Perspectives
I have been coaching at Agoura for 15 years and have had many memorable experience in that time. This was by far the greatest experience I have ever had as a coach or a teacher. We want our boys to become men that have a passion for what they do, live with integrity, take pride in themselves and their accomplishments, rise to new and difficult challenges, and leave the program better than they found it. These boys accomplished these things and more during their time in Chile and I am very proud to have been a witness to their experience. Each one of the boys had moments where they put their own interests aside and worked with and for their teammates and people they had never met and may never meet again. As coaches and parents, we challenge our boys to go beyond themselves, to recognize needs and take responsibility in addressing them. In the week we spent in Chile, what I saw in the boys went beyond anything I have ever seen on the soccer field. They were selfless, outgoing, respectful, and, above all, teammates. They were challenged by Diego, Chica, myself, and others to continue to use their talents and work to effect change. We will be working in the fall to raise money for some of their soccer projects which will give those who weren't able to go on the trip an opportunity to be involved as well. I and the boys are very excited to continue to work with the friends we made in Chile and we thank you for your continued support of our program.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Day 8
Day 8
Our last day in Chile. We packed and met at Oriente a little earlier today. We had to change our plans for the day because there were some student protests (riots) in Santiago this morning. We went back to the school where Juan volunteers and were greeted by a class of boys wearing Agoura Soccer shirts eager to play with us again. Tom led the boys in a training session despite not feeling very well and we had a tremendous time. It was fantastic to watch our guys working with this group again. It was very difficult to leave them as the boys really connected with the kids in the short time we were able to work with them. Their teacher and the director of the school were very impressed with our guys and I could not have been more proud of our team.
After leaving the school, we went to the mall in Maipu to eat lunch and do a bit of shopping before returning to Oriente to say our goodbyes and leave for the airport. Most of the families came by the church to say goodbye. The boys exchanged emails and contact information with the families, loaded up the trucks with our gear, and set off for the return trip home...
Our last day in Chile. We packed and met at Oriente a little earlier today. We had to change our plans for the day because there were some student protests (riots) in Santiago this morning. We went back to the school where Juan volunteers and were greeted by a class of boys wearing Agoura Soccer shirts eager to play with us again. Tom led the boys in a training session despite not feeling very well and we had a tremendous time. It was fantastic to watch our guys working with this group again. It was very difficult to leave them as the boys really connected with the kids in the short time we were able to work with them. Their teacher and the director of the school were very impressed with our guys and I could not have been more proud of our team.
After leaving the school, we went to the mall in Maipu to eat lunch and do a bit of shopping before returning to Oriente to say our goodbyes and leave for the airport. Most of the families came by the church to say goodbye. The boys exchanged emails and contact information with the families, loaded up the trucks with our gear, and set off for the return trip home...
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Day 7
Day 7
After meeting at Oriente, we headed out to the school where Juan volunteers once a week. It is a school for students with special needs. Many of the students have Down Syndrome, mental and/or physical limitations, or other issues. We took the kids to the park and ran a small session for them consisting mostly of calisthenics with a bit of soccer mixed in the kids, ours and theirs, responded very well to the opportunity. So much so in fact, that we decided to spend a couple of hours there tomorrow morning as well in lieu of a full day of shopping and sightseeing. It was great watching our boys interact with the kids and, in turn, watch the kids have so much fun with our boys. This, along with the work we have done to this point, has really put a lot of things in perspective for the boys. Most notably, the appreciation of the things we are blessed with (homes, families and friends that care for us, physical abilities, etc) and that with knowledge of issues come responsibility.
