World Cup Update #7: SCORES goes to Soweto!

Greetings from Johannesburg!

On my last day in South Africa, I got the chance to go with my sister to the first day of a Skillz Holiday Camp (Grassroot Soccer’s school break camp that combines soccer and life skills) in Soweto, Johannesburg.

Soweto has a long, conflicted history in South Africa and is one of the most visible symbols of how apartheid impacted–and how its legacy continues to shape–the country. The name is an acronym for the full designation of the area: South West Township. Though the site has a long history of housing black South Africans, it officially became Soweto in the 1960′s. You can find great histories of the region online, but the short summary is that the white-led government decided to create specific areas–located in less desirable places without resources or services–for black people to live. To do so, they evicted millions of people and forcibly removed them to places like Soweto. Both Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu lived in Soweto, and it was also the site of a massive uprising of young people in the 1976.

Today, Soweto is home to over one million people, and is a study in contrast. Some residents–the population is still overwhelmingly black–live in corrugated metal shacks, while others have built huge mansions. The emergence of a stable middle class and a small but powerful elite in Soweto is an indication of the strong community that has been built in this area. Dealt a horrible hand by their own country’s government, the residents of Soweto have had to develop their own services, institutions, and routines of daily life.

I hope that brief history can provide some context for my day in the community, which was one of my favorite parts of my trip! We arrived early to a primary school within site of the Orlando Pirates stadium (the hugely popular soccer team from Soweto) and started to get set-up. The camp runs for 5 days a week from 9am-3pm, and the kids eat two meals, play soccer, and participate in activities that teach about HIV/AIDS. The coaches are all members of the Soweto community, and they serve as powerful role models for the young people involved in the program.

The highlight of the day was helping run soccer activities in the morning as kids arrived. We were out on the blacktop, with 10 cones and 4 balls (one with a hole in it!) for about 50 kids. Here at SCORES we love soccer in whatever form it comes–especially when it takes extra effort to think about how you’re going to keep every kid engaged and active! My sister and I ran dribbling and passing activities, with some heading and chest passes (the chest pass is popular since all the pro players have been using it here in the World Cup) thrown in for good measure. Dressed in my SCORES shirt, I was so proud to be running and playing around with kids who love soccer so much. It’s winter here in South Africa, so we were all a little chilly, but nothing could dampen our spirits! We finished with a lot of high fives and thumbs up, the universal symbols of a job well done:)

Then it was time for the HIV/AIDS education part of the day. We went through activities that challenged the kids to work as a team, break-down the myths of HIV, and hear from their coaches about how the virus impacts families, schools, and communities. It was inspiring to sit amongst these young people–many of whom, in a country where almost 30% of the population is HIV-positive, have first-hand experiences with the disease–while they shared their opinions, learned more facts about how to be safe and healthy, and bonded as a team. I felt humbled and honored to be welcomed as a guest into this very special place.

By the end of the day, I couldn’t have imagined leaving South Africa without visiting Soweto. I love soccer and could watch elite-level games forever. At the end of the day, though, for me it’s all about practicing Messi’s latest move with a few kids on the blacktop with a busted soccer ball, or celebrating with a team after their brilliant goal–scored not into the net of a stadium, but instead through the cones of their schoolyard.

And that’s what we do here at SCORES. We celebrate that there are people doing the same work around the world, just as we celebrate the World Cup in all its glory. We cheer on the children we get to work with who start out loving soccer and end up being poets, leaders, scholars, and all of the other amazing things that we see our students do.

We do what we do for them. I hope you will join us.

Best,

Caitlin

PS Sorry about the lack of pictures…I was so engrossed in camp that I forgot to take out my camera!

World Cup Update #6: Last Game in South Africa

Hello!

My time here at the World Cup is coming to an end, but before I head home, I wanted to tell you about the last live game I attended.

After the US-Ghana game, we headed (dejectedly, to be totally honest) back to Pretoria, the judicial capitol of South Africa, where we stayed with friends. The next morning, still feeling bummed about the game but starting to rebound, we drove to Bloemfontein to see the Germany-England second round game. It’s totally crazy that this match-up was happening in the Round of 16…in the past, these teams would have met in a semifinal or championship game! They both have such amazing soccer cultures, and their supporters ranked as some of the most experienced, passionate, and talented (at least vocally) that I met throughout the tournament. The English fans draped the tiers of the stadium in flags and sang nearly nonstop throughout the whole game, and the Germans cheered and blew vuvuzelas for 90 minutes…no joke.

