Futbol...Tribal Style
The following is the running commentary I had going throughout my 2 week tenure as Captain of the soccer team:
Day 1- I am informed of my new title.
I hate running. Ok, not true. I enjoy running with my best friend in an air conditioned gym with an unlimited amount of clean, cold water whilst watching NCIS knowing that I have a hot shower coming. But out in the sun, in 95 degree heat with ridiculous humidity, a ridiculous amount of biting insects, with a limited amount of water at "room" temperature? Ew. No thank you, I'll take the hammock. And yet, my community decided without me that I am the Team Captain of our all female soccer team. Damn it. My job as a Volunteer at this point is to integrate and get to know the community, to build relationships and friendships. What better way to do that than by playing soccer, right? Ugh. You are so right. And this is the "first" time they have ever organized a women's team, so that is huge for gender development. (even though the previous PCV clearly remembers the ladies playing last year, they tell me it's their first time playing together ever...idk) I just hope they don't hate me when it turns out I am terrible at soccer. Really terrible.
Day 7- We've made it through 4 practices thus far.
My team is made up of 16 women here in the community. The youngest is 13 and the oldest is 34, with our average being at about 18. I am the only one on the team that owns any type of running shoe, and with the extreme slipping and sliding we do on our mud pit we call a field, I am afraid of crushing someone's foot if I wear them. Plus your bare feet grip better than any shoe or sandal out there. Shinguards, socks, and shorts are also not a thing. Yes, my team plays in perumas, which are not only the size and shape of towels but are tucked in just like a towel around your waist...and that's it. Now in my 2 months of peruma wearing I have successfully mastered day-to-day activities with few incidents. But I still struggle with monte adventures and soccer practice. So I cheat and use secret safety pins, lol. And always shorts underneath. Always. Practices are every day from 3-5. I teach them how to stretch, we run laps around the field (5-10, depending on the day), we do a couple random drills, then scrimmage for at least an hour. No breaks, no half time, no trading players in and out. Whew. Overall, we are not very good. I have definitely seen a little improvement this week, but we spend a lot of time in the mud too. My first practice, I lost count after my 4the fall in the mud. Sunday and Monday I fell 2x each. I mean epic falls, with feet in the air, and butt, back, arms, and head in the mud. The guys team practices after us, but they always show up early to get a good laugh in. It sounds malicious, but we're laughing at ourselves along with them. Let's be honest, we are ridiculous. At the end of practice there is always a team pool party in the river as we try to scrub off 2 hours of caked on mud.
I admit, it is fun. A lot of fun. When 2 o'clock comes around each day I start dreading the aching legs, throbbing feet, stitch in my side, and countless layers of mud, sweat, and bug bites that I know are coming. But by the end of practice I am glad I did it. Yay for endorphins, I guess. Now if only they would kick in each morning to help me get my aching body out of bed!
On Saturday, we play a team from another town. A team that plays regularly, has practiced more than half a dozen times, and even has jerseys. Probably shoes too. If they have any skills, they will annihilate us. But that's ok. Because despite my reluctance, hesitation, and overall avoidance to take on team captain, the women here were persistent enough to make sure that I followed through with it. They not only show up to practice every day, but half of them even show up ON TIME. A miracle in Latin American culture. On Saturday, whether we win or lose, my community's maybe first ever organized women's team will play in its first tournament. That's a big enough win for me.
Day 8- Whoops.
Dear Mom, Dad, and to all my protective friends and family members who cringed when they read that I was playing soccer barefoot: The lecture you are writing in you head to give me in your next phone call, skype date, letter, or email? Save your breath. Let's not pretend we didn't all see this coming. The second the flip flops came off at the first practice I knew it was sort of inevitable. It happened today. 10 mins left in practice, my scrimmage team was up by one point, the first time all week we might actually win. But the other team was in our goal zone again. I was on defense, and a sudden change in direction across the width of the field and I spun on my left foot to give chase. A sharp pinch in my big toe, but I ran anyway. A few feet. Then had to stop. Quick glance at my foot showed nothing but mud, so I tried running again. I limped a few more steps and then the Ref was at my side. He asked to see my foot and now blood was coming out from under the mud. He sent me off the field to go get cleaned up. About halfway home, adrenaline wore off and the pain hit. Ow. I grabbed a bucket of rain water and my medical kit and perched myself on the edge of the stairs. I gritted my teeth while trying to get enough mud off of my toe to at least see the cut. Finally. Not that bad. Almost an inch long, half an inch wide right in the middle of the pad of my left big toe. Deep enough to reach the fatty tissue but not to the bone. I rinsed it, wrapped it in gauze, wrapped it in a plastic bag secured with a hair tie, and then went to bathe the rest of me in the river. I came back with a friend who used tweezers to get all the mud out of it and we washed it out with antiseptic and wrapped it up in gauze, then it was off to band practice. It is not that bad, but I cannot walk correctly. And if I cannot use it to walk, I cannot use it to run. And if I cannot run then I cannot play. Hmm. P.S. I also called my PCMO to report it and make sure it didn't need more medical attention. And I promised not to play barefoot anymore.
