Recently, I had the chance to catch up with Alli Weis. Alli is a biologist, an athlete, a musician, a passionate social activist, a good friend of mine, and an all-around fantastic human being. This year, Alli spent some time volunteering for Soccer Without Borders, where she had the opportunity to help teach soccer, literacy, and life skills to girls in Granada, Nicaragua. Check out what she has to say about volunteering for SWB:



[Above: Alli (the taller one) with the girls]

So how did you get involved with Soccer Without Borders?
I moved to Granada, Nicaragua in June 2009 with the intent of volunteering with an organization teaching biology to kids. After a month I wanted to transition to a volunteer program that was a little more integrated in the community of Granada. I heard about SWB from a volunteer whom I had lived with for my first two weeks in the city, and the SWB office was two blocks away from my hostel. I went by the office one day and met Daniela Molina, the program coordinator, and an incredible group of Nicaraguans, teens through 24 year olds, who are all dedicated to playing soccer, empowering girls, and improving their country.

I was instantly impressed by the organization. The volunteers were smart and excited, and the Nicaraguans involved with the project were welcoming and thrilled by my involvement. They embraced me, taught me about their culture and language, and made me feel part of a family in Nicaragua.  From then on I was completely absorbed with the organization and spent all of my remaining time in Nicaragua with the SWB community, coaching and playing soccer during the day, teaching reading and writing in the evenings, and having an extraordinary amount of fun.

What was it like to volunteer?
An average day would involve waking up in the morning and buying fresh fruit for everyone for breakfast from the fruit lady on the corner next to our office (my favorite part of the morning!), and then starting on business: gear and supplies might be on the agenda, renovating our supply room was a big project one of the weeks, we plan our practices during the day as well as upcoming events and activities. Right now we are building a curriculum for our girls in the evenings, mostly involving reading and writing skills, so we have spent a fair bit of time researching literacy programs in order to implement a sufficient one of our own.

We are currently investigating the education system in Granada, and sometimes we would go to public and private schools, visit the health fairs, and spend time forming relationships with the local government in Granada.

In the afternoons volunteers can play soccer on a local barrio (neighborhood) team, and some afternoons I would meet up with my Spanish teacher for lessons. We offer all sorts of activities in the evenings, among them being: teaching reading and writing, teaching health care and leadership, team building activities, and career nights for the older girls.

Saturday is our largest practice day. All of the girls (currently about 50) come to the field in the morning for a full practice of running, stretching, ball skills, drills, and scrimmage. Our futsol league is about to start at the end of October, where we will have games and more practices during the week.

If it is a Sunday, then it is generally a break day, where we travel to a local beautiful spot, usually as a group of volunteers, staff, and youth leaders, and learn about Nicaragua and its land and culture.

At the end of the day, almost without fail, we would have a dinner of some sort with the volunteers and staff involved in the program. Right now I can still taste the gallo pinto (beans and rice), fried plantains, and Nicaraguan cheese, and I can still hear the Spanish slang words, ‘salvaje’ (cool), and ‘entonces’ (then) amid laughter and salsa dancing in the hot Nicaraguan nights.

What do you like the most about working with this program?
I love how gratifying it feels. Every day the little girls in the program come spilling into the office or onto the soccer field with huge smiles, eager to participate in any activity that we have for them. Their enthusiasm makes them easy to teach, and when they do something correct (a good pass, a goal, a header, writing a sentence with an adjective, etc) each girl bursts with pride in her accomplishment. It is amazing to be part of a program that provides both a space and a community that is focused around the improvement of these Nicaraguan girls, and reminds me that we, the volunteers, really can make a difference in their lives.

What was one of your best moments working with SWB?
My most vivid memories, where I felt the most alive in years, are those of teaching reading and writing to the little girls in the office. The girls are so sweet, and as I said earlier, so eager to learn that it is an absolute joy to give them the educational attention that each one deserves. One moment in particular I was working with one of the little girls on a letter describing Granada to an American, and after about half an hour working on three sentences, she looked up at me and smiled, and I could tell that something had shifted in her thinking. She wrote the next sentence on her own, and then started confidently on the art portion of the letter. For that moment in time, she had accomplished something real, something tangible, and I had helped her. It was an amazing experience, and happened several times each night at the SWB office.