Fans at the Germany-England game

Both teams looked good, but the Germans ended up running away with things. I’m not here to question reffing decisions, though I do think it would have been a different game if England’s 2nd goal in the first half had been counted (I was sitting behind the goal on that side, and it certainly looked like it crossed the line to me!). The Germans were SO excited and I think will be very competitive in their quarterfinal game. The English went home very disappointed, and I know that the media back in England are having a field day analyzing team’s results.

Watching these two teams of professionals play, through the highs and lows of scoring, questionable ref decisions, and an uneven final result, reminded me of the time I spend with our SCORES kids here in the States, albeit at a completely different level. All players have to deal with games that don’t go their way, with officials who see things differently, and with final scores that may be difficult to stomach. We spend a lot of time helping our young people identify ways to use soccer as a outlet, and to turn all of the different parts of the game into learning experiences. Learning how to lose with grace, though hard, is essential to success in life, and it was gratifying to see how a group of elite athletes could do this in an incredibly disappointing situation.

Now that all of the Round of 16 games are over, I think that the quarterfinals are going to be absolutely amazing. The teams left in the tournament are brilliant, to say the least.

Pregame festivities at the England-Germany game

I hope you’ll be able to join your local SCORES sites for the last two weeks of the tournament!

Best,

Caitlin

World Cup Update #5: Where to begin?

Hi!

Wow, sorry for the delay in posts! Basically, as my travel and live game attendance increased, my access to internet (and opportunity to sleep!) decreased significantly. It’s been an amazing few days, so hopefully I can sum it all up for you here.

On Friday afternoon, my sister and I went to see Portugal and Brazil play in Durban. Durban is an awesome city, with a vibrant Indian population, great food, wonderful beaches, and a beautiful stadium (if you’ve been watching on TV, it’s the one with the huge arch running above the playing field). Two other fun facts about Durban are that Ghandi worked there as a lawyer for many years, and that the little man in the walk signs at downtown intersections actually walks when it turns green (yes, I thought that was cool!).

The dramatic Durban Stadium

The game between Portugal and Brazil was relatively low-key on the field, given that both teams were already assured spots in the next round. However, the fans were amazing once again! The entire stadium was blanketed in green/red and yellow fans, all yelling in Portuguese (just like the US/England game, this one had some special significance!), waving the flags of their countries, and blowing their vuvuzelas. Cristiano Ronaldo is a wonderfully dynamic player, and the Brazilian players are highly skilled and created some great chances.

Brazilian fans unfurl a huge team jersey during their National Anthem!

Immediately following the game, our epic trip to Rustenburg began! It was time to cheer on the USA:) We traveled by mini-bus with some other US fans, and spent the day analyzing the team’s chances, buying facepaint and other accessories, and generally getting pumped.

As we walked into the Rustenburg stadium (did you know that 70% of the world’s platinum comes from Rustenburg?) it was amazing to see how many Americans and Ghanaians had traveled to cheer on their teams. People were decked out in the colors of the two countries, and when the teams came out for warm-ups they both made sure to acknowledge the fans with waves and applause.

Cheering for Team USA!

Thus far in this World Cup, I’ve always had a team to root for when we’ve watched games (I usually root for the underdog, just because I’d love to see a country win that has never done so before!). However, nothing compares to watching the USA team walk onto the field, hearing our national anthem, and cheering on players who grew up playing soccer on some of the same fields that I did. My sister and I were fully dressed in face paint, flags, and other red/white/blue clothing (I was wearing my SCORES shirt!), and we nearly lost our voices cheering.

Well, by now we’ve all seen the game, and it wasn’t the result any US fans were looking for. It was disappointing to see the US go out of the tournament, but I wouldn’t have traded the experience of being there for anything. If they were going to lose to any team, I would hope the US would lose to Ghana, who is the only remaining African team in the World Cup. At the end of the game, one of the Ghanaian players took a lap of the stadium holding a South African flag, which was super classy and an indication of how Ghana sees itself as representing the continent during the rest of the tournament. That’s the kind of sportsmanship that seems to happen all of the time here at the World Cup!

More to come on my last few days in SA soon!

