Pura Vida Sporting Club is an independent soccer program founded by R. Julio Diaz and Diaz Group International to introduce the children of Guanacaste, Costa Rica to the beautiful game of soccer, develop teams to compete with others in the area, and establish a community of parents and children engaged with the sport.
As a sport that incorporates constant movement, aerobic exercise, balance and eye-foot coordination as well as healthy social interaction it is an ideal activity to promote all round physical development in early childhood. All a child needs to join Pura Vida Sporting Club is a pair of sneakers and plenty of energy and enthusiasm!
August 2011 Julio, Claire and Lucas Diaz – Founders of SoccerPlayGroup
Pura Vida Sporting Club was founded in 2015 and based on a youth soccer program created by Julio Diaz in August 2011. After starting and raising a young family in Wyckoff, New Jersey, Julio and his family relocated to the Guanacaste area of Costa Rica in August 2015. He is a licensed youth soccer coach and has been involved in organized and recreational soccer for over 30 years. He is the founder of two amateur mens’ teams in the New York City area Cosmopolitan Soccer League.
His goal in creating Pura Vida Sporting Club is to share his love and enthusiasm for the game to the youth in his community while making involvement in the playgroups as much fun as possible. He believes there are many great lessons that can be learned from the beautiful game, such as teamwork, confidence, and leadership.
“Thanks for all your hard work…You have amazing patience!”, KB, parent of child who attended the Spring 2012 group
See article about Julio and the SoccerPlayGroup in the Wyckoff Patch here.
Julio is also available for private soccer-based cross training and specializes in goalkeeping skills and techniques.
Fall 1987 photo: Julio Diaz, sophomore, playing for the varsity soccer team of Fort Lee (NJ) High School “Bridgemen”
Pura Vida Sporting Club 