Throughout the time we have spent in Swaziland, in the afternoons Hanna and I have been spen
ding time with the boys who are 16 years old and younger. We’ve been out on the soccer field teaching them how to play the game. It is every young boy’s dream to rise up and one day become a successful professional soccer player, which would give them an opportunity to escape the poverty they now live in. Since some of them have no one to go home to, it’s also great to see them making friends and interacting together out on the field. Plus, it keeps them away from the trouble that many Swazi men find themselves in with alcohol.
In reality, I spent just about all my time on the field playing with the kids. I knew very little about soccer, so it was fun learning with them how to play the game. On average, we had 25 boys in attendance, and it was fun to run the drills and do stretches with them. They all quickly learned my name, and although it was difficult to learn all theirs (they use some clicking noises in their language that I am still trying to figure out), I know I became friends with many of them.
Hanna and I (she did all the work, I just played around) were preparing them for a tournament which was held the last Saturday we were here. The boys and I learned how to pass and dribble, how to run and shoot the ball. We also learned to take our defensive stances when a challenger was coming our way. Some of the boys have learned some english in school, and that allowed some communicati
on while we were training together. They always show up with questions to ask about America or what my thoughts are on Swaziland. No conversation is complete without a mention of the singer Beyonce.
The tournament took place on August 22, where our boys, who were split into two teams, faced off against two other teams from different churches in the area. The youngest boys played first, and even though the excitement would sometimes lead them away from their positions, they played very well. The only goal scored against them was a penalty kick at the very end of the game. They won, 2-1. The older kids played next, in an equally exciting game. Many of them show a lot of skill and in a few years will be ready for Pastor Gift’s traveling team. They worked well together and won their game 2-1 as well. A final game was played with a mix of players from both teams. If you ask me, this team played against some of the very best, and really held their own. Although they lost, 0-1, they know they played well and that we were really proud of them!
After the games were over, while waiting for the bus to come, a group of boys called me over and we just talked for a time. They shared how much fun they’d had and how great of a job Coach Hanna did. They were sad to find out that we would be leaving in a few days, and made it very clear that we would be missed. The way they talked about Christ gives me so much hope that this generation will accomplish great things. It breaks my heart that I will probably never see any of these boys again, but I will be praying that I will some day hear of their successes, either on the field or off.