After visiting the school, we returned to Oriente for lunch and worked with the kids from the school ato Oriente. We hosted two sessions for them and were able to spend some time with the kids during their recess period. We then went to the home of Diego (one of the heads of IAM) and his family for dinner. He, along with Chica and Juan, expressed their gratitude to the boys for what they have done during our time in Chile and challenged them to do even more in the future. We then walked to a soccer complex that consisted of over a dozen small futbol "canchas" where we played against one of the teams from Ambassadors of Sport, a new outreach effort which is partnering with IAM to better local communities. Despite losing 7-9 to a team of over-20s, they boys represented Agoura very well on the field and earned quite a bit of praise and respect from the opposing team and coach for their play. After the match, we walked back to Oriente to spend some more time with our host families before getting ready to leave tomorrow...
After meeting at Oriente, we headed out to the school where Juan volunteers once a week. It is a school for students with special needs. Many of the students have Down Syndrome, mental and/or physical limitations, or other issues. We took the kids to the park and ran a small session for them consisting mostly of calisthenics with a bit of soccer mixed in the kids, ours and theirs, responded very well to the opportunity. So much so in fact, that we decided to spend a couple of hours there tomorrow morning as well in lieu of a full day of shopping and sightseeing. It was great watching our boys interact with the kids and, in turn, watch the kids have so much fun with our boys. This, along with the work we have done to this point, has really put a lot of things in perspective for the boys. Most notably, the appreciation of the things we are blessed with (homes, families and friends that care for us, physical abilities, etc) and that with knowledge of issues come responsibility.
After visiting the school, we returned to Oriente for lunch and worked with the kids from the school ato Oriente. We hosted two sessions for them and were able to spend some time with the kids during their recess period. We then went to the home of Diego (one of the heads of IAM) and his family for dinner. He, along with Chica and Juan, expressed their gratitude to the boys for what they have done during our time in Chile and challenged them to do even more in the future. We then walked to a soccer complex that consisted of over a dozen small futbol "canchas" where we played against one of the teams from Ambassadors of Sport, a new outreach effort which is partnering with IAM to better local communities. Despite losing 7-9 to a team of over-20s, they boys represented Agoura very well on the field and earned quite a bit of praise and respect from the opposing team and coach for their play. After the match, we walked back to Oriente to spend some more time with our host families before getting ready to leave tomorrow...
Day 6
Day 6
We met at our home church (Oriente) for breakfast and went with Juan to visit a few schools and churches in the area. The first school we visited (San Luis) is in one of the poorest and most troubled areas of Maipu. The director of the school took us on a tour and showed us the classrooms, labs, etc. The government helps fund the school even though it is a christian school because of the work they are doing in the area. We then hosted a small clinic for some of the students there. The boys did a great job working with the kids and some of them will be featured on some of the girls' Facebook pages in the near future. After an incredible lunch of roasted chicken and rice, we visited another church (Los Heroes - again, in a very poor area) and Juan showed us around the property and told us about the programs they have there. We played a pick-up game for about two hours where Staiano showed them how 39-year-olds can play (not very well) and then left to host another clinic for one of the soccer teams and play some "baby" against their players, where we finally got a couple of wins.
After the clinic, we went to another church (La Farfana) where we had once and birthday cake then left for Oriente. The kids went home with their families around 9pm and Coach Staiano and Chris took their host family, Rene, Chica, Marce, and the families of Gabe, Eric, and Juan to dinner at Parilladas Argentina, a local favorite. All the guys had very nice things to say about our boys and (for the most part) how hard they worked. They wer impressed as well with their play on the field. Again, I hope at the boys appreciate all that they have accomplished. Gabe wanted the boys to realize especially that what they did in building those two houses in Iloca, changed the lives of two families forever for the positive almost as instantaneously as the earthquake and tsunami nearly changed their lives forever for the worse...
