Bearing a gift of soccer

[Catchawave]

Sweet story:

http://www.newsday.com/sports/highschool/ny-skfyfe274097364dec27,0,7036691,print.story?coll=ny-hsports-headlines

Bearing a gift of soccer
In a war-torn land, Army Capt. Alex Fyfe of Rocky Point reaches out to Iraqis through the game he loves

BY CHRIS ANTONACCI
STAFF WRITER

December 27, 2004

When Army Capt. Alex Fyfe arrived in Iraq, he saw a land of dust and rocks, but it conjured memories of plush green fields from his days playing soccer and lacrosse in Rocky Point.

Rather than see the Iraqis as enemies, Fyfe sought to earn their trust and become their friend. Fyfe figured that the impoverished and beleaguered children of the war only needed a simple gift to smile.

All it took was an idea, a few e-mails and many generous souls to fulfill Fyfe's vision. Fyfe, 26, served as a liaison between the U.S. Army and 10 village governments around Mosul in Northern Iraq during his one-year stint that ended Nov. 5. Fyfe, now home for the holidays, invited officials of each village to an early March meeting to see what services the Army could provide to improve their lifestyles.

Most asked Fyfe for essentials - drinking water, electricity and medical supplies - but one asked about developing a youth soccer program. Fyfe later saw barefoot Iraqi children kicking a ball made of straw near some Army tanks and knew he had to reach out to them.

"I know I am only one person, but I wanted to make a difference in any way I could," said Fyfe, a 1996 Rocky Point High School and 2000 West Point graduate. "I really tried to make it a better place. It has been such a rewarding feeling."

After unsuccessfully attempting to obtain supplies from athletic-equipment companies, Fyfe e-mailed Rocky Point boys soccer coach Al Ellis on March 15. A week later, Ellis, the Suffolk County Soccer Coaches Association and Long Island Junior Soccer League members had shipped two boxes of supplies. The campaign continued. Word spread.
...more....

[Name removed]

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[Catchawave]

2. Except for the *athletic equipment suppliers*.....

<snipped from the article>
"After unsuccessfully attempting to obtain supplies from athletic-equipment companies,...."

Truly a grassroots effort, and probably why we haven't seen this on CNN et al ?

[Cocoa]

5. these stories are on CNN all the time

this is by no means the first feel-good story out of Iraq, not even the first one involving soccer specifically, the stories of Americans giving soccer balls to kids started right from the beginning of the war.

And a question they never ask is what is the effect on families? Imagine parents who hate the Americans, and the kids, who just desperately want some fun, but whose parents can't afford the same stuff their American enemies can.

[Catchawave]

3. In a related article....Iraq's Soccer Coach Resigns

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/2004/12/31/803585-ap.html


BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraq coach Adnan Hamad has resigned because of security concerns and trouble getting players to join the national soccer squad, according to www.footballasia.com.

Hamad, who was recently named Asian Coach of the Year, led Iraq to the semifinals at the Athens Olympics in August and took his team to the Asian Cup quarter-finals in July. "I was hoping that I can continue as the coach of the national team but there are a lot of security problems in Iraq and there are some technical problems as the difficulty of collecting the players for the (national team)," he told the website.

Hamad led Iraq to the WAFF Cup title in 2002 and the junior team to the Youth Asian Cup title in 2000.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

This was the highlight of the Athens' Games to me!

[Calliope]

4. These are the kind of efforts

that will capture "the hearts and minds" of the people of Iraq. What has Haliburton done lately?