For February's Feature of the Month, we take a trip from Granada, Nicaragua to Santa Ana, El Salvador with Humberto "Chepe" Largaespada. Chepe, just 18 years old, is one of the youth coaches at the SWB girls program in Granada, Nicaragua. Over the last three years, he has grown tremendously as a coach and as a leader. In order to encourage his development, we invited him to come and teach/learn at the annual Campamento in Santa Ana, El Salvador. The trip marked Chepe's first time leaving Nicaragua. Below, Chepe comments on his experience on his journey and his time in El Salvador:

"The day before my trip to El Salvador I felt nervous because it was the first trip of my life. But I started to think about everything and I said to myself, if I don’t go today, I will never go, and some of the words I don’t like to say are 'never' and 'I cant'. When I arrived in El Salvador, I saw that everything was very different then in Nicaragua and I felt very nervous again the first night I spent there.

Soccer at campamento, 2010On the first day of camp, I became less afraid during the group meeting when the students and teachers introduced themselves and we played a bunch of fun games together. After that nervousness went away, I had a very good experience and I loved so many of the activities. The other people and campers were so friendly, humble  and nice. And the place, La Palma, was full of nature and when the wind hit the big trees it sounded like Lake Nicaragua where I live.  

When we started the camp, there were many classes each day. There was magic, mime, art, healthy minds and of course there was soccer. I really loved all the activities, and I got to coach the girls in soccer and help motivate them to see that they can also play. I met new friends at camp, and learned from them and they learned from me, it was a great exchange and I feel proud that I was able to go to camp and have this experience. I want to say thank you to Soccer Without Borders for bringing me to El Salvador and to all my friends at camp, I hope that I can go on more trips outside of Nicaragua in the future.

Sincerely,

- Chepe

Morning yoga class

Chepe with Luis, Ben and former US Mens National Team Star John Obrien who was on hand for the camp

Passing at the camp in 2008As much of the US enters the coldest part of winter, children and youth in Central America are just approaching the end of their longest school vacation and preparing to go back to school. But before they do, about 100 young people in Nicaragua and El Salvador will participate in campamentos (camps) in Nicargaua and El Salvador run by SWB and partner organizations. Camps provide a special time for concentrated learning, play and fun under the glaring sun. These camps create a special atmosphere, and for January's feature of the month, we take a look inside the campamentos in Nicaragua and El Salvador. 

Granada, Nicaragua: Third annual T.E.A.M. Camp for Girls

For the third year in a row, we will run the SWB T.E.A.M. girls soccer camp in the city of Granada, Nicaragua. With each year, more and more girls get involved, for many of them marking their first experience with organized sports. The camp offers two sessions loaded with teambuilding activities and opportunities for the girls to get to know each other on the field and off, as well as nightly training with our Nicaraguan coaching staff. For the camp this year, we have a special staff of 10 youth leaders from the Granada area as well as an amazing team of US volunteers, from current college students and college coaches to former US National Team members in Ann Cook and John O'Brien. The camp is also a celebration for the girls who participate in the SWB program year round, and on Sunday January 10th we will have a celebration of the 2009 year complete with pictures of the year, dancing and street soccer. 

Santa Ana, El Salvador: Campamento de los Angeles Descalzos

On the bus on the way to campamento, 2007Now in its fifth year, this camp is organized by Magicians Without Borders director Tom Verner and the staff of  ASAPROSAR's youth program, "Los Angeles Descalzos" (the barefoot angels). The camp provides 35 students ages 12-15 a chance to get away from their busy lives in the city of Santa Ana and allows them to get into nature for five days. While away, classes in yoga, art, theatre, magic, soccer and health are offered in a supportive atmosphere. For the past five years, SWB staff have organized the soccer component of camp and assisted with teaching the health class and arts activities. The youth in ASAPROSAR"S program look forward to the camp throughout the year and it is used as an incentive for completing homework, maintaining grades and following the programs rules. 

This year, representatives from SWB Guatemala (Luis Alberto Palacios) and SWB Nicaragua (Chepe Largaespada) will join the camp staff, providing a unique opportunity for them to travel outside of their communities and countries and learn about a new culture while also educating the youth at the camp. 

If you are looking for a great gift for a friend or family member who loves soccer this holiday season, look no further! We now have SWB T-shirts available through our online store. 100% of the profits from the T-shirts go directly into providing programming for underserved youth at our project sites. Please allow 10 business days for delivery, and feel free to contact us with any questions!

The SOCO Varsity Girls Soccer Team For November's feature of the month, we go to Catawissa, Pennsylvania to Southern Columbia (SOCO) High School, where the Varsity Girls Soccer team has been a huge supporter of the SWB program in Granada, Nicaragua.  In August of 2009, Current SWB Interns Kay Adami and Zoe Bouchelle gave a short presentation to the SOCO team at the Penn State camp to explain the mission of Soccer Without Borders and tell them what they hoped to accomplish as the first-ever long-term interns for the Granada site. Jen Stine, the SOCO Varsity Girls’ Soccer Coach writes that “[after the presentation]… I saw the impact it made on our players, some of them even in tears, when they saw just how harsh conditions can be, and what we take for granted. From that moment forward our kids were inspired to make a difference in any way possible. That night every member of the team purchased a blue Soccer Without Borders T-Shirt which was a tremendous help to the program. Little did we know that their commitment to the cause wouldn’t stop there.