Are you going back to Nicaragua?
My plans right now are to go back to Nicaragua in January and continue to volunteer with SWB. I’m not sure how long, but at least a few months, and I am very excited.

How can others help this cause?
There are all sorts of ways to help SWB. From fundraising, equipment drives, donating, sponsoring or partnering with us, to volunteering in Oakland or in one of the countries that we have camps in, we love any and all support!  

Anything else you'd like to add?
This program has opened my eyes to the incredible opportunity that exists in creating social change through sports. The passion for playing a game like soccer can bring fun to marginalized youth around the world, and, when harnessed, can become a driving force for hope, empowerment and education to the participants. To me, this is the most effective tool for youth activism that I have ever seen, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it, and to share it.

Thank you, Alli. Let us know how it goes when you return to Nicaragua :)

If you want to get involved, go to Soccer Without Borders.

We heard from Alex Davis on nominating his soccer coach for the Play It Forward Coach of the Year contest, and read his 3rd place winning entry here.  Now we get a chance to here from Coach Madison himself, the man behind the entry!

Name:  Mark Madison
Years as a coach: Current School, 8  
Favorite sport: Soccer
Hometown: Paducah, KY
Alma mater: Murray State University
 
Fave sports moment from your life:
Playing in the Final Four in the Kentucky High School State Soccer Tourney (1993)
 
Who were your role models growing up?
Mark Spivey – High School Soccer Coach
Stan Lafferty – Then my girlfriend’s father.  Now my father in law until his passing in August of this year.  The greatest man I have ever known.  These men made me who I am today.  Without question, I owe them more than I could ever repay.
 
Were you surprised that Alex nominated you?
Very surprised.  Not something I would ever have thought I deserved or earned. 

He titled it: The man, the myth, the legend.  Is it hard to live up to that?

 Hahahaha.  I think it’s a bit of an overstatement.  We have worked to set high expectations in this program.  I suppose I have to remember that it works both ways.   

Two years after coming to coach at Heath High School, you took the team to the State Championships.  How did you do that?

Well, our third year we were into the State Tourney.  We made it as far as the final eight that year.  Of course, you have to remember that Kentucky Soccer is not classed in Soccer.  So regardless of size you have to play through all the teams in Kentucky.  Our average enrollment at Heath is 650.  The average team we play against is closer to 1000.  The tournament in this state is huge.  So making that the third year was a great accomplishment.

The truth is that Heath always had the talent, they just needed a few of the missing parts.  It took about two years to get the kids to believe in my system of play and philosophy.  Once that was accomplished, the program flourished.  It was a matter of players adapting to a completely different methodology and focus.  We became a team, not just 11 players on the pitch.  Once the boys were together on and off the field, the rest fell into place.  They had to become family, similar to brothers.  And this made the difference.
 
Alex talks about how you get the team to solve their own internal problems. What does that mean? How do you encourage them to do that?
Just like a family, the team will always have internal conflict.  They will argue, they will disagree.  And this has to be addressed up front, as a team.  If two of my players have a problem, it involves the whole team.  Often I will have both players together and I will mediate between the two.  And at times, a solution doesn’t occur immediately.  And I believe this reflects real life.  They learn very quickly that for the betterment of the team they have to set their disagreements aside. And more times than not, this brings about resolution gradually.  I don’t expect my players to hug and make up immediately, but I do expect them to respect the team as a whole and work together to succeed.  This cannot be accomplished with internal conflict.

What was the journey like for the kids that went from your program to play college soccer?
The adjustment can sometimes be eye-opening.  Most of the players have never experienced the demands of a college level program.  In high school, soccer is played for the school, for pride, among other things.  In college, the game becomes somewhat of a career, especially for those athletes on scholarship.   The hours are longer, the pressure is greater, and the expectations rise.  It typically takes the athlete a few weeks to adjust, but once they settle in to the new routine they typically flourish.

What's one of the biggest challenges facing coaches today?
Bureaucratic nonsense.  I believe that covers the majority of problems. 

What's the best thing about your job?
As a coach who teaches in my high school, I get to interact with my players on a daily basis.  I cannot stress the importance and difference this makes.
 
Any advice to young soccer players? Or to new soccer coaches?
Young players have to start differently than I did.  The philosophy of development and progression has to change in America.  Players need to develop gradually and with those of the same skill level.  Not by age.  If you can play with the bigger kids, then move on.  There is no reason to stay stagnate if you have bypassed those that are your own age.

