, it will shine through. Lucas’s heart has always been in football and he told his father he’ll be scouted before the age of 16.

Larenzo has never missed a game and says that his son is “positive, driven and very goal-oriented – literally and figuratively” he laughed. He values giving his children every opportunity to follow their dreams. “No matter how big or small the seed that you plant, if it’s meant to be it will root. What’s destined for you, will find you.”

In line with our Family Values at Seeff, Seeff Hermanus has made a donation towards this exciting chapter of Lucas’s life. Will you follow suit to make this boy’s dream a reality? The outstanding amount is due at the end of June 2023. Contact details for a donation: Larenzo Isaacs 065 911 7615  (7sevenswp@gmail.com)