Night Tour of Volcan Masaya

One of those moments

The biggest reason I was drawn to FSF in the first place is because I love soccer. In my 15+ years playing, I have learned a ton, made many friends, felt some of the highest of highs and some of the lowest of lows. I love watching soccer, I love talking about soccer, I love playing soccer, I love all that soccer has afforded me in my life so far. 

But another part of the game that is somewhat new to me is the swelling of happiness, pride and giddyness (sorry-such a girly word, but it's exactly what I mean) that comes from watching someone else experience the joys of "the beautiful game" for the first time.  I was lucky enough to have one of those moments on Saturday at practice. Throughout the morning, we worked on passing and receiving with my team, the Estrella Seniors. One of my players, who is athletic and quick and pretty adept with her right, was struggling to effectively pass with her left. Was. 

During a particularly long water break, we began passing and I tried to talk through and help her feel the proper techniques of passing. A locked ankle, striking the middle of the ball etc. After several reps, she had already visibly improved. A few moments later, we began a 5v5 small sided game. Not only did I watch her place two give-and-go passes with her newfound left foot, but just moments later, she finished a ball into the side of the goal with a perfectly-timed left-footed slot. She bounded up to me for a high five, shouting "¡Aprendí, Aprendí! (I learned! I learned!)" I loved it. Her excitement was infectious, invigorating the whole group, coaches and made me smile ear to ear. 

I know how much I love, and will always love soccer. But seeing new joy of the game in another is something else entirely. I felt overjoyed for her and frankly somewhat touched. Soccer, particularly when it is shared, has potential like little else. It fosters countless positive things, but among those are ambition and hope. I think this is what it is all about. That moment I was lucky enough to experience...that is the whole point. 

The End of Another day

Béisbol

The Granada baseball team made it to the Nicaragua World Series and played a best-of-seven series against rival Chinandega last week. We caught three games in Granada and although Granada ultimately lost the series, it was a crazy and exciting experience. Particularly during the last game, the stadium was packed to capacity with Granada fans all sporting the Tiburones' red. A constant disharmony of whistles, conch shells, noise makers and screaming filled the air, only subsiding when it became clear that the Tiburones would lose. Vendors weaved in and out of the crowds selling fritos, quesillos (a wrap filled with Nica cheese, a few veggies, and cream-kind of nasty if you ask me), plantain chips, noise makers and probably 400 other things. 

All in all, the games were a lot of fun and provided for some quality time with the Nicaraguan coaches.

Flaca, Techo, Becca

Mastering the conch shell

 Yet amid all the mayhem, several kids crawl in and out of the throngs of people collecting and stomping on empty beer cans. One boy who couldn't have been more than 12 hung around our area for all three games. He sat silently and occasionally peered up at us. His eyes said more than any words could have. Big and deep brown, they at once looked pure and innocent as well as all-knowing, as if they had already seen too much. Meeting his gaze, I couldn't help but feel my stomach knot up. How could someone so young already be so sad? At his age, kids ought to be relishing in the joys of childhood, playing and forming friendships, eyes hopeful and happy. But instead this boy saw only the empty cans as a chance to get maybe 10 cords total (rough equivalent of 50 cents). Childhood should not be a luxury. No one should have to grow up so fast.  

Some thoughts

The past 10 days we've been starting to get into the swing of things, although it is still technically preseason. Twice a week activities in a addition to twice a week soccer playing are the norm. We've also been doing other developmental activities. Yesterday, for instance, we spent time in each of our teams planning and drawing up detailed practice plans, which was new and exciting for most of the coaches and the interns. I learned about and understood this way of practice planning from the NSCAA coaching course I took last summer, but trying to communicate this information in Spanish was a whole new challenge. After taking Spanish classes every morning for the past two weeks and interacting on a daily basis in Spanish, my language skills only feel ever, ever so slightly improved. I think it is going to be a matter of repetition for sure.

I am really excited to get started with regular programming where we can have a more consistent progression in both activities and soccer. We will also start to have games (we are joining a local boys league) and workshops every three weeks in which we will bring in local successful women. I am super excited that we are hoping to have a health focus in our workshops this season! I am interested in health initiatives and I am really excited we will be focusing on this with our girls. Health of mind, body and spirit are vital pieces of our greater mission.

La Libertad

Yesterday morning I was lucky enough to catch President Obama's Inaugural Address. When our shotty wifi at Tres Pisos failed us, we sprinted to one of our favorite little cafes, Euro Cafe, and huddled around a computer, glued to the screen. I have never been particularly politically minded and always felt I could pay better attention to current events, but being removed from the US while I watched and listened, I felt a complicated swelling of emotion.

I got goosebumps when Obama said: "We the people declare today that the most evident of truth that all of us are created equal -- is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls and Selma and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth." This last part was especially moving to me. I felt that Obama's references to freedom were the most touching part of his speech.

Throughout his oration I felt proud and patriotic, which I wouldn't say I am generally more than the average person. I also felt an overwhelming sense of good fortune that I am an American. My good fortune sentiments were tempered however with strange pangs of guilt and cloudy confusion. Only having been in Granada for three weeks, I am only very beginning to digest the situation here: the poverty, the lack of schooling opportunities, the few good jobs that are reserved for the wealthy and connected. I think my guilt and confusion were (and are) tied together. In many ways, simply because of where I was born, my life has and will have countless more opportunities than the people and specifically girls who live here. Why do I deserve a chance at a better life than anyone here? The truth is I don't. But the reasons for the realities of life here in Nica and the realities of life in the US are varied, complex, intertwined, long-standing and ever-changing. One of my goals for the coming months is to learn everything I can about the "why" in order to better understand a "how" for improvement. 
I know there is so much that the people of this country and of the world need, but Obama's reference to freedom is one that is particularly lacking here and in the world at large. Freedom of choices, freedom of religion, sexual freedom, political freedom, freedom of expression, and maybe most of all freedom to succeed are things all people deserve but very few possess. I'm not at all making a commentary on prescription to the American brand of democracy, but rather revealing my thoughts (however scattered) on what it means to have personal and real agency. I think every person on this earth is born with the right to be free and a right to dream.


Obama proclaimed "We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal not just in the eyes of God but also in our own."  How far we have to go, not just as Americans but as a global community, to make that dream a reality. 

Hello!!

Just about done with FSF January Camp! The week was busy and hectic and tons of fun. We spent our mornings playing soccer in the back part of Mulitestadio, a baseball complex. We also held a variety of activities for the girls in the afternoon and spent lots of good time, particularly eating, with the 11 volunteers. For the first time, I spent a lot of time both during soccer and activities with my team; the Estrellas Seniors who range from 12-16. Yesterday I had a pretty long conversation with one of my players, which was exciting especially given my terrible Spanish. Speaking slowly so I could understand, she told me a little about her family, what she wants to be when she grows up, her desire to learn English, and how much she loves FSF. This first connection felt special and very cool. It also served to further add fuel to the fire in terms of my desire to improve my Spanish.

This morning was especially fun. The last day of camp culminated in Las Olympias (the Olympics), which included a variety of competitions at different stations. I helped run the obstacle course. The girls seemed to have a blast and earned some fun prizes at the end including shorts and bracelets. And now  we have the afternoon off! It’s a beautiful day and we may pay 5 cords to go swim in a hotel pool nearby.

Yesterday evening we climbed up La Merced and got a great view of the city! I’m excited to explore beyond the 6 blocks between the field, Tres Pisos and the Calzada (a street where we have had several meals). Hopefully I can do some of that this weekend!

The view from atop La Merced of Granada and Mombacha 

That’s all for now!

Allie