Cosmos midfielder, Juan Guerra, seeks to promote positive changes through his profession in his beloved Venezuela and in events within the New York Cosmos. 

"As athletes, we can reach a lot more people with greater ease and I think we should use those tools for positive things," said the midfielder.

During his playing days in Venezuela with first division team, Caracas FC, Guerra got involved with the United Nations as a spokesperson to promote peace and equality.  

"The UN has no borders, it surpasses and embraces cultures, languages and religions. It’s not defined within a frame or margin, it is very broad,” Guerra said, “Everything grows based  on mutual respect between people, religions and languages. Once you establish a mutual respect, you can create important things.”

Guerra and other Venezuelan athletes visited the most vulnerable and humble sectors of Caracas to promote peace, respect, leadership, discipline and equality through youth soccer.

Guerra expected to see unhappy children, but found the opposite.

"There were children who were happy with very little,” Guerra said. “That's what hit me the most, and what made me understand that sometimes it doesn’t take much to be happy."

Guerra likes to collaborate in other events to help those who need it the most and insists that one can always contribute without belonging a specific organization. 

"At the end of the day, every little bit counts as it can bring great change."

In 2016, Guerra formed part of the Tampa Bay Rowdies and met Vance, a childhood cancer patient. The special bond between the two led to Vance visiting the team facilities where he spent the day with the team.

Having spent 11 years living in Florida, Guerra is familiar with the hurricane season and the destruction that the natural phenomena can generate. This season, the NY Cosmos showed their Solidarity with NASL rival, Puerto Rico FC. The island suffered severe wreckage due to Hurricane Maria in recent weeks, forcing the NASL team to postpone and reschedule their home matches. 

"At the end of the day, we all play in the same league, we are a big family. We’re rivals on the field, but outside of it we must support ourselves," said Guerra. 

For now, Guerra continues to contribute through messages and participation in events when time permits it. 

Juan Guerra signed with the New York Cosmos in January 2017. The midfielder has started 23 of 26 games during the Regular Season and has five goals and an assist to his name. 

The New York Cosmos will be donating 50% of all ticket sales to the Carmelo Anthony Puerto Rico Relief Fund for the remainder of the 2017 NASL Season. For more information, click here.