Video: Academy Fundraiser

What an amazing night!  You gotta watch and enjoy the celebration.  And then you MUST share it with others!

Cheers, Casey


Ubuntu Football Academy from VECTOR COLLECTIVE on Vimeo.

Beach Soccer Anybody?

So all of the schools just got out for the Holidays. Unlike schools back home, the school year in South Africa ends in December and the new one starts in January. Ubuntu also gives the boys a month break from Academy practice which gives them lots of free time. So I figured, what better to do than to pick up 5 of the Ubuntu boys from Ocean View and take them to play soccer on the beach. No official start time, no rules, no fitness, no drills, JUST soccer on the beach. We all piled into the car and drove to Longbeach which is right down the road. It was super windy which made our time even funnier. We set up two shoes for the goals, used a soccer ball from the trunk and had ourselves a good ole time. It's just fun to be hanging out with the Ubuntu boys I've gotten to know over the soccer season, outside of that Ubuntu Academy context. I get to see more of their personalities which I love. They cut up all the time and are just a fun group to hang out with.

After soccer on the beach we swung by Casey's house. Enjoyed ourselves some popsicles and then headed down the road to Compass Bakery to split some sweet treats. It was just a good afternoon. I think it's important to have this time just to cut up and enjoy life over the break, especially outside of the Academy soccer context. These are guys I'll work really closely with this coming year with the eventful Ubuntu Academy season ahead so it's great that I get to continue to build our relationships now while there's no official soccer going on.

Looking forward to getting up with more of the Ubuntu boys over this break,

Austin

School Shopping

Growing up, did everyone not enjoy going shopping for new school supplies and if you were lucky enough, new clothes for the school year? Maybe that was just me?..Regardless, this past week I took Chadley, one of the Ubuntu Academy boys, and his mother Desiree to Silvermine Academy to do their school clothes shopping. While Silvermine Academy is a private high school and requires the students to wear uniforms, all of the high schools and primary schools in South Africa (private or public) require the students to wear school uniforms. Quite a big difference than back home in the U.S.

What's neat about Silvermine Academy is that the Principal of the school, the backbone of all school operations, is incredibly passionate about putting students in environments that suit their learning ability best. They do tests with all the students to find their best style of learning and where they are weak learning wise so that they can target each students' best learning style. They're very far ahead of the rest of the game. The amazing part though, is that so many of the Ubuntu boys like Chadley who are going to Silvermine Academy next year, are coming from schools where the schooling conditions are very poor.  Chadley's mother told me that the school he was coming has roughly 50 students in each class. Yes, 1 teacher per 50 students. So to come from a schooling situation like that and to be put in a classroom with 15-20 bright students, led by a teacher who is passionate about educating their students, really is amazing. To think that until Ubuntu walked into Chadley's life, Chadley would have just attended Steenberg high school (an environment that's very hard to excel in). As Desiree and I talked in the car it was very obvious she was elated for her son to be coming to Silvermine Academy next year. Especially as a parent coming from a rougher area like Steenberg, to see your son have an opportunity like this, to truly further himself and be set a part from so many in Steenberg means so much. Kids from areas like Steenberg just don't have opportunities like this. So to see Ubuntu provide this kind of opportunity for these boys is something really special.

One of the things that excites me the most is that Chadley is going to be one of the boys who does really well at his new school. At least that's what I believe. Chadley just has this warmth and happiness about him that is contagious to others. I swear, he has this Hollywood smile too which cracks me up. Chadley was the Head-Boy (kind of like getting chosen to be class president, but by the staff) of his grade at his previous school (Floreat Primary) so hopefully that will give him some confidence going into the new year as well.

That Hollywood Smile

I had a great time taking Chadley and his mother to their new school though. I know it will only become more and more exciting as we get closer to the new year and a brand new, and very big, chapter of their life begins. What I'm really excited about though is that I'll be here for the start of it all!

Hoping this post finds you well,

Austin

Ubuntu Update- Good Vibes

Intern Extraordinaire, Austin Dietz, will be blogging about once-a-week to give you a unique perspective in what is happening around Ubuntu Sports Outreach and the Ubuntu Football Academy.  It will be a unique look into how he is seeing what is happening, but also what it looks and feels to be with us as an intern/volunteer.  Hope you enjoy!