Happy viewing…I can’t believe it’s already time for the quarterfinals!

Caitlin

World Cup Update #4: Going to the USA game!

This is going to be a quick one, but just wanted to let you all know that I’ve managed to get my hands on tickets to the USA-Ghana 2nd round game tomorrow night in Rustenburg! I am SO excited:) And now I’ll have lots to blog post-game, so check back later this weekend for a full report.

Here’s my current schedule:

Today – Brazil vs. Portugal

Tomorrow – USA vs. Ghana

Sunday – Germany vs. England

GO USA!!

World Cup Update #3: The excitement continues…

The past two days have been my favorites so far during my World Cup adventure…never before have I felt so connected to the worldwide soccer community!

On Tuesday I woke up to the sound of vuvuzelas, which was understandable because it was the day of the South Africa-France group match! The entire country was outfitted in the green and gold of Bafana Bafana, with seemingly everyone ready to cheer on their team. I had the great honor of attending the game with a group of students in the Grassroot Soccer program from Richmond, Northern Cape, where my sister has worked and lived all year. Standing next to these young people while they belted out the South African national anthem (which has lines in 4 different languages!) before the game was awe-inspiring. They come from a community with a population that is less than half that of the capacity of the Bloemfontein stadium; poverty and the challenges of HIV/AIDS are part of daily life. For them, the chance to watch their country—a place that has come so far in the last two decades, and still faces a hard road ahead—was something that I know they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.

South Africa was on the brink of elimination, and they played an outstanding game. Both of their two goals were followed by massive celebrations around the stadium in Bloem. My kids were beside themselves, hugging each other and blasting their vuvuzelas. Unfortunately, with the result of the other group game, South Africa did not advance to the next round. For the South Africans in the stadium, though, you wouldn’t have known. Their support of their team was unconditional. I was inspired by the game and the support that Bafana Bafana received from their country. It once again proved that sports and teams can become common ground for people who otherwise have little in common, and unity is something that South Africa is still building after years of apartheid.

Right after the South Africa game, my sister and I traveled to Durban, which is on the Indian Ocean on South Africa’s East Coast (add another ocean and a few hundred kilometers to my list!). After days of cold weather, it was great to arrive in Durban’s balmy and humid climate on Wednesday morning!

Our goal for the day was to get to the Fan Fest to watch the USA-Algeria game. Once again, FIFA came through with a great location for the public viewing area: the screen was set up on the beach! Thus, feet in the sand, we settled in beside a huge group of Americans for the action.

And what a game it was! Seriously, the US had so many chances and kept it exciting until the very end. I have to admit that the atmosphere was pretty tense as the minutes ticked down, but then when Landon Donovan scored in injury time the place went CRAZY! There were Americans everywhere, jumping up and down, cheering, and celebrating—it was so special to be able to share the excitement, even though we were thousands of miles away from the US. With the win, the US advances to the next round, where they will meet the 2^nd place finisher of Group D. I’m excited to keep following them as they continue their success in this World Cup.

As I write this, I’m watching the Germany-Ghana game which will determine the final standings of Group D (not sure if you’ve heard this, but this game is the first in which brothers have faced each other in a World Cup game—one on Germany and one on Ghana, both starters!). We have tickets to the Brazil-Portugal game here in Durban on Friday, and then we’ll see England and one of the Group D teams in the Round of 16 on Sunday back in Bloem.

I hope that you are all enjoying the games back in the US, and that you’re celebrating this amazing tournament with America SCORES! As I watch all of this soccer, I feel so lucky to work for an organization like SCORES that introduces kids to such an amazing sport.

Happy viewing, and good luck to the USA in their 2^nd round game!

-Caitlin

World Cup Update #2: 24-7 Soccer (with a few other adventures thrown in)!

Hi! Sorry for the delay between posts…it’s been an amazing few days and I haven’t had a chance to sit down at the computer until now. The last few group round matches are happening this week, so it’s an exciting time here in South Africa!

Since I last posted, I’ve watched an average of 2-3 soccer games per day on TV, with another live match thrown in. I’ve also traveled over 3,500 kilometers by bus, seen the Atlantic Ocean, cheered on Team USA until my voice was gone, and met countless people from around the world. Here’s a little summary of what’s going on!

