Inter-American Women's Soccer Exchange

http://espn.go.com/espnw/athletes-life/9027846/espnw-soccer-borders-empowers-youth-nicaragua

My blog about the Exchange got published in ESPNw!!! Feeling so very lucky and blessed to be able to share my love of sport with young girls around the world.

Soccer Without Borders empowers youth

Mar 7, 2013 5:10 PM ET | By Ellery GouldBowdoin College '12

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Courtesy of Soccer Without BordersFormer college soccer players and coaches took part in a volunteer effort through Soccer Without Borders to give the girls of Nicaragua the opportunity to play soccer.

Soccer Without Borders began an Inter-American Women's Soccer Exchange in partnership with the U.S. Embassy of Managua and FENIFUT on Feb. 24. The Exchange brings together a 16-member team of recently graduated U.S. women's NCAA soccer players with the growing girls' and women's soccer community of Nicaragua.

I gathered a group of 60 girls from their primary school classrooms in Diriamba, Nicaragua, and led the line of aspiring athletes down the street. We were headed to the national stadium to take part in a skills clinic aimed solely at girls, led by Soccer Without Borders. As I walked with them, I was overcome with feelings of pride and excitement that I was about to share my love of the beautiful game of soccer with these young women.

In that moment I realized that, in some capacity, my fellow volunteers and I were giving these underprivileged girls a similar chance to the one we were given at that same age. My fellow volunteers and I were all former collegiate soccer players, having enjoyed some of the perks of the game at a high level.

Now, however, we seemed to return to the root of our passion for soccer: being part of a team. The opportunity to be part of a team with peers proved to be one of the most invaluable experiences of my life, one which I was eager to share. The enthusiasm, nervousness and sheer joy traveled palpably down the line of girls. I could feel the anxious anticipation of what the sport of soccer might mean to the girls that day and every day after that.

[+] EnlargeCourtesy of Soccer Without BordersFemale athletics have seen a slow growth in Nicaragua compared to their male counterparts.

What made the moment even more special was my understanding that in Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, female athletics have experienced a very slow growth in comparison to their male counterparts. Participation remains low and playing options are few and far between due to economic and cultural barriers. This was the first trip to Nicaragua for our team of former NCAA players, and we saw firsthand the harsh realities the locals face each day. From pollution, to a lack of clean water, to underemployment, each day is a challenge.

Despite all the complications surrounding the overall living conditions and minimal support of female sports in this region, more than 140 animated girls showed up that day sporting their school uniforms of long navy blue polyester skirts, knee-high socks and black leather shoes. While coaching the athletes that day, it became clear that no lack of equipment, societal or economic limitations were going to stop the young women from enjoying and playing the beautiful game with their friends.

Over the course of the week, it became apparent that soccer and the life lessons that go along with the sport, such as confidence, commitment and teamwork, were what immediately bonded all of us together. Our volunteer group included 16 former NCAA soccer players and four coaches, brought together from all different backgrounds, playing experiences and regions of the United States to work as a team to spread our appreciation and respect for "fútbol femenino."

We all shared the same comprehension that the sport teaches transferable everyday skills, but we recognized that it is also so much more than that. It provides a safe space to have fun, grow as an individual and create lasting friendships. We hoped to instill this aspect of sport in the girls of Nicaragua, realizing that a lot of the splendor of soccer does not come from remembering every single win or loss, but from laughing about the wild locker room dance party with your teammates before the game and the silly cheers at halftime.

Later in the week, after a hard-fought 1-1 game between our team and the Nicaraguan national team in the Managua national stadium, we held a question and answer segment for the local girls and players.

One moment that stood was when one of the young girls asked, "How does it feel to represent your team and what did you have to do to make the team?" One of the players on the Nicaraguan national team spoke up and expressed that the honor to play for your country is a very achievable goal but to reach that aspiration you have to overcome many obstacles in life with hard work, perseverance and determination.

The goal of our tour through Nicaragua was to encourage more girls to get involved in sports and get excited about being part of something larger than they are. The game at the national stadium, the meet and greet with the teams, and the bus ride home after further affirmed our hopes for female athletics and absolutely displayed the power of the beautiful game.

On the journey back, we celebrated the game with all of our Soccer Without Borders' participants from Granada by dancing and singing, much like many of you reading this were lucky to experience on your high school and college teams. This was certainly a moment the Nicaraguan girls will remember about their fútbol careers and lasting memories we hope every girl worldwide will have the opportunity to share and benefit from just like we all did.

For more information on Soccer Without Borders, click here.

Dale - Let's Go!