Day 10- Last practice.
I could not play yesterday or today, so after rounding up my team and getting practice started I stood on the sidelines and watched, getting eating alive by bugs and monsooned on with them. Ironic that just over a week ago I would have broken a toe to get out of playing but now on Thursday right before the big tournament Saturday, all I want is for my toe to scab over enough for me to safely put it in a shoe so I can play. Turns out I kinda like soccer.
Day 12- Game Day
It started at 8.30AM rounding up my 14 players to pay the entrance fee and get ourselves ready to play. The maestra took a team photo for us, and most of us are still painted from last night's cultural celebration. Only one women's team showed up to play, our long standing soccer rivals for the guys teams. I was still busy 'registering' the team when the game started so I did not play the first half, but subbed in on defense for the second half. At the end of regular play, it was still 0-0. I was told to pick a goalie and 5 kickers. Yoana, goalie. Our 5 most consistent kickers- Yesneida, Yanitza, Esmelida, Yorlei, and Miliana. First the other team kicks, score. We kick, score. They kick, score. We kick, score. They kick, score. We kick, score. They kick, Yoana saves it! Yorlai kicks, score! They kick one last time, Yoana saves it again!!!
Final score: 4-3, Playona
My team won the first place grand prize of $25, which we divided out to about $1.50 a person and then used the leftovers to buy soda and candy. Not a bad start to a soccer team!
To do for next year: the guys team has a first place prize of $100 and a second place prize of $50, whereas the ladies is $25 and $10. Le sigh. Apparently this was a first to even have a prize for the women. Baby steps. We'll get there.
Day 13- Clean up
I spent 3 hours in the river doing laundry with my host mom as we desperately tried getting the mud out of all of our practice and game clothes. Feli, my 3 year old brother supervised from his perch on the canoe and was delighted to tell me every 15 minutes how funny it was that I resembled a tomato from being in the sun all day previous. I had sooo much dirty heavy laundry to haul back on my head, and every muscle hurt, including my toe. I curled up in the hammock after the clothes were hung up to dry and read the rest of the day away.
Epilogue
Two weeks after the incident, my toe is completely healed up, without infection but probs with a permanently altered 'fingerprint'. They also found a dead poisonous snake in the middle of the soccer field...I'm gonna make good on that promise not to go barefoot anymore!
Day 1- I am informed of my new title.
I hate running. Ok, not true. I enjoy running with my best friend in an air conditioned gym with an unlimited amount of clean, cold water whilst watching NCIS knowing that I have a hot shower coming. But out in the sun, in 95 degree heat with ridiculous humidity, a ridiculous amount of biting insects, with a limited amount of water at "room" temperature? Ew. No thank you, I'll take the hammock. And yet, my community decided without me that I am the Team Captain of our all female soccer team. Damn it. My job as a Volunteer at this point is to integrate and get to know the community, to build relationships and friendships. What better way to do that than by playing soccer, right? Ugh. You are so right. And this is the "first" time they have ever organized a women's team, so that is huge for gender development. (even though the previous PCV clearly remembers the ladies playing last year, they tell me it's their first time playing together ever...idk) I just hope they don't hate me when it turns out I am terrible at soccer. Really terrible.
Day 7- We've made it through 4 practices thus far.
My team is made up of 16 women here in the community. The youngest is 13 and the oldest is 34, with our average being at about 18. I am the only one on the team that owns any type of running shoe, and with the extreme slipping and sliding we do on our mud pit we call a field, I am afraid of crushing someone's foot if I wear them. Plus your bare feet grip better than any shoe or sandal out there. Shinguards, socks, and shorts are also not a thing. Yes, my team plays in perumas, which are not only the size and shape of towels but are tucked in just like a towel around your waist...and that's it. Now in my 2 months of peruma wearing I have successfully mastered day-to-day activities with few incidents. But I still struggle with monte adventures and soccer practice. So I cheat and use secret safety pins, lol. And always shorts underneath. Always. Practices are every day from 3-5. I teach them how to stretch, we run laps around the field (5-10, depending on the day), we do a couple random drills, then scrimmage for at least an hour. No breaks, no half time, no trading players in and out. Whew. Overall, we are not very good. I have definitely seen a little improvement this week, but we spend a lot of time in the mud too. My first practice, I lost count after my 4the fall in the mud. Sunday and Monday I fell 2x each. I mean epic falls, with feet in the air, and butt, back, arms, and head in the mud. The guys team practices after us, but they always show up early to get a good laugh in. It sounds malicious, but we're laughing at ourselves along with them. Let's be honest, we are ridiculous. At the end of practice there is always a team pool party in the river as we try to scrub off 2 hours of caked on mud.