Hey everyone,
I'm happy to report some good news. As you've heard, there have been 4 new additions to the Ubuntu family. Two of the four boys (Lutho and Sinethemba) had been working closely with the Academy boys all year so they're already quite connected with the group. The other two boys however, Eric and Wandile, didn't know any of the Ubuntu boys prior to their invitation to join the Academy. So then there was this big question. How were the current Ubuntu boys going to receive Eric and Wandile into the family? If they didn't care for them, it would undoubtedly make the years to come much tougher as a team.
Well, you can stop holding your breath! The good news is that the boys have been getting along GREAT. To be honest, I don't know how much better they could be getting along. They've already given Wandile (the one from Philippi) a nick name that the whole team calls him and they always inquire about Eric's whereabouts if he can't make it to practice. Both Eric and Wandile are very talented technically and because they can "skill" the other players with the ball, they're embraced even more by the Ubuntu boys. For whatever reason, South Africa is all about "skilling" the other guy with the ball. Sometimes, this is so much so, they don't even try to score actually goals but rather just "skill" the opponent multiple times. All this said though, it's been cool to see this group of Academy boys welcome Eric and Wandile into the Ubuntu Academy family.
This doesn't mean Eric and Wandile still don't have some warming up to do to the team though. Both boys are still a little shy, every now and then showing glimpses of their true selves. This is totally understandable though. Coming from a completely different team it can be a little intimidating to work your way into the new team. However, I'm confident within 2 months time they'll be making as many jokes as the rest of the guys and feel right at home.
Having a great time getting to know these two new Ubuntu boys more and more,
Austin

Fulfillment of a Dream

It’s with great pleasure that I announce the final “new” recruits into the Ubuntu aren’t Football Academy.  This announcement has particular warm feelings because these guys exactly new.  Lutho Tom and Sinethemba Mgwetana have been training as Fish Hoek A team players (and adopted Academy members) all season.  As we looked at players from all over the city we just decided that those players weren’t better than these 2 guys that we already had.  In addition we already knew their character.  So, we decided to take our investment in them a step further.

Lutho did a trial with us way back when we started last February, but he just wasn’t ready at the time.  But he was selected for the A team at the club and then took advantage of the opportunity to also attend the Academy practices.  As the season went along he progressed so much!  Even to the point of winning our Most Improved Award at the Club’s prize giving.  It was also impressive because we had him playing right back, which he’s never played before.  At this point we’re not even sure what his best position may be because he’s continuing to show us flashes of his potential.  So, we’ve loved watching Lutho improve, and expect so much more of it, but we’ve also loved watching his character develop.  The resolve he showed in being so committed to training this year was impressive.  But he’s showing it at school, too.  Recently he was the only boy in his grade selected by his school to apply for a prestigious scholarship to a new high school.  I was so proud when I heard that he was the ONLY boy selected.  He’s a bright kid, with great character, and loads of potential on the field; I can’t wait to see what happens.

Sinethemba showed up even later.  He is one of those players that doesn’t look super impressive in training sessions, especially if those sessions don’t involve playing.  But once we saw him play in match scenarios we moved him onto the A team and haven’t looked back.  He had a great season playing center back and led us to so many of those shutouts we had.  Just like Lutho, he took advantage of the opportunity to better himself and attended all the training sessions offered to him.  Even though his English is somewhat weak, he gets along with the other boys quite well.  When we spoke to his school recently about the possibility of him moving to and English school they thought he would do fine because he “works hard.”  I love to hear stuff like that.

So, it’s pretty exciting to invite kids into our full family that basically already were.  I guess it’s almost like when a foster child gets fully adopted.  I know the other boys will be really happy that they are in fully.  This actually stretches our numbers past our model of 8 boys per year because this will give us 9 boys that were born in 1998, but if God is leading He will provide.  So, we continue to walk in faith and ask you join us in that.

