On Sunday we returned to the same town that we visited on Thursday, but this time prepared. Armed with Lunch, enough kit to dress a small army and four different sessions to prepare for.
We were on it!
We arrived and trained the younger boys first. We completed dribbling skills at the start of training and then put them into little chaos practices; small sides games. The boys are first class, again some talent that would fit right into any academy system. Gabrielle was the best player for me, so we kitted him out fully, shorts, shoes and a pair of Adidas boots. I saw him later that day and asked where his boots were, he said they were at home, and already cleaned! What a legend!
We had close to 30 players in the first group so we split the group in two, taking the younger players into the shade to hand out lunch, simply a carton of milk and 3 slices of bread. After lunch we handed out kit, and were lucky enough to have extra lunch and kit to hand out to the young, non soccer players who were at the pitch.
On Thursday I met 3 little boys who were hilarious, playing, giggling, running around, they couldn’t have been any older than four. I saw one of them again, the cutest little man you could meet. 
On Thursday he was in tattered clothes, ripped bottoms shaggy shirt. Luckily I was able to kit him out, and he joined in lunch with the boys!! 
From that point on the wee man wouldn’t leave my side 🙂
Later that day we trained a high school age group of boys. The tempo of the session was okay, but not high. I have learned to consider several things for this. Immediately you consider the heat, it was roasting. You then consider that the players are a little nervous when working with a new coach, and obviously there is a language barrier, but perhaps the biggest element to consider is who knows when these boys had eaten last or drank water. As soon as we bought bottled water, the players come around asking for it. It’s a factor you do not have to consider in the western world, you often have to consider if the players ate correctly (did they eat too much?) and at the appropriate time, you certainly don’t need to worry about if they ate at all. Another thing to consider would be equipment, some bare footed, some wearing just one shoe, the toes kicked all the way through, so you can see their socks, that’s if they are lucky enough to have a pair. Through it all though, they players smile, they are attentive and really try to apply what you are showing them.
In all honesty, in the western world, what do we really have to complain about?
The final session was with a group of young ladies from the village. It was a very talented group with some top players who were again on a different level. I think the important thing to consider is that football is all they really have outside of going to school. Their town is simply in existence because of the flower farm, their homes are right next to the farm, from the pitch you can see workers picking weeds. My point is that football is their only outlet and chance to play, there are no play stations, xboxes, touch screen phones, at its simplest form it is just school and football, so it’s no wonder these players are so good, they are always playing.
My feelings leaving the town today are in complete contrast to leaving on Thursday, firstly I knew what to expect and secondly we came prepared. When we arrived some guys from the town were cutting the grass with long blades, they were trying to improve the pitch for the children, again the community working for each other. We then coached over 80 players that day, coached, fed and clothed as many children as we could. Leaving knowing that we were able to do that for the children, made this day, a fantastic day!! Roll on tomorrow 🙂
Side note: Oh on the way home we saw baboons crossing the road. It’s not every day you can say that.
footybriggsy 