We met at our home church (Oriente) for breakfast and went with Juan to visit a few schools and churches in the area. The first school we visited (San Luis) is in one of the poorest and most troubled areas of Maipu. The director of the school took us on a tour and showed us the classrooms, labs, etc. The government helps fund the school even though it is a christian school because of the work they are doing in the area. We then hosted a small clinic for some of the students there. The boys did a great job working with the kids and some of them will be featured on some of the girls' Facebook pages in the near future. After an incredible lunch of roasted chicken and rice, we visited another church (Los Heroes - again, in a very poor area) and Juan showed us around the property and told us about the programs they have there. We played a pick-up game for about two hours where Staiano showed them how 39-year-olds can play (not very well) and then left to host another clinic for one of the soccer teams and play some "baby" against their players, where we finally got a couple of wins.
After the clinic, we went to another church (La Farfana) where we had once and birthday cake then left for Oriente. The kids went home with their families around 9pm and Coach Staiano and Chris took their host family, Rene, Chica, Marce, and the families of Gabe, Eric, and Juan to dinner at Parilladas Argentina, a local favorite. All the guys had very nice things to say about our boys and (for the most part) how hard they worked. They wer impressed as well with their play on the field. Again, I hope at the boys appreciate all that they have accomplished. Gabe wanted the boys to realize especially that what they did in building those two houses in Iloca, changed the lives of two families forever for the positive almost as instantaneously as the earthquake and tsunami nearly changed their lives forever for the worse...
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Day 5
Day 5
We have been meeting at Abuela's house for breakfast every morning and today was her birthday. The boys all wished her a happy birthday and thanked her for providing food for us all these days. We tried to get an earlier start today in order to be able to finish both houses and still leave at a reasonable time for the 4-hour ride back to Maipu. We put (most) of the finishing touches on the first house and, after another amazing lunch of fried fish, got the walls and roof put on the second. Altogether we were able to complete about 1.8 houses.
It was difficult to leave Iloca; it is an extremely beautiful place with some amazing people. However, we are excited to get back to Maipu to do some soccer clinics and take hot showers. We arrived in Maipu about 11:30pm and went with our host families to get some much needed rest...
We have been meeting at Abuela's house for breakfast every morning and today was her birthday. The boys all wished her a happy birthday and thanked her for providing food for us all these days. We tried to get an earlier start today in order to be able to finish both houses and still leave at a reasonable time for the 4-hour ride back to Maipu. We put (most) of the finishing touches on the first house and, after another amazing lunch of fried fish, got the walls and roof put on the second. Altogether we were able to complete about 1.8 houses.
It was difficult to leave Iloca; it is an extremely beautiful place with some amazing people. However, we are excited to get back to Maipu to do some soccer clinics and take hot showers. We arrived in Maipu about 11:30pm and went with our host families to get some much needed rest...
Day 4
"Poquito mas" - day 4
At lunch today, some of us learned that "poquito mas" (a little more) doesn't quite translate in Chile. Whether it is food, drinks, rooms and beds in their homes, or patience in translation, these are some of the most amazing people anyone can meet. The Ilocans we have been working and playing with these last few days are incredibly generous. Despite everything that has happened to them over the past year, they enjoy a life that many of us cannot appreciate simply because of it's simplicity.
Today we managed to get the roof on the first house and insulate it and were able to finish the floor of the second house. The last few nails were hammered in by the light of cell phones, but we finished. We'll all have to work very hard tomorrow in order to finish our goal of building two houses.
Tonight was the semifinals and finals of the "baby futbol" tournament. Gabriel, Eric, Juan, Rene, and our Charlie in goal reached the finals, but lost to the first team we played. We supplied prizes to the top 4 teams - jackets, bags, warmups, and shirts. Medals were awarded to the top three teams and trophies were awarded to the finalists. The guys let Charlie keep the runner-up trophy and we'll get it engraved for him when we get back.
It has been an amazing trip so far and it will be a little hard to leave tomorrow...
At lunch today, some of us learned that "poquito mas" (a little more) doesn't quite translate in Chile. Whether it is food, drinks, rooms and beds in their homes, or patience in translation, these are some of the most amazing people anyone can meet. The Ilocans we have been working and playing with these last few days are incredibly generous. Despite everything that has happened to them over the past year, they enjoy a life that many of us cannot appreciate simply because of it's simplicity.