When I walked out of the house on Tuesday night to go visit Lutho’s family and invite him into the Academy I said, “Well, I gotta go, gonna go change another boy’s life.”  Obviously I was joking a little, but there was so much truth to it.  I knew that the invitation that we were about to extend was going to change the trajectory of Lutho’s life.  But it doesn’t just change his life, but the life of his family now, the family he will have in the future, his community, and eventually his nation.  We’re about exponential transformation.  Everything we do in these boys’ lives is so that they can change the face of a nation.  I’m confident it will happen.  But, WOW, what a pleasure to be part of it on this end?!  Holding the vision out there for them, trusting God to make it happen, and sitting amazed at what’s happening.  I have the best life and job ever!  I’m so humbled to be part of this great privilege and yet thankful that it’s not all up to me.

Casey

New Recruits

Throughout the year we have lost 3 players from the Academy because they couldn't handle the amount of commitment required.  So this past weekend we had 2 days of clinics to help select new members.
This time around we mostly networked with local clubs that we have either played against or scouted at some point.  The amazing thing was how willing the clubs were to share their players.  We found that the guys coaching these kids genuinely want great things for the boys and want them to take hold of excellent opportunities.  They seemed to trust us really quickly, so they brought them with expectation and pride.
The talent level at this clinic was way higher compared to what we had a year ago at similar clinics.  These boys can all play, so it made the environment competitive and challenging for the players.
The first day was just the invited kids, but on Saturday we had our current players join them.  It was fun to see the excitement within our kids as they imagined adding some really talented players to our family.  At the conclusion of the clinic on Saturday we had our boys give input individually into who they thought we should select.  The interesting and affirming thing was that they basically picked the same players that we were thinking.
We actually have only formally invited 2 players to fill the 3 spots.  We have invited a few more players to today's practice to see if they might fill the 3rd spot.  However, the 2 boys that we did choose are going to be terrific.   Eric, was born in 1998 and lives in Ottery.  He plays on the wing or in an attacking midfield role.  He's got great skills and reads the game well.  He LOVES to go forward, which we appreciate.  He's got a super-involved mom who supports him really well.

Wandile is a 1999 and lives in a really rough community called Philipi.  He's a really slick center midfielder with feathery touch who passes the ball really well.  He's going to improve our team dramatically.  He's got a great smile and an awesome Mom who really wants great things for him.  Wandile is the exact kind of kid we want to be involved with.  He's from a really downtrodden community, has amazing talent, is mostly uncoached, has a great attitude, and has been raised by a great parent.

 
Both of the boys were actually at the same club previously, Wynberg St. John's.  We are really thankful for their coach for not just allowing them to come for the clinic, but for encouraging them to take advantage of this opportunity.
I'll get some pics of the boys soon, so that you can see their great smiles.  And please pray that God would lead us to the right boy to fill the final slot.

Pumped,
Casey

My Favorite 4 Hours

I just had my favorite 4 hours in Africa so far!  What an amazing afternoon.  Today the Ubuntu Academy boys entered new territory as they went to Sun Valley/Silvermine Academy for their assessments with the principal and head of the high school.  It was such a significant experience for them and they were treated so well.

Joshua Clayton is excited about the hot dogs

When we got there they fed them a little hotdog lunch with cake and juice.  Then they went and took a math and English test.  After a break they did assessments to figure out if they have "free flow" or "blocked flow".  I'm still learning a lot about this, but it seems to make a big difference to how students learn and produce results in the classroom.  Really interesting stuff.
Their parents arrived a few hours later and Principal Keller spoke with them, introduced the school, and told them about the assessments they did.  They seemed quite interested in what the Staff were able to figure out about the boys in such short times.
After Principal Keller was done, Tauriq's grandfather spoke up and thanked us for all the work we've done to make the education possible.  Of course it's nice to hear that they recognize what an amazing opportunity this is for the boys.
The High School Leader Charlene then showed the parents around the school.  I later walked them down to the sports fields where the boys had gone to play.  We took an awesome group picture to remind us of the significance of this day.

The boys, their parents, and the coaches

As I drove away I was overwhelmed with how significant this moment is for the boys.  They, their families, and their communities will never be the same.  They will likely be the best educated person they know, with the most resolve and support to make their future all that God dreams it will be.  You can see the boys are really starting to get excited about this, when before they were scared and apprehensive.  And the parents have a sense of wonder as the wrestle with the fact that this is really true and happening.
I'm just super humbled that I'm allowed to be a part of this.  It's such a privilege!  I, too, won't be the same as I watch these boys transform.  And I really think this will only make them easier to coach.  Their confidence will go up as they have success in the classroom.  They will bring that confidence, and eagerness to learn, to the field where I'll really be able to impart stuff.  I'm so pumped!!