For the younger kids, don’t just go to a field and shoot at a goal.  That really doesn’t help anything.  Scoring makes up very little of the game of soccer.  It’s more about the skill of the player.  The ability to control the ball, see passing options, develop the play.  It doesn’t take a soccer God to place a ball inside of a soccer net.  But it takes a solid player to develop the opportunity for others or themselves to score.

To new coaches, take your time.  Programs and players will not develop overnight.  Find a good coach and model what works for them.  Don’t be afraid to admit when you’re wrong or something doesn’t work.  Your players will respect you more if you can admit your own mistakes.
 

It's 8am on Saturday.  You are:
A) in your jammies eating cereal watching cartoons.
B) on the field, kickin a soccer ball.  Sun's up, your up.
C) reviewing tapes of famous soccer games.
--> D) sleeping! C'mon, it’s Saturday! 

(If it’s during the off season.  During season I’m probably at a match or tourney.)

Bobby Knight of John Wooden?
Bobby Knight, one of my all time favorites

Coffee or tea?

Neither, Diet Coke

Defense or offense?

Offense

Disco or country?
I hate both

Crabapples or sourgrass?
Crabapples

Carpe diem or look before you leap?
Carpe Diem

 

Thanks Coach Madison!  Congratulations on your 3rd place win and have fun in D.C.!

Send 9 nations to Milan this September, by donating: http://www.justgiving.com/homelessworldcupfoundation

They only need $40K more! 

Yes, it's another Friday in July. The sun is kickin' it in the sky, the sounds of flip-flops fill the city streets, and gravity pulls dribbles of chocolate ice-cream down the chins of the little ones, staining both shirts and shorts. There's no excuse to be bored on a day like today, especially when you've got programs like B-Ball on the Block bringing basketball and soccer to your doorstep.

Every Friday from 4 - 8pm in the summer, Chicago nonprofit Beyond the Ball closes a street to traffic and sets up some hoops. They construct a makeshift street soccer area and bring in coaches, volunteers, sports equipment, and—most importantly—the local community. This traveling basketball and soccer league mainly serves the Little Village and North Lawndale neighborhoods, but the teams also travel all over the city for the Finals tournaments at the end of the summer.

In addition to being a whole lot of fun, B-Ball on the Block also helps to break down barriers in the community. The locations cross rival gang territories and bring together participants of varying ages, races and ethnicities. Through community sports, B-Ball on the Block encourages Chicagoans to "come out and see how much they actually have in common."

[Below: Video from last Friday's event. Yeah, these guys know how to play.]

If you're in Chicago, you should check out the calendar and think about becoming a volunteer for Beyond the Ball. It's a good excuse to get outside and enjoy the summer while helping to build your community.

Also, if you have two seconds right now (and I know you do), click here to help Beyond the Ball raise $500 for programs like B-Ball on the Block. The Just 1 Click campaign won't cost you a cent, but it will help Chicago youth to keep playing in the summertime. That's right - click it.

The sun was out in full force over Douglas Park in Chicago, spilling its rays over fields of freshly cut grass. It was about ninety degrees in the last week of June; perspiration soaked through hair and soccer jerseys, yet no one wanted to dip out of the game in exchange for a cool spot in the shade. After a quick 5-min water break, the kids of America SCORES ran back to the field in hot pursuit of a checkered ball. Now that's what I call passion.

These kids ran with the America SCORES Chicago summer soccer program. They meet five days per week to play soccer, but the program teaches much more than just a game. Health education, community service, juvenile crime prevention, and literacy skills are also part of the program curriculum.

SCORES is "the only non-profit after-school program that combines soccer with poetry to inspire health and literacy in urban youth." The program draws an impressive collection of dedicated staff and volunteers who want to see the kids succeed while having fun. In the process of challenging youth to be stronger athletes, amazing poets, and thoughtful community members, the staff and volunteers also end up having a total blast.

See for yourself -

Like what you see? Get involved! America SCORES Chicago needs volunteers who want to make a difference in their communities by improving the lives of urban youngsters. Check out the America SCORES website and blog.

Don't live in Chicago? You're in luck; America SCORES programs operate in 13 other cities around the country. Check the website to see if there's a SCORES program in your neighborhood.