Yesterday a mix of Fútbol sin Fronteras girls showed up for my fitness and technical session that we have been trying to implement during my short stay here.   Since my clinics are optional for the group of 100 girls, I wasn’t expecting all that many to attend.  But sure enough, about 25 eager girls ages 9-20 showed up and were ready to work hard and improve.  We started with stations, which involved agility ladders, body weight strength training, and sprints. Although these types of exercises are somewhat unfamiliar to the girls, many caught on quickly and quite enthusiastically.  It was exciting to see the girls putting so much effort into their squats, scissor jumps, lunges, and even push-ups! After the strength and conditioning segment,  I led them in a technical session. We worked on ball movements, or coevers, such as ball touches, triangles and juggling.  We made it into a fun competition to see who could get the most in 30 seconds, which the girls seemed to enjoy and it was thrilling to see the girl’s competitive sides emerge. 

A few of the girls working hard with fitness stations! 

After an intense hour of drills and exercises a male coach came up to us and asked us if we were ready to play his boys.  Unaware of any scheduled game, we had no idea what he was talking about (there was apparently a miscommunication on scheduling it).  But our girls were intrigued and rose to the challenge.  We ended up having enough girls to field a team and take on the team of young boys from Pruica, a town 30 minutes away. Before we knew it, the field was set up with makeshift goals and the game was underway. 

The group before the impromptu game! 

This was one of the most exciting moments with FSF so far for me. After working the girls very hard in my fitness session, they prevailed and came out with a 2-1 win.  I must admit, I played with my team and got a little competitive and might have scored... ;) But I was so proud of our squad  and with our result.  Despite the roughness of the boys, our girls stayed strong and classy and it was so inspiring to be a part of it.  Our youngest girl on the field, Alejandra, was truly inspiring. She got knocked down multiple times and was clearly smaller than everyone else, but she continued to get up and continued to fight.  I was very impressed with her determination and strength.

Action shot! 

It is exciting to see how the girls' work ethic in my sessions and what they learn in each practice can translate to the field and to our success.  We have 2 more games this weekend with the Veteranas and one practice today to prepare.  Win or lose, I am glad to be a part of the progress and development of the girls as players and people.  Dale Fútbol Sin Fronteras!!! 

Aventuras en Granada

I am currently sitting in "Café de los Sueños", on La Calzada which is the main street in Granada where we have eaten many delicious Nica meals. It is 8:30 pm at night, but it is still 86 degrees, and needless to say I am still sweating.  In fact, I don’t think I have stopped sweating since I arrived which was one week ago today… 

A view from La Calzada of one of the many cute restaurants/cafés

On January 24th, after a long day of traveling,  I was picked up by my best friend Kelly and a new friend Allie from the Managua Airport and we rode in the back of a pick-up truck to our casa in Granada; something one would never consider doing from Logan Airport to Sandwich. Right away, I thought, 'I am going to like this laid-back, care-free Nica lifestyle...'   After an hour of  catching up on our lives with the warm breeze hitting our faces, we arrived to our "casa".  Our apartment is called Tres Pisos ("three floors") because it is the tallest building on our street.  Tres Pisos is literally it's address because there are no street numbers here- just descriptions of the house or where on the street it is located.  It used to be a hostel, but is now home to the Soccer Without Borders office and our bedrooms, as well as other critters...  During my grand tour, we confronted our first little amigos... a few cockroaches on my bathroom floor.  But it wasn't a big deal for Kelly because she has been here since July and is an expert with getting rid of the critters.  She simply just stepped on las cucarachas without fear and that was the end of that- that's what friends are for, right?  We have also had mice and rats and who knows what else accompanying us in Tres... 

Me, Kelly and Allie on a tour of Granada- at the fortress

The past week has been full of friends, both new and old, new places, and new sights. I reunited with two great friends, Kelly Pope who is a year long intern here and Larkin Brown, the local director.  I also met for the first time Allie Horwitz who is a new year long intern who played goalie at Amherst.  There are two other year long interns; Maddie from Seattle and Becca from West Virginia.   There is a group of Nicaraguans on staff as well; 3 men and 3 women (Eden, Techo, César, Flaca, Helen & Hassell) all of whom have been extremely welcoming and eager to collaborate to improve this program.  It goes with out saying, it is a great group of new and old friends and we have already shared so many fun times together.  Our first bonding opportunity outside of the soccer field was attending the Nicaragua World Series together, which I must admit was unlike any game I had ever been to... including the Real Madrid Derby game. Constant whistles, unrelenting noise makers, jam packed stands – standing room only- and chaotic enthusiastic chanting, while vendors meandered through the crowd trying to sell the local grub.  The Granada Tiburones (Sharks) unfortunately lost in the end but it was fun to be a part of the excitement and share it with my new co-workers, who will likely be life-long friends. 