Cheers,
Casey

One Valley Festival

This weekend we hosted our 2nd One Valley Festival in the local community of Sun Valley.  It was a crazy day of soccer, with close to 50 teams in attendance!  The festival was not only a great display of local talent, but also an opportunity for teams of all ages and divisions to come out and enjoy a great day of soccer!  Despite the crazy weather, the event turned out to be a huge success.  Thanks again for all the teams, coaches, and volunteers that made this day possible!  

geared up and ready to get started

these tough girls proved they could hang with the boys

enjoying a good game of soccer

 Coach Mike & Coach Casey at the Festival

Pre-game pep talk

 All smiles!

Video of Championship Victory

Sarah created a video of our League Winning victory about a month back.  She posted it on her blog, check it out!!

Good Hope FM Interview

Recently Michael was interviewed on the Nigel Pierce show on Good Hope FM about the Ubuntu Football Academy.  Good Hope FM is our major radio station in Cape Town and Nigel is one of its most popular DJs and personalities.  The interview was a fantastic showcase of the Academy and Michael did a splendid job.  As you know, Nigel was our MC at the fundraiser, so he knew exactly what questions to ask to really set us up to tell our full story.  Please listen to it!

Dylan's Running Story

In July Dylan Thayer ran the the entire Maryland section of the Appalachian Trail to raise money to support the work of  Ubuntu Sports Outreach.  We met Dylan a few summers ago at The Great Escape where Sarah was speaking.  He decided to do something crazy to support our work and we were blessed by it.  Dylan is a junior at Hamilton College in New York and runs cross country there.  He won't like us bragging, but he ran 44 miles in 8 hours, 9 minutes, and 37 seconds!  Holy long run!!  He also raised almost $4,000!!  Can you believe that?!?!  When he first started he wanted to fund one school team, instead he funded over 5 teams!

Trucking through the AT.

 We're so thankful to have guys like Dylan that believe in what we're doing and want to be a part of it.  That's the essence of "ubuntu".  Often I feel like we're building a family that stretches across the United States, throughout Cape Town, and beyond.  We will always need this family to be strong and broad if we're going to accomplish the work God has set out for us!  Please read Dylan's reflections below about his run.

Cheers,
Casey

Taking a Break

At its core, the Bible is really just a collection of stories.


Ok, I know. I basically just made a statement along the lines of, “If you think about it, it’s kinda hot in summer,” or “You know, people are reading less because of the Internet.” It wasn’t a big intellectual leap. Just bear with me here, though.


So, the Bible is just a collection of disparate, disjointed stories that were transmitted orally and then at some point written down, collected, edited, re-edited and argued over endlessly and translated into more languages than any of us can list because of the belief that they all tell one big story about a species called Man and his struggle with his Creator. And while that big story is important, sometimes we can focus so much on the big picture that we lose the little nitty-gritty struggles and emotions that go along with the smaller stories that serve as building blocks of the overarching narrative.


And that’s where we all make a huge mistake: we stand back and we look at these stories as part of a larger masterpiece that God has painted and, whether we intend to or not, we surrender a tiny bit of our faith, and then a bit more, and then a little more as we grow older and more cynical by clinging steadfastly to the boring and safe belief that this could never possibly happen to us.


I can’t, you can’t, he/she/it can’t: that is the verb that we decline in our own heads with depressing regularity. We look at those stories and rob them of their power by thinking that none of us could ever possibly do something as miraculous as part the Red Sea, or feed five thousand people, or bring two people back from the dead. What we don’t stop to consider is that a lot of us have siblings who suck sometimes (like Joseph) or have responsibilities hoisted upon us before we really feel ready (like Jeremiah) or have the ability to be totally clueless occasionally (like the Apostles). No, we fixate like bugs around a lamp on the miraculous action and complete lose sight of the fact that the people God chose to do it were often impossibly mundane.