Today we managed to get the roof on the first house and insulate it and were able to finish the floor of the second house. The last few nails were hammered in by the light of cell phones, but we finished. We'll all have to work very hard tomorrow in order to finish our goal of building two houses.
Tonight was the semifinals and finals of the "baby futbol" tournament. Gabriel, Eric, Juan, Rene, and our Charlie in goal reached the finals, but lost to the first team we played. We supplied prizes to the top 4 teams - jackets, bags, warmups, and shirts. Medals were awarded to the top three teams and trophies were awarded to the finalists. The guys let Charlie keep the runner-up trophy and we'll get it engraved for him when we get back.
It has been an amazing trip so far and it will be a little hard to leave tomorrow...
Day 3
Day 3
It was a little difficult getting up this morning, but we managed to get to breakfast on time and get to work. Five of the boys put on a small soccer clinic for about 20 local kids while the rest of the team finished up the floor of the first house. Lunch consisted of fresh fried fish and rice and was amazing. After lunch, a few of us worked on getting the walls of the first house put up, while the rest worked on the foundation of the second house. After a solid 8-hour day of work, we had dinner and went off for the second round of the tournament. We lost in penalty kicks which eliminated us (there may have been some questionable officiating considering one of the refs played on one of the teams we played last night...) but the team consisting of our team leaders (and Charlie in the goal) won their match to reach the semifinals. The boys turned in a little earlier tonight (11-ish) after a very long day.
On a more personal note, I always take pride in our boys and in our program, but I've been blown away by their hard work, their positive attitude, and their willingness to go outside their comfort zone so far during the trip. Although it is still early, I'm excited to see what they will accomplish this week. I hope they appreciate what they are experiencing and that they will allow this opportunity to get into their hearts, become a part of who they are, and further challenge them to effect positive changes...
It was a little difficult getting up this morning, but we managed to get to breakfast on time and get to work. Five of the boys put on a small soccer clinic for about 20 local kids while the rest of the team finished up the floor of the first house. Lunch consisted of fresh fried fish and rice and was amazing. After lunch, a few of us worked on getting the walls of the first house put up, while the rest worked on the foundation of the second house. After a solid 8-hour day of work, we had dinner and went off for the second round of the tournament. We lost in penalty kicks which eliminated us (there may have been some questionable officiating considering one of the refs played on one of the teams we played last night...) but the team consisting of our team leaders (and Charlie in the goal) won their match to reach the semifinals. The boys turned in a little earlier tonight (11-ish) after a very long day.
On a more personal note, I always take pride in our boys and in our program, but I've been blown away by their hard work, their positive attitude, and their willingness to go outside their comfort zone so far during the trip. Although it is still early, I'm excited to see what they will accomplish this week. I hope they appreciate what they are experiencing and that they will allow this opportunity to get into their hearts, become a part of who they are, and further challenge them to effect positive changes...
Day 2
Let the work (and play) begin - day 2
After a 4-hour ride through some of the most beautiful country we've ever seen, we arrived in Iloca to begin working on 2 houses. Just over a year ago, Iloca was hit by a magnitude 9.5 earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which sent three massive waves decimating the small fishing town and tourist area. IAM has been working in the area to help the people here recover and have built several houses in an effort to help the town move forward. This town is beautiful, with the Pacific to the west and a lush, dense forest to the east. It is amazing to see such a beautiful coastline unspoiled by hotels and multimillion dollar homes, and humbling to realize that such devastation can come out of something so serene.
We dropped our bags off at the cabanas, ate lunch, and, after loading what seemed like 10 tons of lumber and other materials into the truck, we got to work. The kids jumped right in to work and did an incredible job together. Our team is being led by 5 great guys: Eric and Gabriel (the brothers), Rene, Juan, and Fernando. With their patient direction, we were able to finish half of the floor on one of the houses, which for about 4 hours was a good amount of work. We got in a quick dinner and left for the "baby futbol" tournament put together by IAM.
