Appreciate the little things in life. San Miguel has taught me that the things I took advantage of as child, these children truly appreciate. The first practice of the soccer program began on Thursday, which involved boys and girls running from their homes to come to the field. The practice began with a warm-up lap around the field then a circle of stretching. My intention was to practice passing and shooting using drills that I learned playing soccer in high school. However, during these drills each kid of San Miguel kept asking me: “¿Vamos a jugar futbol?” My response was that we were playing futbol (soccer) but all they just wanted to was scrimmage against each other. Their intention was to be able to play together and get the most out of the hour of practice that day.
As the children played, some parents stood by watching their children enjoy themselves. One of the mothers told Mimi Powell how wonderful it was for these kids to have the opportunity to play. My question, “ Did many kids have access to a soccer ball before Kalu Yala arrived in San Miguel?” The answer saddened me when I was told that unfortunately that soccer balls were expensive and the children did not have their own. This concept is difficult to grasp because of the opportunities and resources available to me when I was a child.
My belief is that these children can teach me more than I could probably teach them when it comes to enjoying life. Each practice will be an opportunity to learn about the children and play with each one of them.