I ran across the Maryland portion of the Appalachian Trail in July because I believe that it’s part of a plan that God has revealed to me. How special does that make me? Very special, and yet not all special. How crazy does that make me? I don’t know, but I’m willing to be crazy. Crazy, thus far, has been much more fun than sane.


I don’t want to get into the details of what happened out there a few months ago, because the monotony of chronicling the 44.6 miles I ran, or the roughly 70,000 strides I put down, one in front of the other, would only serve as self-aggrandizement. I’m not going to talk about how much money I raised, or discuss my financial acumen, because that would be in poor taste. If I may be a bit jib, there are many things I do well, but bragging isn’t one of them.


However, if there is one impression I could leave the reader with concerning my ministry, it would be this: What happens when a totally ordinary man turns to the power of God in an effort to become transcendently great? What happens when you stop begging God for miracles and decide that you’re going to try and be one? For me, the answer turned out to be something pretty incredible that changed, (and hopefully will continue to change) not just my life but also the lives of hundreds of other people living half a world away.


I won’t get into whether what I did was a true miracle or not. I won’t get into what my plans for the future with Ubuntu or anybody else are; this is partially because as a college junior teetering on the abyss of the real world and trying to fall back on the everlasting arms, even I don’t have the faintest idea, although I do have plans.


All I can say for certain is this: miracles didn’t stop happening when the ink dried on the final scroll of the final sheet of papyrus included in the Bible. There are miracles happening all over the world now as you read this. And you could be one, if you want: I know from experience, at any rate, that crazy is much more fun than sane. Wouldn’t it be fun, after all, in God’s great woven tapestry of human experience, to have a few threads all to yourself, and a story that you could call your very own?

These are Holy Days

Beautiful Tables

Many prayers were said, and they were answered!  Our first big fundraiser for the Ubuntu Football Academy was a resounding success!  The whole event was simply fantastic. The vibe, people's excitement, the food, the game, they speakers, the way the boys presented themselves, the decor, it was all perfect!  I simply can't say it enough.  One of my favorite quotes from the evening was when my wife Sarah would lean over and say, "Can you believe this is your fundraiser?  I feel like we must be at somebody else's event."  The school we are partnering with, Sun Valley Primary and Silvermine Academy, just went way above the call of duty on this event.  Seriously, they thought of EVERY single detail.  I had almost nothing to do the day of the event.  The decor they created rivaled something the illustrious Karen Latta would have put together.  They had decorated the tables beautifully, put pictures up of our boys, had artwork from the school around, had 2 different slide shows, it was AMAZING!

Great Room for all the Fun

The night started with an exhibition match out on their field.  We invited one of the clubs from our league to come play us.  Their coach also attends Hillsong a bit, so we thought he would be the most likely person to want to support what we are doing.  They came almost an hour to play.  During the game we had music playing and the guests were served appetizers and drinks.  The school has a hospitality program, so those students were responsible for all of that.  Since the field is pretty short we played 9 vs 9 and our boys played so well.  They knew the night was important, so they played hard, but they also were relaxed and had fun with it.  People were so complementary about the way they played and how well coached they were.  DUH!  :)  

Chadley showing his skills during the game.

Carl pulling away as crowd watches on.

After the game we moved everyone into the school hall for our presentations & dinner.  Nigel PIerce, one of the very popular DJ from the local radio station was our MC (it would like having Bob from G105 there).  He started off sharing about his own motivation for being there, showed our promo video, and then continued sharing about the unique characteristics of the Academy.  That was all done really well, especially because he continued to poke fun at Mike for being a Liverpool fan.

Nigel Pierce from Good Hope FM

Before eating we asked Phil Dooley from Hillsong to say the blessing.  He took the liberty to say a few things about me and Michael and was so complimentary of what has already transpired.  He even slipped in how well we've done on the field, which was great because we hadn't planned another time to do that.  We then ate a delicious meal of salads and lamb.  It was so good!!  I wish I hadn't been the one hosting so that I could have mauled some more of it.


