Fourteen-year-old freshman Abraham Gutierrez stepped into the Hare family’s Overland Park home, his bags in hand as his family got ready to leave. His mother Karina Jaime pulled him into a tight hug, smiling through the goodbye before making the five-hour drive back to Oklahoma. Letting him go was a sacrifice, but one made in support of his dream—now a reality as he plays for a Sporting KC Academy team, taking the next step toward becoming a professional soccer player.
“My heart was in pieces knowing that I was not going to be close to him anymore, that I was not going to receive his hugs every day when I got home,” Jaime said. “It is a very hard sacrifice as a mother to leave your children, especially at such a young age.”
Gutierrez is determined to play with the Sporting Kansas City Academy U-15 team after getting recruited. Though he understood the sacrifices required, he said he remains focused on the bigger picture—becoming a professional soccer player and creating a better life for his family.
“It takes sacrifices to get what you want in life,” Gutierrez said. “I know this is the right path for me.”
In September 2024, Gutierrez learned he was matched with the Hare family due to their previous experience hosting his older brother Daniel, who played with the Academy through high school. Already familiar with them, Abraham said the transition was much easier.
“It made it easier to adjust,” Gutierrez said. “I already knew them, so it felt comfortable right away.”
His host mother, Kelsea Hare, said welcoming Gutierrez into their home felt natural because of the bond they had already built with his family.
“We’ve known Abraham and his family for years, so when we heard he needed a place, it was an easy decision,” Kelsea said. “Having his older brother with us before just made it feel like family.”
Gutierrez quickly found his place in the Hare household. Senior Hayden Hare said it wasn’t long before Gutierrez felt like another sibling.
“He’s just like another little brother now,” Hayden said. “We joke around, play video games and do everything we’d normally do as a family. It doesn’t feel like we’re hosting him—it just feels like he’s part of us.”
The transition wasn’t just about settling into a new home and family; it also meant adjusting to life in a different state, a new school and an intense soccer schedule.
Gutierrez said his daily routine is packed. Mornings start early as he rides to school with Hayden and sophomore Shaylee Hare. After classes, he heads straight to training, where a Sporting KC-provided driver takes him to Swope Soccer Village for two-hour practices Monday through Thursday, with games on Saturdays.
When Gutierrez and Shaylee get home after their walk from school, he said he does homework and then eats a meal with protein and carbs.
“It’s a busy schedule, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Gutierrez said. “I know this is helping me get closer to my goals.”
While soccer takes up most of his time, maintaining a sense of normalcy was important to both the Gutierrez and Hare families. He said Sundays are a special day for all of them–church day.
“Abraham’s family wanted to make sure he’d still be able to go to church,” Kelsea said. “That was something we were happy to do. It’s part of his routine, and we wanted him to feel like nothing had to change.”
Having previously entrusted the Hare family with their older son, Jaime said she respects and appreciates them.
“The Hare family has been a great blessing for us. They are a wonderful family with good values, and they have always been transparent and honest with us,” Jaime said.
For the Hares, being a host family is more than just opening their home, it’s about opening their hearts.
“These boys give up so much,” Kelsea said. “They leave their families, their hometowns, their friends. Our job is to make sure they have a home away from home. We want them to feel supported in every way.”
Gutierrez said while he misses his family every day, he’s grateful for the chance to pursue his dreams in an environment where he feels cared for.
“They push me to be better,” he said. “They look out for me, not just in soccer, but in life. It means everything.”
Jaime described her son as a determined and thoughtful young man who recognizes the sacrifices his family has made to support his dreams.
“Abraham is always thinking about us. He sees the sacrifices we make to support him and he has always told me that he will achieve his dreams for me so that I don’t [have] to work too much,” Jaime said. “But the greatest joy [is knowing] he is doing this to create a better future for himself and his future family.”
Gutierrez has been staying with the Hares since January and said he plans to live with them throughout high school while playing with the Academy.
“I’m here to do my dream, and I’m glad the Hare family was able to take me in and make me reach [it],” Gutierrez said. “It brings [me] joy knowing my family is proud of me, sacrificing myself and going through that pain of not having them with me physically. But [in] the end, all I want is to make them proud.”
For families interested in hosting Sporting KC Academy Players, visit their website for more information.
To learn more about the Sporting KC Academy team, read “Kickstarting dreams.”