My 2^nd live match was at the stadium in Bloemfontein again, where we saw Greece play Nigeria. Both teams had great fans in attendance, and we were seated near the Greeks (think a lot of blue and white clothing and cheers of “HELLAS!”). It was another beautiful day in Bloem, marred only by a red card given out to one of the Nigerian players for kicking an opponent before a throw in. I’ve seen a lot of great sportsmanship here, but that can’t be included. It was unfortunate, because Nigeria was playing really well, but ended up losing by 1 goal.

Although they aren’t high in the world rankings, the South Africans are certainly one of the most high-profile teams here. As the hosts, there are a lot of expectations on the team to perform well, and it seems like the entire country walks around in gold and green “Bafana Bafana” jerseys with South African flags proudly displayed on their cars. They lost to Uruguay last week (with a VERY questionable red card given to their goalie at the end of the game) which hurt their chances of advancing, but I’m hopeful that they can still pull out a miracle. I’ll be there tomorrow in person to watch them play France in Bloem, and I can’t wait. The stadium is going to be packed with vuvuzela-blowing (that’s the super-loud plastic horn that everyone has here—you’ve probably heard the din if you’ve watched any games on TV), Bafana-supporting fans!

My sister and I also traveled to Cape Town, which ranks pretty high on my list of beautiful cities. With the ocean on one side and Table Mountain on the other, the scenery is stunning. We arrived just in time to watch the USA take on Slovenia (on TV), and, wow, what a game! The Americans definitely got themselves into quite a hole in the first half, but I was super impressed by the heart they showed to come back from behind. Landon Donovan’s goal almost took the Slovenian goalie’s head off, and really kick-started the comeback. As a USA fan, I personally thought they should have won, but…;) We’ll be in Durban to cheer them on as they take on Algeria later this week.

While we were in Cape Town we also went to the official FIFA Fan Fest, which was a free, outdoor festival with huge screens set up so that everyone could watch the games. It was located in the Grand Parade, an important historical location for South Africa—it was here that Nelson Mandela spoke to thousands of people after his release from prison (if you’ve seen the movie Invictus, you would recognize it). I loved the Fan Fest because it was another example of how passionate people are about their countries, and how excited they are to share those passions with others, even if they are opposing fans! You can’t go far here without seeing supporters wearing the most amazing outfits (flags, face paint, wigs, etc.) and posing for photos with other like-dressed people from other countries. The action on the field may be intense, but off the field it’s one big soccer party!

I hope that you are all enjoying the tournament back in the States—I know that there are lots of SCORES events going on, and don’t forget about our Best Buy @15 campaign as well. It’s such a great time to celebrate soccer and the opportunities that all kids get to play the game, and I hope you’ll get on board with Team SCORES as you cheer on the best players in the world.

Happy viewing!

-Caitlin

World Cup Update: Have awesome fan outfit, will travel!

Unfortunately, this blog title doesn’t refer to me…I decided not to travel in my orange wig, Holland jersey, and white linen trousers, with a Netherlands flag tied around my neck. HOWEVER, it is how most of the people in my section were dressed on my flight from Amsterdam to Johannesburg. One even had a bullhorn that alternated between playing the Dutch national anthem and broadcasting his (loud) voice to lead team cheers. It was awesome!

But before we get into the great fans I’ve met so far, let’s start at the beginning.

Before jetting out, I caught the first half of the US-England game at South Street Seaport in NYC. It was packed with supporters of both teams, and a great place to watch!

Then, bags in tow, I set off to Amsterdam, where I was lucky enough to meet up with a huge group of Dutch fans headed down to see their beloved team play Denmark the next day. I’ll have pictures in a few days of their amazing outfits, but for now, think lots and lots of orange. Everywhere. The Dutch love their footballers, and they definitely got me in the World Cup spirit.

After a quick night in Johannesburg, I was off to Bloemfontein, where I was to see Cameroon take on Japan. And the Japanese fans were not going to be outdone by the Dutch! They too were sporting wigs, flags, hats, facepaint, and the like.

Bloemfontein–known as the City of Roses–is the capital of the Free State in South Africa and its soccer stadium holds approximately 45,000 people. Before the game, the Japanese and Cameroonian fans celebrated outside. My favorite sight was watching groups of fans from the 2 countries come together to take photos and wish each other luck. Just one example of how soccer really is bringing the world together!