"Baby futbol" is a uniquely Chilean game, and although they tell us there are indeed particular rules, it seems as though much of it is made up on the fly. The entire town was invited, and most of them made it; most of the boys have never played in front of such a large crowd. Eleven teams, including 2 Agoura squads and 1 featuring our IAM friends, are participating in this event adverstised on flyers posted around town. The other teams consist of players from Iloca. Our first team played the opening game against what we later found out was probably the best team in the tournament and, although we had the entire crowd cheering for us, we lost 5-7. The second team had the benefit of watching a couple of games and learned a little more about the "rules." Although they played very well, again with much of the crowd on their side, we lost 3-6. We impressed the locals with our effort, and despite losing, our first team made it to the next round based on the smallest goal differential. Even though the boys were exhausted from the travel, work, and play, they stuck around for a pick-up game with some of the players. Around 11pm, we headed back to the cabanas for some much needed rest (we'll be back at it at 8am)...
After a 4-hour ride through some of the most beautiful country we've ever seen, we arrived in Iloca to begin working on 2 houses. Just over a year ago, Iloca was hit by a magnitude 9.5 earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which sent three massive waves decimating the small fishing town and tourist area. IAM has been working in the area to help the people here recover and have built several houses in an effort to help the town move forward. This town is beautiful, with the Pacific to the west and a lush, dense forest to the east. It is amazing to see such a beautiful coastline unspoiled by hotels and multimillion dollar homes, and humbling to realize that such devastation can come out of something so serene.
We dropped our bags off at the cabanas, ate lunch, and, after loading what seemed like 10 tons of lumber and other materials into the truck, we got to work. The kids jumped right in to work and did an incredible job together. Our team is being led by 5 great guys: Eric and Gabriel (the brothers), Rene, Juan, and Fernando. With their patient direction, we were able to finish half of the floor on one of the houses, which for about 4 hours was a good amount of work. We got in a quick dinner and left for the "baby futbol" tournament put together by IAM.
"Baby futbol" is a uniquely Chilean game, and although they tell us there are indeed particular rules, it seems as though much of it is made up on the fly. The entire town was invited, and most of them made it; most of the boys have never played in front of such a large crowd. Eleven teams, including 2 Agoura squads and 1 featuring our IAM friends, are participating in this event adverstised on flyers posted around town. The other teams consist of players from Iloca. Our first team played the opening game against what we later found out was probably the best team in the tournament and, although we had the entire crowd cheering for us, we lost 5-7. The second team had the benefit of watching a couple of games and learned a little more about the "rules." Although they played very well, again with much of the crowd on their side, we lost 3-6. We impressed the locals with our effort, and despite losing, our first team made it to the next round based on the smallest goal differential. Even though the boys were exhausted from the travel, work, and play, they stuck around for a pick-up game with some of the players. Around 11pm, we headed back to the cabanas for some much needed rest (we'll be back at it at 8am)...
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Day 1-ish?
We were able to leave AHS at around ten leaving only one bag behind so at that point I'm thinking, "we're off to a pretty good start". After a brief (lack of) paperwork issue, we left LA for Dallas. "Mechanical issues" gave us an opportunity to stay in Dallas overnight where it was still 100 degrees at 10pm. Highlights so far include: staying at the luxurious Gaylord Texan (highly recommended if you're ever in Dallas), counting the number of people hit by errant soccer balls while waiting in the terminal, and welcoming back some troops fresh from Iraq and Afghanistan. Still waiting on departure from Dallas, but everyone seems to be going with the flow. I think our boys have some Chilean in them.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
prepare yourself...
prepare yourself...
Check out IAM's website http://iamweb.org/chilerelief.aspx to see more pictures of where and why we are going.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)