As dinner finished Gavin Keller, the Headmaster of the Sun Valley Group of Schools, presented on the school, and it's uniqueness.  He is so compelling and does such a great job really trying to push to educate today's generation of kids.  There were parents there that send their kids to other private schools, even the American International School, and they were saying that they were transferring their kids to Sun Valley the next day!  It was a great showcase for the school, and painted a clear picture of why Silvermine is the right place for our boys.
Nigel then returned to explain the needs and the costs associated with that.  Guests were given a pledge card and asked to consider what they could do over the next 5 years.

Michael with former pro Neil Van Schalkwyk & Nigel Pierce

Casey speaking with Bryan Tennant & his Guests

Michael and I finished up by thanking a few guests, like the school, Nigel, and somebody that sponsored all our wine for the event.  We then invited people to join us for desert over at the High School next door.  There they could see the facilities (it's basically 3 adjoining houses that they bought and have remodeled to suit the needs) and visit with the boys that had been eating their own dinner separately.  The boys were shy at first, but eventually started chatting with the guests and, especially, with the older hospitality students! I was especially proud of their skills with the ladies!  People kept telling me how impressed they were the boys.  I wasn't sure who they were talking about!  :)

People actually stayed around for quite a while chatting with each other and the boys.  The vibe was so great that they just didn't want to leave.  Neither did I!  We left so excited and expectant that God had really provided for us.  It wasn't until we got home that we realized that the stack of pledge cards in our hand was the blank ones.  Whoops!  So, Friday morning I fetched the completed ones from the school.  Basically, just from the cards filled out on the evening, we raised enough to guarantee that we can pay the school fees for the 11 boys that we need to educate next year!!  (The other 5 are already in good schools).  Also, several people that we expect will really come to the table for us in the future weren't able to come.  So, we are very confident that God will provide the budget we seek.  We also will be asking the parents to contribute towards their uniforms, transportation, and books.  Plus, we know we can get some things donated that we have on our budget.

Hillsong Table enjoying conversation.
Also includes 2 Frenchmen, 1 from Holland, & 3 Americans!

So, there you have it.  A REALLY LONG SUMMARY, of an amazing night!!  I wish I could tell you more!!  I could go on FOREVER!  Though this night was a great success we are NO WHERE CLOSE to being finished raising the funds that we need.  Please share our story with others and consider who we might be able to approach.  We'll be in the States in November and would love to meet with people there at that time.

So stinking pumped,
Casey

Carl, Jesse, Rory, and Josh flirting with the Older Ladies!

Photo walls

Knockout Final

You can't win them all!  After finishing the last 16 games of the season with a 15-1 record we finally faltered.  We started the Final against Botha Sig quite slowly.  We were hindered with several injuries and illnesses so players were playing out of position, and that really slowed us early on.  We gave up a goal on an amazing deep shot about 10 minutes into the game.  We slowly got into the game, but we still weren't playing well.  With about 5 minutes left in the 1st half we drew a penalty and Tauriq finished it off.  So, at halftime we were tied 1-1.  The good news was that we still hadn't played well, the bad news was that we had to figure out how to play better.  

Luke Planting attacking in the 1st Half

We started the 2nd half stronger and started playing our brand of soccer, getting the ball on the ground and passing it around a bit.  We made some changes early in the 2nd half that gave us some footing, especially in midfield.  However, we still couldn't find the goal.  Regulation ended and we headed to overtime.  At this point our fitness level started to show and we played better and better as the game wore on.  But we were still squandering our chances.

With less than a minute left in overtime Coach Mike and I started discussing who our penalty takers should be.  We were organizing our list when all of a sudden we lost the ball in midfield, the ball got played over the heads of our defenders, and their forward ran onto it and popped it over our goalie.  Just like that, with less than 15 seconds left, it was over!  It was such a shock.  We had controlled play throughout the 2nd Half and Overtime and seemed like the only team that would score.  

The great thing is that you can teach a whole lot more when you lose, than when you win.  You obviously learn a lot about the game, but there is so much to learn about life in that moment.  I was proud of how the boys handled it.  They were disappointed, but they were good sports with our opponents, and within half an hour they were ready to enjoy the awards ceremony.  Being League Champions meant that we received that trophy and our runners up medals for the Knockout.  So, in the end, there was still much to celebrate.  

Congratulations has to go out to the U13 Fish Hoek B team that won their division of the league AND the Knockout.  Two of the Academy players, Sim and Keanu, have played on that team all year.  

