More often than not, when I tell people that I work for
Grassroot Soccer, they ask me, “So do you play soccer?”
My answer is a confident, resounding “No.” I don’t even how the sport works. Everyone tells me it’s so easy: a team kicks a ball into the other team’s goal. But there’s definitely much more to it than that. What the hell is a yellow card? Why are they doing a “corner kick” or a “throw in”? What’s the deal with people exaggerating injuries? Yes, the premise of the game is simple, but the game itself is not. I have never watched a soccer game, at least any kind of professional match, and I sure as hell would not understand it if I ever did.
My answer is a confident, resounding “No.” I don’t even how the sport works. Everyone tells me it’s so easy: a team kicks a ball into the other team’s goal. But there’s definitely much more to it than that. What the hell is a yellow card? Why are they doing a “corner kick” or a “throw in”? What’s the deal with people exaggerating injuries? Yes, the premise of the game is simple, but the game itself is not. I have never watched a soccer game, at least any kind of professional match, and I sure as hell would not understand it if I ever did.
So imagine telling me that the one thing I absolutely had to
do in South Africa was go to a Soweto Derby, a soccer match between two of
South Africa’s most popular teams: the Kaizer Chiefs and the Orlando
Pirates. I likened it to baseball’s
Subway Series, and being a New Yorker, that was enough reason to go. And the whole working for a soccer organization
thing, too, made me feel obligated. Besides,
it was a good excuse to visit Johannesburg, the interns living there, and the
two GRS sites there: Soweto and Alexandra.
Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city and Southern
Africa’s major hub, is a booming city and developing global powerhouse. Upon coming to South Africa, so many people
have told me that I would love Johannesburg.
“It’s the New York of South Africa,” they would say, but I find it more
comparable to Los Angeles in its vibe and layout, and if there’s anything more
dreaded to a New Yorker than LA, I don’t know what it is. Still, the 12+ bus ride up the country was
worth it.
Though the point of the trip was the Derby, it was an added
bonus to visit the GRS sites in Johannesburg, especially since my own site was about
to close. Both sites, Soweto and
Alexandra, are unique from each other and drastically different from anything
I’ve experienced in Port Elizabeth.
First, I went to Soweto where the GRS office is housed in
the rear of the elaborate Nike Football Training Centre, a massive building and
space that has a demanding presence within its humble surroundings. The gargantuan structure is not only a
beautifully designed piece of architecture, but it serves many purposes within
the sporting community in Soweto. The
facility’s grounds are home to several full-sized soccer pitches that are often
being used by many different groups, including the Kaizer Chiefs’ Development
Team who were doing drills on the day I was there.
As like any office, there wasn’t too much happening; it was
a typical Thursday, after all. However,
I was able to create a wall poster to track Soweto’s Coach Development sessions,
which made me happy because my legacy would stay on the wall, even in a small
way. It meant even more to me because in
the days leading up to the visit, I was dismantling all the crafts that I had
made for the PE office.
The next day, I was able to attend a Coach Development
session at the Alexandra site that has been operating out of the newly
completed Football for Hope Centre for the past few months. The brand-spankin’ new facility was spotless
even though it has more than enough wear; the coaches would run to the turf
pitch every break, and there were many programs run there. Programs Coordinator Mookie was an
interesting foil to Port Elizabeth’s Programs Coordinator Siya, but it was
awesome seeing how the contrasting styles and attitudes are able to implement
the same things. The coaches, too,
brought their own fun personalities to the table; they apparently like to dance
and expected me to twerk for them upon my introduction.
The weekend was filled with lots of great food, awesome
company from the interns, and even an attempted carjacking in the Central
Business District, but the crown jewel experience of the weekend was amply
hyped and highly awaited Soweto Derby.
From the get-go, I decided that I was a Chiefs fan, which I
chose not for any reason of team skill, ability, or record – I liked the team’s
colors better, and their motto, “Peace and Love” aligns better with my ideals. Besides, “Amakhosi,” the local translation of
the team’s name, sounds really awesome.
I had my allegiances, and because the game was held at Soccer City, the
same stadium that hosted the World Cup Finals in 2010 and the Chiefs’ home
stadium, I was in good company.
I couldn’t quite tell you what happened during the game, but
I’m sure it was very exciting because it kept everyone at the edge of their
seats. Since it was the last of the derbies (there were three this season), the
crowd was packed like sardines, and a lot of emotions were flying about the
stands. In order to fit in more, since
the audience was predominantly Black, I acquired a nice fan shirt and a sick
Chiefs cowboy hat, though I don’t know how the latter item really fits into the
whole soccer fan kit. The display of
team choice emblazoned on your chest gave people all reason to banter with
you. I could bet that I was one of a
handful of Asians in attendance even though the occupancy of the stadium is the
nearly 100,000.
Though I had no idea what was going on, I had fun rooting
for my chosen team, and it helped that I had an awesome dance partner and
fellow Chiefs fan sitting next to me.
I’d like to think that it was our furious singing and dancing that led
to my team winning the game, 1-0. I can
proudly say I still don’t know a lick about soccer, but at least I had a lot of
fun at my first soccer game.
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