VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Grayson Brazukas is a wing and defender on the Cox High School soccer team.
“He’s electric as a soccer player. He’s pacy, he can change directions very quick, and he’s very, very quick," said his coach, Santo Ripa.
Unfortunately, he injured his knee at the end of last season, but Coach Ripa is hoping the junior wing will be back on the field for his senior year.
"He’s the type of player who’s very composed, very mentally forward and positive thinking, and it helps because he’s contagious," said Ripa.
And that positive, high-flying attitude goes beyond the field. Grayson and his family vacation often in Costa Rica.
“We go surfing, we love the outdoors, so it's a real special place to us,” said Grayson.
He realized quickly that many of the young people there share his love of soccer.
“There’s always people outside kicking soccer balls with no shoes on, no shirts, just having a fun time," said Grayson.
He and his family also noticed many of the competitive teams didn’t have essential gear, like shin guards and cleats - items he and his teammates take for granted.
“In Costa Rica, cleats that might cost $100 here cost $200 for them. So you take kids who are already disadvantaged and you make the cleats even more expensive, and it becomes an impossible situation for them," said his mom Emily Brazukas.
So when Grayson got back home, he went to work.
“He came up to me one day... out of the blue and asked me for all of our old gear," said Coach Ripa. "There are shoes, cleats, and there’s jerseys and shorts and socks. It's everything."
He also used social media to reach a large network of players and coaches through his club team. He says the response was huge.
“We had cleats from toddler all the way to size 14, over 100 pairs of cleats and well over 200 pairs of jerseys, backpacks, balls, shin guards," said Grayson.
He’s partnered with a nonprofit called Tacos for Ticos located in Costa Rica that will take the donations and distribute them to teams that need them.
“Why do you do this?" WTKR's Beverly Kidd asked the young player.
"Just something I like doing," said Grayson. "It makes me feel good when I can help other people, especially when I can make a difference."
Grayson and his family are going back to Costa Rica to deliver all the goods at the end of January.
