- Aims for Colombia’s second World Cup appearance.
- Talks about the importance of psychology in sports.
Santiago Alzate is only 31 years old, but he has already founded a beach soccer club that competes in the CONMEBOL Libertadores (Antioquia Beach Soccer) and has been instrumental in Colombia's growth, as they finished third in the last CONMEBOL Copa América Fútbol Playa™.
- How is Colombia preparing for this CONMEBOL Copa América Fútbol Playa™?
-We are a team aspiring to qualify for our second World Cup. Since the middle of last year, we resumed training cycles to start preparing for this Copa América, where we competed in the Liga Evolución Zona Norte in Peru. We played some friendly matches in Mexico and had several preparation cycles, focusing on ensuring that the players continue adapting to our playing style and tactical model.
Alzate, a graduate in Sports Training, became Colombia’s coach in 2019, and since then, the team has experienced tremendous growth: “When we started, we were ranked 30th in the world; we reached 11th place, and today we are 14th. Our goal is to be among the top 10, competing and winning titles. We want more. In the last two editions, we played for third place, but this time, our objective is to reach the Copa América final.”
- How did you get into beach soccer?
-Eleven years ago, in 2014, when I founded Antioquia Beach Soccer. I was in university and didn’t want to work in traditional football—I wanted a different path. I had watched beach soccer for years through televised tournaments. I became very interested, started researching what I needed to do to get into this world, and began reaching out to people from other countries—players, coaches—to learn from them. I played because I believed the best way to gain experience was to play while also coaching. That’s how everything started in this wonderful world of beach soccer.
- You played in Switzerland and the United States and coached in Portugal. What did you take from different parts of the world to apply to Colombia’s growth?
From the Europeans, I took a lot in terms of order, discipline, organization, and structuring things much better. Switzerland and Portugal were two great schools for my sports training and professional career. I met people who taught me a lot and had experiences that helped me grow, shape my character, and develop my personality. I also defined my coaching style. Then, we add the grit of South Americans and the creativity and ingenuity of Colombians. By combining these qualities, we can achieve great things. That’s what I’m trying to do now—maximize my players’ potential so they can become high-performance beach soccer athletes at the global level.
- On the psychological level, what role does it play in sports and your training?
I truly believe in psychology, mental work, and cognitive training. We dedicate a significant percentage of our efforts to this area. The psychologist who works with our youth categories sometimes joins us and gives talks. I consult with him about activities, and we design additional exercises when he is not available. Whenever we can, we hold discussions. Otherwise, we conduct socio-emotional activities with the players, both on and off the field. I try to motivate them through competitions, team games, motivation exercises, cooperation and opposition drills. These social and emotional activities help with group cohesion, focus, and concentration—key elements off the field that ultimately reflect in our performance. The result is a more united, solid group with greater confidence and security.
Colombia will have a bye on the first matchday and will debut in the CONMEBOL Copa América Fútbol Playa 2025™ on February 23 against Bolivia.
- What is your dream?
-I consider myself a person with big dreams. The first thing I wanted was to become Colombia’s coach. Then, I dreamed of reaching a World Cup, becoming the first coach to take Colombia to that level. Now, my dream is to win the Copa América and, one day, a World Cup. With my club, I want to win the Copa Libertadores.