The SOCO team decided that in addition to the T-Shirts, they would hold SWB events back home. After school, the girls began forming committees and deciding on fundraisers, slowly making progress toward their goal. Coach Jen says that although she and her sister provided guidance, the majority of the work was done by the team. In the end, the SOCO girls raised more money than any single team has in the history of the program.

Beside their fundraising success as Ambassadors, Coach Jen says she has seen a marked difference in the girls' behavior. They are more grateful for the things she believes they took for granted in the past because they are able to see how fortunate they are when compared to teams in other parts of the world. “Raising funds for Soccer Without Borders is probably one of the most rewarding experiences a team can have,” she says, "I would encourage every team to actively participate and host their own events. The feeling of knowing that you are providing one child with the proper soccer equipment, to play in a game that they love, is like no other.”

Reaching their goals did not happen overnight. Player Samantha Fraley admits that it took a lot of preparation and hardwork. However, she says that when it was all said and done “you’re left feeling great with what you accomplished.”

Player Courtney Cecco agrees that each player felt a sense of accomplishment when she looked at the number on the giant check they had made. But she says that beyond that, the SWB experience was also a way to bring the team as a whole closer together. “We decided as a team to raise money and this gave us more responsibility. It gave us the chance to help out when it was not obligated…it was a much better feeling doing it because we wanted to.”

So, just what, you might ask, were SOCO’s secrets to success?

First, they targeted the teaching staff preparing a soup, salad, and sandwich meal at $5 a plate. 80 teachers took them up on the bargain, and everyone left the soccer team’s Teachers Luncheon feeling satisfied.

Then on September 20^th, they organized a Vera Bradley Purse Bingo in the cafeteria and extended an open invitation to everyone at school. They asked for a $15 donation per ticket with the option of buying additional tickets for the 50/50 and Raffle items. With donated baskets and other prizes ready to go, the team waited nervously in the cafeteria, unsure if their hours of organizing, cooking, basket-making, and running around would be enough to turn a profit…

Needless to say, in the end the event was an unbelievable success. Over 175 people attended the bingo, leaving the girls scrambling to provide additional seating. Every last raffle ticket was sold and every last food morsel was gobbled up.

SWB would like to extent a huge thanks to the SOCO girls for their commitment to the SWB Granada Project  Also, a big Thank you to Jen Stine and sister Amanda for supporting the team through the process and encouraging other teams to get involved as Ambassadors.

Luis (center right) with SWB volunteer Kareem Raad in an interview on National Television in Guatemala about SWB's workThis month, we take a closer look at the SWB program in the Solola region of Guatemala. SWB has been working in the community of Santa Maria El Tablon for just over a year now. The program focuses on supporting indigenous youth through soccer programming, leadership development  and team building activities and hopes to expand to include other educational components with time. While the program is still young, it has been very well recieved and integrated into the community, and a strong foundation has been laid for the future. A large part of the program's success has been the commitment and passion of Luis Alberto Palacios, the program director for SWB in Guatemala. In addition to his work with SWB, Luis is a poet and a writer and is very interested in the improvement of his community and his country as a whole. Not of indigenous heritage himself, Luis is unusual in his commitment to bridging the divide between indigenous communities and the Landino population. Currently, Luis is working in Santa Maria El Tablon with SWB volunteers Christina Thompson and Chris Metcalf. We asked Luis to share  more about himself an his work below:

How long have you been working with children and youth?

LAP: I started in the last days of November 2007 to work with 8 young boys and girls from the small and beautful community of Santa Marìa El Tablòn.

How long have you been working with Soccer Without Borders?

LAP: I have 1 year and trhee months  representing SWB  in Guatemala. And in September of 2008, I received Andres and Robin, the first volunteers that arrived in Sololá from SWB.

Why do you think it is important to do community work?

LAP: Because the whole society needs it. If the rural areas grow up the country grows up. The rural communities need education, art, entertainment, in order to live a dignified life.
 
What has been the highlight of working with Soccer Without Borders so far?

LAP: I can see it in all those kids faces, these smiles, these dreams... it's amazing to see how so many people love football (soccer) in Guatemala, and this country has never been in a world cup tournament! I think it's because here, there are not opportunities to discover new talents all around the country and that's because the authorities in Guatemala are managed by a blind elite who receives a big budget from the government with few or no results. So maybe in the future SWB can be the key for to open new doors for people who usually don't have access to sports.

What are some benefits you have seen in the community of Santa Maria since we have been working there?

LAP:  Healthy body is a healthy mind, so I think the kids are investing a good time practicing a sport, they are also knowing the meaning of organizing as a community. They are meeting some new friends, reaching out from all those poverty problems that they have everyday. This way they can clear their minds while they are playing.
 
Is there anything else you would like to share with the SWB community?

LAP: Always think positive and that everything is possible, don't never give up the fight for your dreams!!! And work hard for to make it come true. Peace to you all!