I admit, it is fun. A lot of fun. When 2 o'clock comes around each day I start dreading the aching legs, throbbing feet, stitch in my side, and countless layers of mud, sweat, and bug bites that I know are coming. But by the end of practice I am glad I did it. Yay for endorphins, I guess. Now if only they would kick in each morning to help me get my aching body out of bed!
On Saturday, we play a team from another town. A team that plays regularly, has practiced more than half a dozen times, and even has jerseys. Probably shoes too. If they have any skills, they will annihilate us. But that's ok. Because despite my reluctance, hesitation, and overall avoidance to take on team captain, the women here were persistent enough to make sure that I followed through with it. They not only show up to practice every day, but half of them even show up ON TIME. A miracle in Latin American culture. On Saturday, whether we win or lose, my community's maybe first ever organized women's team will play in its first tournament. That's a big enough win for me.
Day 8- Whoops.
Dear Mom, Dad, and to all my protective friends and family members who cringed when they read that I was playing soccer barefoot: The lecture you are writing in you head to give me in your next phone call, skype date, letter, or email? Save your breath. Let's not pretend we didn't all see this coming. The second the flip flops came off at the first practice I knew it was sort of inevitable. It happened today. 10 mins left in practice, my scrimmage team was up by one point, the first time all week we might actually win. But the other team was in our goal zone again. I was on defense, and a sudden change in direction across the width of the field and I spun on my left foot to give chase. A sharp pinch in my big toe, but I ran anyway. A few feet. Then had to stop. Quick glance at my foot showed nothing but mud, so I tried running again. I limped a few more steps and then the Ref was at my side. He asked to see my foot and now blood was coming out from under the mud. He sent me off the field to go get cleaned up. About halfway home, adrenaline wore off and the pain hit. Ow. I grabbed a bucket of rain water and my medical kit and perched myself on the edge of the stairs. I gritted my teeth while trying to get enough mud off of my toe to at least see the cut. Finally. Not that bad. Almost an inch long, half an inch wide right in the middle of the pad of my left big toe. Deep enough to reach the fatty tissue but not to the bone. I rinsed it, wrapped it in gauze, wrapped it in a plastic bag secured with a hair tie, and then went to bathe the rest of me in the river. I came back with a friend who used tweezers to get all the mud out of it and we washed it out with antiseptic and wrapped it up in gauze, then it was off to band practice. It is not that bad, but I cannot walk correctly. And if I cannot use it to walk, I cannot use it to run. And if I cannot run then I cannot play. Hmm. P.S. I also called my PCMO to report it and make sure it didn't need more medical attention. And I promised not to play barefoot anymore.
Day 10- Last practice.
I could not play yesterday or today, so after rounding up my team and getting practice started I stood on the sidelines and watched, getting eating alive by bugs and monsooned on with them. Ironic that just over a week ago I would have broken a toe to get out of playing but now on Thursday right before the big tournament Saturday, all I want is for my toe to scab over enough for me to safely put it in a shoe so I can play. Turns out I kinda like soccer.
Day 12- Game Day
It started at 8.30AM rounding up my 14 players to pay the entrance fee and get ourselves ready to play. The maestra took a team photo for us, and most of us are still painted from last night's cultural celebration. Only one women's team showed up to play, our long standing soccer rivals for the guys teams. I was still busy 'registering' the team when the game started so I did not play the first half, but subbed in on defense for the second half. At the end of regular play, it was still 0-0. I was told to pick a goalie and 5 kickers. Yoana, goalie. Our 5 most consistent kickers- Yesneida, Yanitza, Esmelida, Yorlei, and Miliana. First the other team kicks, score. We kick, score. They kick, score. We kick, score. They kick, score. We kick, score. They kick, Yoana saves it! Yorlai kicks, score! They kick one last time, Yoana saves it again!!!
Final score: 4-3, Playona
My team won the first place grand prize of $25, which we divided out to about $1.50 a person and then used the leftovers to buy soda and candy. Not a bad start to a soccer team!
To do for next year: the guys team has a first place prize of $100 and a second place prize of $50, whereas the ladies is $25 and $10. Le sigh. Apparently this was a first to even have a prize for the women. Baby steps. We'll get there.
Day 13- Clean up
I spent 3 hours in the river doing laundry with my host mom as we desperately tried getting the mud out of all of our practice and game clothes. Feli, my 3 year old brother supervised from his perch on the canoe and was delighted to tell me every 15 minutes how funny it was that I resembled a tomato from being in the sun all day previous. I had sooo much dirty heavy laundry to haul back on my head, and every muscle hurt, including my toe. I curled up in the hammock after the clothes were hung up to dry and read the rest of the day away.
Epilogue
Two weeks after the incident, my toe is completely healed up, without infection but probs with a permanently altered 'fingerprint'. They also found a dead poisonous snake in the middle of the soccer field...I'm gonna make good on that promise not to go barefoot anymore!
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