The Diaza Mentality resonates with Cultures United and vice versa. A multiyear partnership that is truly meant to be.
Cultures United’s motto is “Creating community and uniting cultures through football” and for Diaza and Cultures United, we know that it’s more than just a sport.
We are building our future leaders in our community, giving them the tools and training necessary to grow on and off the field. A culture that is inclusive, full of energy and strength that'll inspire others to do the same.
Founded in 2020 by Colombian immigrant Sebastian Diaz, Cultures United is a semi-professional soccer organization that develops young players at no cost and trains them to become community leaders at the same time.
Based in diverse South King County, Seattle, the club recruits players from places like Kent, Auburn, and Federal Way, for whom soccer is a common language. The men’s team, which has won the Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Premier Soccer League, includes players with connections to countries such as Zambia, Congo, Honduras, Chile, and Mexico.
Diaz explains a little bit more about the club’s genesis: “I got started in 2020 in the hecticness of a pandemic. Our goal was to unite people, of different cultures, at a time when we were all separated. For us being a club that celebrates diversity, we also recognize that soccer is the biggest social tool in the world. We decided that we wanted to create a community around the sport, that is what we have been doing, and why we are popular in our community.”
The organization is composed of services for youth and young adults. For youth, Cultures United does countless amounts of service hours through free soccer camps and clinics, for the young adults they offer a pathway to athletic development, also at no charge.
The Cultures United Academy is where the sport is made accessible and where they introduce the sport and life skills.
“Our adult programs compete in the UPSL, WPSL, US Open Cup, and Washington Super Cup. We are planning an expansion into the USL in the future on both sides, men & women.”, adds Diaz.
“We want to highlight the community more than anything”, Diaz details, “For us the sport represents a lot, it is almost like a religion to most of us. But we also want to be intentional with it. We want to do things that other teams aren't doing, regardless of the level. When it comes to our community we want to do it bigger than anyone else. Our efforts have been recognized by Chelsea FC, Gatorade x Pepsi's "Team of Champions" and the US Soccer Foundation through awards for the work we do. We want to continue to put our community on the national & international map.
As is stated, Cultures United's relationship with the community is key:
“We have multiple partnerships.”, says Sebastian Diaz, “Since day one we have also been intentional about partnering with organizations, schools, community centers, and community leaders. We put together beautiful initiatives. Our popularity around Seattle has grown and we are now partnering with organizations like the Sounders FC, Seattle Kraken, Oakland Roots, Ballard FC, and many others on the way.”
Nearly 100 students — boys and girls — played soccer with Cultures United at White Center Heights Elementary, said Shoshanna Cohen, a teacher who started the program because many kids at her school can’t afford to join recreational teams that charge money.
The soccer program has changed the culture of the area school for the better by helping kids connect with each other outside of class, and Cultures United coaches and players have become role models.
In that general context, does Diaza really fit in their near future development?
Diaz responds: “Diaza is allowing us to level up. We knew from the very beginning that we wanted to be part of a professional partnership like this one. We are excited about this expansion, to make sure our players, our coaches, and our fans, can represent the team culture. Along with Diaza, we want to take Cultures United FC to as many places in the world as possible.”
And the first step to celebrate this partnership was to introduce Cultures United’s 2023 home kit.
The Kit is called "Juneteenth" and the design speaks for itself. It celebrates Black History Month and Juneteenth, which is a national holiday celebrating freedom and commemorating emancipation from slavery.
“To us, we aren't afraid to showcase our culture, where no one is left behind. A culture that acknowledges others that deserve recognition.”, added Sebastian Diaz, Cultures United’s Founder and Program Director.