John and youth leaders Cesar and David with one of the ninas in Granada

For the 2nd year in a row, we had the distinct pleasure of having John O'Brien join us for campamento in El Salvador. This year, he also came to Granada, Nicaragua to spend some time supporting the girls in the program there. It is always wonderful to watch young people's eyes light up when they learn that John has played in World Cups, the Olympics and in Europe alongside some of the best players in the world. And yet far from being an arrogant soccer star, John is always incredibly humble and accessible. You see him constantly smiling and active with the kids, and he's always willing to help in whatever area support is needed, from pumping balls, to sweeping the office to leading soccer and educational sessions.

Since the first time I met John, I have always been struck by the way he wants to be known for who he is, and not as a soccer legend the way some of us approach him, along with all of the strange dynamics celebrity can inspire. John has a uniquely kind heart and seeks to learn from every experience he has. I feel very fortunate to have gotten to know John, and we all feel very honored to have him as part of the SWB team. Below are John's reflections on the time he spent in January 2010 in El Salvador and Nicaragua:

Lions and Zebras"The El Salvador camp was great!  SWB along with other organizations and teachers put together a good curriculum for the kids to enjoy.  In the evenings there was lots of laughter with mimes, magic, music and dancing.  During the day activities and learning, expanding what you know to include things you once did not know.  And some say camp does not change you!  The Soccer part was conducted in two groups mostly to include as many girls and guys as possible in the activities.  When the afternoon sessions would begin with the warm sun beating down on the improvised playing ground the kids small, big, and the no longer kids, all wanted to play a full sized scrimmage.  The passion for the game was unreal!  Enthusiasm bridled with fair play, who wouldn’t want to coach this group.  The camp needless to say was a big success.  Unfortunately Ben missed out on a couple beautiful days of camp because he was supporting a food born bug who made Ben’s stomach his home for a few days.  His presence was missed.  

Outside the SWB office in Granada, NicaraguaGranada Nicaragua!  The show has arrived!  Girls soccer camp as part of the larger program.  The town is buzzing.  At least 20 American volunteers, 10 or more local Nicaraguan’s on staff and how many kids… 60! The practice sessions were well organized.  Groups were divided into groups with staff groups being partitioned into smaller sub-groups sometimes resulting in a one person group of cells contained by skin.  Individual attention at every soccer learning station around the field.  And games! Fun games, explorative games.  The foundation for the Granada location is sound.  The content, behavior, rules, past and future are all well meshed into the moment for the benefit of many.  The service this program gives to the community is greatly evident and the support of the community to the program…ah warm, opening, a heartfelt experience for all volunteers involved.  

Much thanks to SWB for having me along for these trips and experiences.  It is obvious the programs in place are doing great work where work is needed.  I have to say, selfishly, as it may be I think I have benefitted most.  Of course you can’t know others like you can know yourself.  Knowing myself and experiencing myself daily I can feel that the world I inhabit is bigger.  Soccer Without Borders has made me a John with less Borders. (completely without might be dangerous for the community!)"

John ended his trip with a new hairstyle thanks to Zumbita

On the go!

Some of the runners at the starting line

This past Sunday February 7, a group of 20 runners took part in the Kaiser Permanente 5K and Half Marathon. Not only were the runners out to enjoy the beautiful morning and get some exercise on superbowl Sunday, but they were also raisng money to support the SWB girls program in Buenos Aires, Argentina. All in all, the event raised $5,283, enough to run the program for most of 2010! Adrian K., who is currently a Junior in high-school and has worked as a volunteer at the refugee community soccer camp in Oakland, was the 13th female to cross the finish line in the 5K after taking the course by storm.

We want to extend a big thank you to all the runners and all the donors who are making this program possible. Please see the video below for more information about the program in Argentina, and we look forward to doing the run again next year!

Here is a great video made by Loanny Picado, a reporter with La Prensa, Nicaragua's national newspaper. The video, which captures footage of the soccer aspect of the girls program, appeared on La Prensa TV. La Prensa also ran this story about SWB and John O'brien, former US National Team and Ajax star who has volunteered with us for the past two years at the camp in El Salvador and in Nicaragua. For those of you who don't speak Spanish, hopefully you can still get a feel for some of the good times had by all!

Stevie, Lisa and Jacques with the donated gear, January 2010

On January 17, 2010, SWB Interns Stevie Dunning and Lisa Clark landed at Entebbe airport, weighed down with bulging bags of soccer gear and art supplies, headed for the community of Ndejje, where they will live and work for the next six months. Over the last year and a half, we finalized construction of a youth center that serves as an office for SWB and HOPE (Helping People of All Ethnicities, a locally run NGO that serves to urban refugee families in the area), a meeting space for the community and a classroom space for educational activities. Stevie and Lisa will be working to begin offering consistent after school soccer and educational programming out of the center, as well working with HOPE school students during the school day. Follow along with their process and adventures on their blog: www.swbuganda.blogspot.com

A quick highlight from their blog is a final count of the gear they were able to bring with them in their luggage:

The final count of our equipment:

Shoes/Cleats: 154
Soccer Socks: 110
Soccer Balls: 59
Soccer Shorts: 85
Soccer Pinnies:29
Soccer Pumps: 5
GK Jerseys: 4
Soccer Cones: 4
Miscellaneous: 1 large ream of paper, 2 large boxes of crayons, 3 bottles of tempera paint, 1 watercolor set, A couple dozen paintbrushes and pencils, 8 Nancy Drew books (yes, you read that right…they never fail)

This is a truly impressive amount of materials for two people to carry and it will be put to very good use by the girls and boys in Ndejje. SWB would like to thank everyone who donated equipment and money to make this project possible. And good luck to you Stevie and Lisa, we are all thinking of you!

It would be hard to let the day pass by without a shoutout to our fearless leader and founder, Ben Gucciardi, on his 26th birthday. To imagine that Ben began all of this and has taken us all this far before even leaving the quarter century mark behind is truly awe-inspiring. For those of you who have met or know Ben personally, you know that he is the first to thank others, to recognize others, to share the limelight, and to make you feel as though your ideas are valued and useful.  So on this day we'd just like to take a time out to thank Ben for letting us all share in his vision, for embracing us as a part of it, and for bringing joy, friendship, and true inspiration to so many. Happy Birthday Mr. Ben!

Ben and Chepe in Granada