In Chile, where European football (i.e., soccer) is the dominant sport, Coach Carlos Zuniga offers at-risk teenage boys a unique opportunity to learn and play American-style football. He struggles through a grueling season trying to balance teaching the unfamiliar game to his players while fighting for recognition and funding from city officials who have no interest in the sport.—Stavros Tofalos
This documentary chronicles the personal stories of several players and their struggles to overcome poverty and delinquency. It shows how participation in American football has helped these players rise above difficult situations. The Gladiadores coaches teach the players to admire American culture, to understand tenets of the American lifestyle, and to understand fundamentals of the English language through sports.
Coach Carlos Zuñiga studied at the University of Miami and played semi-professional football. He pursued the American dream by returning to Chile and forming a football team that became national champions in 2012. In addition, Coach Zuñiga was named Head Coach of the Chilean National Team of American Football in 2012. Defensive Coach Alex Guerrero joined the team from Arizona in 2012. Coach Guerrero was a linebacker in high school and college. He played in the amateur league and at the Instituto Politecnico Nacional in Mexico City. Both coaches are volunteers, as are the players. The documentary makes use of simple, direct language, in the vernacular of the average Chilean, expressing values of sportsmanship, team spirit, respect and organization, while providing a vignette into Chilean team culture.
