(S30) PT 1 - Going International

[Mojojojo]

In 2010, Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico became a sister city of Sarasota, Florida, United States [1]. And it wasn’t long after the regular cultural exchanges began that Sarasota’s love of football, particularly support of their hometown Sailfish, spread to the state capital on the Mexican peninsula. With the growing Spanish speaking audience both domestically and now internationally, in 2025 the Sailfish began to broadcast their home games with both Spanish and English language commentary a few years later. Even more recently, support coaching staff and a few developmental players have traveled to Mexico for fan events and to help set-up an American football club for local youth. With the club now in its third year of operation, the Sailfish franchise was asked to send a starting team member during the offseason to hold a workshop to help train local coaches at the club. 

Now this was a highly sought after assignment among the Sailfish players. The Yucatan was a wonderful spot to relax after another hard-fought season and sample unique cuisine, known for its earthy and smoky flavors. However, there were only a few players that could fully embrace the experience without the help on an interpreter. So it was no surprise when the franchise selected Cuco Clemente - Safety of the Year - to represent the team. Having been born and raised in Santiago, Dominican Republic, Cuco was a fluent Spanish speaker and a veteran player who could explain playbooks inside and out. Cuco also knew how to make a week long coaching workshop fun, helping to design new drills like tying a length of traditional hammock rope to the wastes of defensive players in coverage and offensive players running routes so that they could feel the push and pull of space between them as they tried to get the better position. This proved to be a favorite among players and coaches alike.

References:
[1] https://sarasotasistercities.org/merida-yucatan-mexico/