And we also need to send a major thank you to Hillsong Church Cape Town.  They sponsored our new Knockout Final Jerseys.  They had the boys names on the back, they got to pick their own number, and they had the Hillsong logo on the sleeve.  They looked sharp!  

The team with their trophies & medals.
In the picture is Matthew Booth, a former National Player, who grew up in Fish Hoek and played with the club.

Our First League Title

A Little Halftime Encouragement

The Champions Celebrate

The Ubuntu boys clinched the Premier League title on Saturday afternoon with a 1-0 victory over CPUT, a team that previously defeated us!!  It was one of the best performances the team has put together this year.  They defended well, created lots of chances for each other, and had a great spirit about the game.  The goal was scored by Alex Van Schalkwyk and may have been the best goal we've scored all year.  It was off a corner kick swung in from the left side by Chadley Philander.  On corner kicks Alex is responsible for the near post run.  He made a great run, had the courage to put his head on the ball, and it sailed into the top of the goal!  It was fantastic, just like you draw it up in practice!
It's been a remarkable season already, but it can get better with the Knockout Final this Saturday.  This game is against Botha Sig, a team that defeated us the first game of the season and that we narrowly beat in the return match.  We're playing our best football at the right time, and despite several injuries and illnesses I know we'll be up for the challenge on Saturday.
I wanted to share a few statistics to show the amazing progress the team has made.

• We started the season with 1 win, 1 loss, and 2 draws.  In those 4 games we gave up 6 goals.  
• In the 14 league matches since then we've gone 13-1, while only giving up 4 goals.  We have ten shutouts in that period.  
• We've also played two knockout matches which have both been shutout wins, so that gives us 12 shutouts and a total record of 16-2-2.  Hopefully on Saturday that record will go to 17-2-2.  
• With the Premier League Championship comes promotion to the Super League next year!

So much excitement in the years to come, but it's amazing to see what God has done already in a year.  Pretty incredible to think what can possibly be ahead.  We'll be sure to update you on what happens on Saturday in the Final!

Sim

Our final profile is of Sim.  If you want to see more of Sim's life check out the video we did: http://youtu.be/oy4-U5VdO_M

Name:  Simxolisile Keps

Age:  12

School:  Marine

Position:  Defense, Midfield

Grade: 6

Favorite Player: Messi

What do you think about the academy?

I think the academy is doing great stuff and my skills are improving because of it.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?

My favorite memory is when we went to Hillsong.

Dream?

Its my dream to be a professional soccer player.

Keanu

This is the 'baby' of the Academy, our youngest.  He may be the youngest, but he's probably the most technically gifted.  Get to know him!

Name:  Keanu Wilsnach  

Age: 11

School:  Marine         

Position: Center midfield

Grade:  6

Favorite Player:  Messi

What do you think about the academy?
I like that it teaches different things, not just about soccer.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?

Going to Youth at Hillsong.

Dream? To be a professional player.

Tauriq

Name:  Tauriq Lamara

Age: 13

School:  Hillwood         

Position: Right and Left Wing

Grade:  7

Favorite Player:  Ronaldo

What do you think about the academy?

I really like the academy, because of its quality of excellence.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?

My favorite memory is going to Hillsong's youth group with the team.

Dream?

I want to be a professional soccer player or singer.  