Beautiful Full Moon at the Baseball Game

I had my first two practices with the team this week that I will be coching for the next few weeks. I am taking the lead on organizing practice plans for the oldest team of SWB, "Las Veteranas".  They have been very receptive to the new drills I am teaching them, despite the inability to say everything I want to say in Spanish.   Teaching and coaching in Spanish is more challenging than I thought it would be, but I think we are all learning together.  After my first practice with them, I was completely covered in dirt which was a result of me taking a huge fall after tripping over a girl while scrimmaging, and the lack of any sort of vegetation on the field. It is the dry season is Nicaragua and there hasn't been rain for the past few months, so the field is essentially a dust bowl when we play... but that sure doesn't stop the girls!

Todos Pueden Jugar "Everyone Can Play" - the wall at our field 

Todo en todo, the week was filled with sunshine, adventures and new experiences.  With all of the friendly locals and tropical sights, it is hard to believe some of the sad things I have already seen.  Within the past week,  I have certainly been exposed to the many harsh realities of Nicaragua, which is the 2nd poorest country in the Western Hemisphere;   Trash thrown anywhere and everywhere on the streets and Lake Nicaragua, young children collecting beer cans for cords, girls without their own pair of cleats, and starving stray dogs wandering the streets.  It has already proved to be an eye-opening experience in my short time here and these realizations will undoubtedly continue both on the pitch and as I walk the streets of the community.  

Estamos Unidos

Happy February Followers! 

I have always loved February, but 2013 in particular will be especially memorable.  February marks the month of the Inter-America Exchange in Nica!! We are working hard here in Granada to prepare for this incredible tour to promote women's soccer throughout the country. Our local interns are visiting schools, organizing housing and creating clinics and practice plans. We are officailly all set to play the Nicaraguan National Team twice in their National stadiums in Managua and Diriamba (once on my birthday, February 26th!!! - awesome birthday gift) and we are scheduled to play the team that I am coaching now in Granada, "Las Veteranas", which is a group of young women ages 16-22... Better start working them hard!

Needless to say, I am beyond excited for this tour and am happy to be a part of the preparation in the weeks leading up to it.  Here is more about which female soccer players from the United States will be coming down. Also I just found out that my Bowdoin soccer coach, Maren Rojas will be assistant coaching us!! It is sure to be a birthday month I will never forget. 
http://www.soccerwithoutborders.org/exchange-granada

Futbol Sin Fronteras - The Beautiful Game Connecting the World

Adios New England,  Hola Nicaragua!

After an incredible experiencing playing soccer in Sweden, I will be heading to Central America on Thursday to continue to play soccer, but also to coach and be a part of an inspiring organization called Soccer Without Borders.  The mission of the organization, Soccer Without Borders' is to use soccer as a vehicle for positive change, providing under-served youth a toolkit to overcome obstacles to growth, inclusion and personal success.  http://www.soccerwithoutborders.org/

The beautiful game of soccer has been an integral part of my life and has shaped me into the person I am today and I hope to instill this same sense of power that soccer provides to me in the young girls and women across Nicaragua. I believe that soccer teaches valuable life lessons; it creates a strong foundation for individuals to develop self-confidence,  demonstrates how to use teamwork while facing challenges, and provides an important and necessary outlet in life.  I am truly looking forward to being a part of this group and sharing my love of soccer with the girls and women of Nicaragua. 

A little bit about what I will be doing... 

My main responsibility as the "soccer specialist" during these six weeks will be to develop the young girls and women as soccer players . There is a lot of potential in these female athletes and I am hoping to develop their fútbol skill, intelligence and passion.  Additionally, I will be reaching out to the community by encouraging new team members to join from the local schools, as this is one of the main ways the program has grown in past years. 

 

 

Another exciting part of my trip will be the Inter-America Exchange. With the support of the US Department of State and the US Embassy in Managua, Nicaragua, Soccer Without Borders has been selected to design and lead what is perhaps the most comprehensive effort by the US to support the growth of girls’ and women’s soccer in Nicaragua. To date, Nicaraguan girls’ participation in soccer remains underwhelming compared to their male peers, with economic and cultural barriers consistently thwarting strides made in the direction of a more supported National  Team, consistent playing opportunities, proper coaching and equipment, and space to play.  A group of NCAA recent graduates will be holding youth practices, coaching clinics throughout the country and we will be playing in showcase games against the top female teams, including the Nicaraguan National team.  I am so lucky to be a part of this important movement and am eager to meet and play with so many inspiring individuals.  

I have included a link to my fundraising page below which has more details on what I am raising money for and what the organization Soccer without Borders is all about.  If you choose to donate to my volunteer trip, the page is set up in a way that makes it easy.  As you know any and all of your support is genuinely appreciated!! 

Donations page: 

http://www.razoo.com/story/Support-Soccer-Without-Borders 

I am blessed to have such a great opportunity, but even more blessed for my great friends and family who have encouraged and supported my dreams and aspirations.  Mucho Amor!! <3 

Timing is everything and I must say... my timing "es perfecto"... to be traveling down south as New England has been experiencing single digit temperatures on Cape Cod! Helloooo 90 degree weather!!!