When Flavio Zhingri was a boy growing up in the rainforests of Ecuador, soccer was always around him. But it was never truly his.
His mother coached two local teams every Sunday, and young Flavio watched from the sidelines, occasionally getting a few minutes on the field. While other children spent their afternoons playing, he spent his helping his family survive.
As the oldest of four children, Zhingri helped his mother provide for the family, even hunting for food at night. Money was scarce. Shoes had to last for years, and school always came before sports.
“I never really had a chance to play or enjoy soccer,” Zhingri recalled.
Life eventually led him to a career in software engineering, but despite professional success, he never felt fulfilled. Five years ago, he realized his true calling wasn’t writing code — it was giving children the opportunities through soccer that he never had. That realization became Westchester Elite Soccer.
Today, Zhingri is the academy’s founder and technical director. Alongside his wife, Sandra Cabrera, who serves as president, the couple operates one of northern Westchester County’s fastest-growing youth soccer programs. Founded in 2021 and launching its first teams in 2022, the academy now serves about 170 players between the ages of 3 and 18.
In 2026, the organization reached another milestone, opening its own indoor facility — Westchester Sports Arena in Peekskill.
The journey from a child in Ecuador to a soccer academy owner in New York, however, was anything but easy.
Finding his way and building confidence
When Zhingri arrived in the United States at 18, he came with little more than determination.
His family immigrated in search of opportunity, but life was difficult from the start. He joined his father working construction, and the physically demanding labor quickly convinced him that education would be his path forward.
He learned English, enrolled at Westchester Community College and later earned a computer engineering degree from Manhattan College (now University).
But paying for college required sacrifice.
He often balanced multiple jobs while attending classes full time. His days began before sunrise and ended after midnight. During some semesters, he was forced to leave school simply to earn enough money to return the following term.
After graduating, Zhingri built a successful career as a software engineer, but something was missing. “It was never my passion,” he said.
He chose engineering largely because of the language barrier and his own shyness. Working behind a computer, he believed, meant avoiding public speaking and constant interaction.
Then coaching changed everything. Beginning with Super Soccer Stars in 2016, Zhingri slowly conquered fears he never imagined overcoming.
“Soccer changed my life,” he said.
The sport would go on to become much more than his profession. It transformed him as a person.
Four players and a dream
When Westchester Elite Soccer launched in 2022, the vision wasn’t centered on trophies or championships. For Zhingri, it was much simpler. He wanted every child to experience the opportunities soccer can provide, regardless of ability or financial circumstances.
The academy, however, started with just four players and took a while to take off.
To make practices work, Zhingri often invited his brother, sister, and niece to participate in drills. Every dollar invested came from his own pocket while he continued working full time as an engineer.
By the summer of 2023, after months of paying field rental fees and operating at a loss, Zhingri and Cabrera seriously considered closing the academy.
Then everything changed. Zhingri’s “lucky charm” arrived.
One parent stopped to watch a training session and asked whether his son could join. The boy enrolled, then invited friends and family. Within weeks, enrollment jumped from roughly 10 players to 40. The academy never looked back.
“We’ve been growing ever since … I will always remember him,” Zhingri said of the player who helped change the academy’s future.
Betting everything to build a home
As enrollment continued to rise, balancing engineering with coaching became increasingly difficult. Zhingri faced a difficult decision: leave a stable six-figure engineering career to pursue soccer full time.
“I followed my heart,” he said. The financial risk was enormous, but success meant something different to him.
Whether watching a player score their first goal or hearing a child excitedly explain they had mastered a new skill, those moments became his greatest rewards. “My biggest win is helping the kids or when I see they’re happy.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he added. “No amount of money can replace that.”
Even after leaving engineering, one obstacle remained. Westchester Elite Soccer had no permanent home.
For its first several years, the academy rented fields throughout Westchester County, often practicing wherever space was available. Prime hours were rare, and schedules constantly changed.
Zhingri promised himself that one day the academy would have its own facility.
After years of searching throughout Peekskill and neighboring communities — including one abandoned project — he found the building that would become Westchester Sports Arena at 1 Highland Industrial Park.
Together with his brother and brother-in-law, he transformed industrial space adjacent to 2nd Nature Skate Park into a modern indoor soccer facility featuring two turf fields, a futsal court, offices, and a performance training area. The arena opened in March.
Today, the facility serves not only Westchester Elite Soccer but the broader community, hosting adult and youth leagues, birthday parties, rentals and many community events such as Panini sticker exchanges and FIFA World Cup watch parties.
“I want the community to come and enjoy what we have,” Zhingri said.
More than soccer
Ask Zhingri what Westchester Elite Soccer stands for, and he doesn’t begin by talking about victories or records. He talks about opportunity.
“Our mission is for every kid to have an opportunity to enjoy the game,” he said.
The academy welcomes complete beginners alongside competitive travel players. Families facing financial hardship are encouraged to reach out.
The youngest players — some as young as three — focus first on developing a love for the game before competition. Older beginners progress through developmental programs before moving into travel soccer.
Beyond technical skills, Zhingri emphasizes punctuality, respect, responsibility, teamwork and discipline. “I’m teaching them life values,” he said.
His commitment to giving back extends well beyond New York.
Zhingri is currently in Midawe, Tanzania, volunteering at Ikirwa School, an English-medium primary school in the village of Midawe, Tanzania, where he is working with children on soccer skills.
For him, soccer has always been about creating opportunities.
Still dreaming
Despite everything Westchester Elite Soccer has accomplished, Zhingri believes the academy is only getting started.
Among his biggest goals is expanding opportunities for girls by creating a pathway that could one day lead to a semi-professional women’s team in Westchester.
“Sometimes we overlook the girls and overlook the potential they have, but everyone deserves a chance,” he said.
Already, he has watched one of the academy’s girls teams transform from struggling against opponents to competing evenly with some of the area’s strongest clubs. Watching that growth only fuels his ambition.
He also hopes to expand the academy into higher-level leagues and continue creating pathways beyond youth soccer. Through a partnership with Independiente Westchester United, older players already have opportunities to continue competing after aging out of youth soccer.
Looking back, the 38-year-old coach says he no longer dwells on the hardships that shaped his life. Instead, he focuses on what soccer gave him: confidence, purpose, and the chance to change lives.
He doesn’t know exactly where Westchester Elite Soccer will be in 10 years. “I might be the biggest club in Westchester or I might disappear,” he said.
“But what I can tell you is that I won’t be in the same place.”
For the coach who started with four players and an impossible dream, standing still has never been an option.