Not making excuses

You all know that the point of what Ubuntu Football Academy is doing is much great than soccer.  The great thing is that we're already seeing some fruit of all the effort.  Rory is a 7th grader from Ocean View.  He plays right back for us because he's got great pace, serves a good ball, and his athleticism helps him defend.  When he comes to practice he's focused and hard working.
The only problem is that Rory doesn't always come to practice!  He's had two episodes this year where he has gone completely AWOL.  He'll miss 1-2 weeks at a time during these episodes.  Most teams would have dropped him at that point, but our philosophy at Ubuntu is different.  We continue to pursue him and push him to mature.  As the months have gone on he hasn't had long absences, but will still miss a practice here or there.  Sometimes he'll use the smallest excuse to try and miss a practice.  We try to help him understand that skipping training won't help him reach his goal of playing for Manchester United one day.
This week, though, we have started to see some real fruit from our patience and perseverance.  On Monday Rory came to my house to tell me he would be late to training because he had to go to something at church.  However, he already had his stuff with him and would come straight to practice from there.  (BIG STEP).  He told me then, 3 days early, that he would have to miss Thursday's practice because of a dance practice at church, and had his mom call to confirm (ANOTHER BIG STEP).  But it got better.  On Thursday, about 20 minutes into practice, Rory comes walking up.  His dance practice had been canceled.  Even though he had an easy excuse he put in the effort to come to training.  For him that meant walking to the taxi stand, paying for the taxi, making the ride, and then walking a bit to get to the field.  He didn't even have his stuff, but just came to watch.  This is such a major step for Rory!  He used to look for excuses, yesterday he wouldn't allow his excuse to stop him.  Some of his teammates shared equipment so he was actually able to practice with his team.  It was beautiful!
After practice I made sure to spend some time telling him how proud I was of him.  We know that most of our boys never hear that people are proud of them, so we really try to emphasize that.  I'm excited of the maturity and commitment that he's showing.  He'll miss again in a few weeks, probably, but it's the small steps that will build him into a community transforming leader.  We shared a pizza for lunch today where I was able to continue to build him up over his great progress.  Rory is easy to be proud of and I can't wait to see where he's headed!

Excited,
Casey

Not Scared Anymore

Alex Van Schalkwyk is one of our more talented players (see his profile below).  His ball skills are awesome!  He's a slick dribbler, strikes the ball well, and has some creativity and pizzazz.  However, Alex has always struggled with self-confidence.  As we started the Academy people always noted that Alex's mental/emotional game was what was holding him back.  I begin to see it very quickly.  In our first couple of friendly matches he shied away from the big moments.  When we played Ajax Cape Town he was so intimidated because of the name on the jersey and the look of their kit.  He would openly admit to preferring to play weaker teams where he knew he was better than the opponent.  At the beginning of the season he started on the B team and he loved the idea of playing against weaker opponents.
Well, Alex didn't stay on the B team long and quickly got moved up to the A team.  We continued to battle his lack of confidence, but things were slowly changing.  Since the beginning of August, though, his attitude has changed dramatically!  He's gotten confident, has been pushing people around, and doesn't want to play weaker opponents anymore.  Our opponent this weekend is last place in our league and has consistently been blown out by the other teams.  At practice the other day Alex said to me, "Coach, I don't want to play against (team) this weekend, they are so weak.  I want to play against the good teams now."  I couldn't believe my ears!  Alex has grown so much in just a few short months that he no longer wants to play weak teams where he knows he will have success, but wants to play against strong teams that will challenge his ability and make him better.  That's a big step for him.  Now his natural abilities can be displayed because he won't hold himself back.
I'm so proud of him and excited about his progress!

Casey

Juan

Name: Juan Cloete

Age: 13

School: Crestway

Position:  Left back


Grade: 8


Favorite player: Lionel Messi

What do you think about the academy?
I rally like it because all of the players and coaches that I get to interact with.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?
My favorite memory is when we all got to go to McDonald's after the game.

Dream?
It's my dream to be a professional soccer player.

Alex

Name:  Alex Van Schalkwyk

Age: 12

School:  Sun Valley Primary School           

Position: Right Wing

Grade:  6

Favorite Player:  Messi

What do you think about the academy?

I really enjoy being part of the Academy, because I love playing soccer.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?

My favorite memory is when Coach Mike took us to Steers.

Dream?

Its my dream to play with Barcelona.

Matthew

Name:  Matthew Tennant

Age: 13

School:  Bay Primary School         

Position: Midfield

Grade:  7

Favorite Player:  Steven Gerrard 

What do you think about the academy?

I love it!  The people are special and there are lots of great opportunities.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?

My favorite memory was when we won the tournament.

Dream?

Its my dream to play play for Liverpool and travel the world.

Carl

Name: Carl Van Rensburg

Age: 13

School: Ocean View Secondary

Position: Striker

Grade: 8

Favorite Player: Ronaldo

What do you think about the academy?

I think the academy is brilliant and its a great experience playing with other good players.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?

Going to camp with the team was my favorite memory.

Dream?

Professional Soccer Player