I got to attend the game with my sister and some of the young people from her program, Grassroot Soccer. They do HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention here in South Africa (and beyond) using soccer, and it was great to see her and get to meet some of her co-workers and kids. They were SO excited to see the match!

Our seats were right behind the goal, which was amazing! Seriously, we couldn’t have asked for a better spot. It was a hard fought game, and the stadium was full of vuvuzelas (the famous South African plastic horn), dances, and flags. Both teams looked sharp (the Cameroonian right back was my player of the match for his ability to play defense and join in the attack), but Japan struck first and scored the game’s only goal. We really thought Cameroon was going to get one at the end, but no such luck.

As we walked through the parking lot to get to our bus, the Grassroot Soccer kids got a chance to meet and get their picture taken with some Japanese fans, and–just like that–we had an instant cultural exchange. For me, that’s what makes the World Cup more than just a sporting event: it’s a time when everyone gets to come together and share their love of the sport with new people. It was a sight to remember!

Today, we’re hanging out in my sister’s house in the Northern Cape Province, and it is cold. Like snow-on-the-ground, snowman-outside-the-supermarket cold. So quite a change from summery New York!

I’ll be checking in after our next game, which is Greece-Nigeria on Thursday. Until then, don’t forget to check out all of the awesome SCORES events going on around the country, and check out our Best Buy @15 campaign as well!

Happy Viewing,

Caitlin

http://americascoresworldcup.wordpress.com

Welcome! Caitlin's first World Cup post

Each day around the country, thousands of America SCORES poet-athletes lace up their shoes and take the field to play soccer. And while they may not know it, they are part of an international phenomenon: across the globe, hundreds of millions of people play the game.

Every four years, all of these soccer players and fans come together to celebrate their sport at the World Cup, arguably the greatest team sporting event on earth. For over a month, teams representing their countries battle it out to see who is best, with plenty of drama, heroics, and bravery thrown in.

My name is Caitlin Barrett, and I am the National Soccer Director at America SCORES. We’ve decided to commemorate the 2010 World Cup in style here at SCORES, and this site will be your ultimate destination for all related information. In addition to news about local viewing parties and fundraising events, I’ll also be blogging live from the tournament for two weeks in June.

My blog won’t just cover all of the nuts and bolts of the soccer side of things. During my time abroad, I’ll also be looking at the social aspects of the tournament: How is soccer bringing people together? What is South Africa doing to welcome the world? Who amongst the world’s greatest players is demonstrating the SCORES values of teamwork, leadership, and commitment?

We’re so excited to celebrate this event with you, and we hope you’ll come along for the ride with us. Keep checking back for more news and information as the tournament progresses.

Happy Viewing!

http://americascoresworldcup.wordpress.com

Introducing: The America SCORES World Cup Blog!

Our National Soccer Director and New York Site Director Caitlin Barrett is heading to South Africa to see the World Cup. While she’s there, she will be blogging at: http://americascoresworldcup.wordpress.com

We will also share her thoughts here.

What you will find on the blog:

• Posts from Caitlin's experience in South Africa
• World Cup activities for kids
• Parent activities- teach kids health lessons through soccer
• Posts from America SCORES Staff across the country on ways to engage with the World Cup
• Links to other information on the World Cup, Soccer, Literacy, and Health
• Information on World Cup events and viewing parties across the country

We'll be posting through the entire World Cup, so keep checking back for updates!

America SCORES Shortlisted for the Beyond Sport Awards!

Beyond Sport is a global organization that promotes, develops and funds the use of sports to create positive social change across the world. Each year, they invite all sports-based organizations to apply for various community awards. In April, the National Office applied for the Beyond Sport UNICEF Sport for Education Award. This week, we received news that America SCORES is among three global organizations, and is the only US nonprofit, shortlisted for this award category.

Shortlisted entries receive:
• A free invitation to the Beyond Sport Summit on September 27-30 in Chicago
• Flights to and accommodation during the Summit
• Access to Beyond Sport's global network of international sports organizations, company leaders, and influential political figures
• Opportunities for business mentoring and to become members of the most influential group of social entrepreneurs ever assembled around sport


The winners of the six Beyond Sport Community Awards will be announced during the Summit, will receive a minimum of £10,000 (~$14,700) funding each. They will also receive a package of substantial business support to enable them to move forward and become fully sustainable in the future.

For the full press release and list of shortlisted organizations, click here.