Why I can’t wait to be a soccer coach

This week I read The Millennium Development Goals Report 2009, published by the UN. The goals haven’t changed since 2000. Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education. Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women. Etc. Etc. Goal 7 Ensure environmental sustainability. Etc. The 2009 report gives an update on the eight goals to show how we’re tracking in working towards the overall objective of wiping out extreme poverty by 2015.

It doesn’t take much to figure that the goals are related. One paragraph from the 2009 report explains that,

“the large number of out-of-school children is especially worrisome because of the impact it will have on other MDG’s. Evidence shows, for instance, that an increase in the share of mothers with a primary or secondary education is associated with a reduction in the child mortality rater, and that educated parents have better nourished children. Parental literacy also plays a role in whether children attend school. Education has been shown to have a positive effect on the success of HIV prevention and increase the probability of accessing decent employment.” (p 15)

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve also been citing local research in forming a draft project proposal. In my city, the issues that the people identify as being their main concerns include: child trafficking, lack of work, lack of food security, sexual exploitation and drug use. Here’s the thing… having lived here for a year now, I’m starting to see these challenges not just in terms of the stats or the research. I’m beginning to know these people. This weekend, when the ugliness and the pain of it all hit me again, I found myself getting stupidly excited at the prospect of being trained as a soccer coach. What does football have to do with anything?! Hear me out…

We’re partnering with SALT Academy to have a 2010 soccer league starting in January. The idea is to start with a season for U16s and Girls Open. The Girls teams will need coaches. Therefore, knowing that this is a little weird/ different for most chicks but recognizing that foreigners are allowed to do weird things sometimes, I’ve put up my hand to learn about this world football game, to play a bit and to find some other young people who want to do the same.

It will take time. In November I’ll be spending a significant amount of my work time in training. It is a bit of a risk. I don’t know what the results will be. I’m not even sure how many girls will dare to play. However, I think there will be enough for a team. Even if I have to ask 150 teenagers in order to find 15 who will play, I will do it.

I’m looking forward to several months in which we can practice together, train together, compete together and celebrate whatever small achievements we accomplish. I love it that whatever struggles we have, when we are on the field we are a football team first.

Yes, I hope that this program will empower some young women (MDG Goal 3). Yes, I want to encourage them in their schooling (MDG Goal 2). Yes, I want to know if they come to play a game and haven’t eaten rice in the past day (MDG Goal 1). I also hope that by doing something as seemingly random as playing football, the players will forge stronger relationships as a team in their community, making it more likely to envision their future in Cambodia (rather than seeing the only option as crossing the border where they are much more vulnerable to exploitation). These are my dreams. But at the same time, I don’t know what’s going to happen in this 2009-2010 season. I’m not the one managing the project. I’m not in charge. I’m not writing the reports. I am simply signing up to learn how to kick a ball and coach a team. But I’m pretty excited about it!