What's up with Ubuntu Sports Outreach

An Inside Look

2012-02-24T14:29:00.000+02:00

So how does an ever-expanding organization continue to grow while still holding true to its vision? By meeting weekly.

Since the beginning of the New Year we’ve been meeting each week as a staff here at Ubuntu. For a couple of hours each Thursday morning we stop what we’re doing and meet. These meetings have not only brought us closer together as a team but have been highly beneficial to our operations as an organization. Because many different things must happen to keep Ubuntu running (marketing/business, Academy, football programs, transport) and growing as it is, each team member focuses a little more directly on certain areas. Meeting each week has allowed us to report back on those more specific fields and keep everybody on the same page with everything we have going on.

These meetings have also been a time to pray together as a team, hear from each other and also to share some laughs together. I feel like I’ve grown to love what we’re doing even more through these meetings too. I’m consistently shown more of Casey and Michael’s heart for Ubuntu each week at these meetings and how they want to impact the young men of Africa through it. Which has been very cool. Because as much time as we spend out on the field together it’s cool to be reminded of their heart behind it all as well.

Looking forward to keeping you updated,

Austin

And the Verdict is...

2012-02-17T13:13:00.000+02:00

Exciting update written by Austin on the Ubuntu Football Blog. Please check it out there... http://ubuntufootball.com/?p=409

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

2012-02-14T15:21:00.000+02:00

At Ubuntu we’ve been training our Academy boys since the beginning of January. At our pre-season camp we set the standard high with timed runs and focused training sessions. Coming back from camp we continued with our high standards for 2012 and kept at it on the training field. The boys have been getting more fit and yet it’s still pre-season. Or I should say was. Because today marks the first official day that “club soccer” starts at Fish Hoek (the club Ubuntu has partnered with and plays at). That means on Tuesdays and Thursdays there’ll be 60-70 Fish Hoek boys at training in each age group instead of just our core group. Ubuntu Football Academy trains separately on Mondays and Wednesdays and the boys train with Fish Hoek on Tuesdays and Thursdays (which we run).

So that said, our level of expectation for the boys at tonight’s training is high. Last night at the end of practice, Casey reminded them that while all of the boys coming to play at Fish Hoek tomorrow evening have just been sitting around we’ve been training hard since the start of January. Therefore we expect our boys to stand out and to set the bar tonight. They should look sharper on the ball, be more fit, and really set the tone out on the field tonight. We also told them they should be outgoing on the field meeting the new players. On multiple levels we hope our Academy boys stand out. And a part of me wants to tell them, “You should come in with a little bit of pride knowing that you’ve been training harder and longer and at a higher level than the other players out there. That you should have some pride because you’re a part of the Ubuntu Academy so therefore you should put pride in the drills that will go on tonight. You should put pride in being first at the fitness drills. That you should make an effort to meet the new boys at Fish Hoek and make them feel welcome." However, I also must realize that our Academy boys are still only 12 and 13 years old and still have lots of learning to do.

So as tonight kicks off the first Fish Hoek practice, in which kids from all over this area will be there, the rubber is going to meet the road. All of the training our boys have been doing since January is going to be displayed against all the other kids showing up for tonight’s first practice. Will there be a dramatic difference from our Ubuntu Academy boys and the rest of the boys? Only tonight will tell. So that said, I’m looking very forward to what tonight’s training session at Fish Hoek holds!

Will let you know how things go,

Austin

Holly is running a 1/2 Marathon

2012-02-13T21:46:00.000+02:00

One of our old youth group students, Holly Bryce Rizk, who recently visited us in Cape Town, is running a 1/2 Marathon in April to raise money for Ubuntu. Please check out her causevox site and support her endeavor! Thanks, Holly!!

Casey

Fundraiser Post

2012-02-10T17:58:00.000+02:00

We need to tell you a secret. We've been holding on to it for a while.
We have just launched our new Ubuntu Football website: www.ubuntufootball.com
This site is specifically dedicated to our work in South Africa, and we're really excited to have it out there. It contains it's own blog from within, so you can go to 1 spot for everything you need to know. We'll still be using our ubuntusports.org site for our American audience, so you can still send people there.
Please load it onto your google reader and visit often. Send your friends along to it as well. We've blogged there about our first golf day fundraiser yesterday, so check that out there.

Cheers,
Casey

Staying Long Enough

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000+02:00

Today marks 4 ½ months that I’ve been serving here in Ocean View, South Africa. One of the most eye opening experiences I’ve had so far though is when the group of Elon students came to help us the other Thursday and Friday. Because they were only here for a couple of days, I realized their experience in Ocean View was dramatically different than mine.

For example--to the Elon students, hearing that we couldn’t use the multi-purpose center in Ocean View didn’t quite make sense. Over time though I’ve found out it’s rarely allowed to be used because it was overrun with people drinking and using drugs on it and so it was shut down completely. There’s history behind it. But even as we walked in Ocean View, the flats and people the Elon students saw were only that. Overcrowded and run down flats with a large coloured population living there. For me though it’s completely different. It’s the community I call home. It’s where I stay and it’s become a part of my identity. It’s a place that is being restored and brought back to life with genuine, down to earth people living here. Something that you wouldn’t know if you don’t stay long enough to meet and get to know the people living here.

In staying here for 4 1/2 months now things have changed for me. It’s been a transformation in the way I view the people I came to serve. They are no longer “the coloured people living in Ocean View” but rather my good friends who I live with in Ocean View. I’ve been here long enough to see that I’m not necessarily the one with all the resources to all of their needs. An attitude that was easy to have coming from the background I do going into a more broken community such as Ocean View. Rather, I’ve begun to experience that they’re the ones who have all the resources to all of my needs.

I believe that kind of transformation can only come with enough time. Something that’s been very cool to experience firsthand.

Austin

Nuanced Work

2012-01-31T23:12:00.002+02:00

Seth Godin’s blog today included this quote: “My vote: your goals and your strategy must be simple. You must have passion and certainty in order to make a difference as a leader. Your tactics, on the other hand, should be layered, multi-dimensional and reflect the patience of someone who cares about reaching a goal.”

This really is our operating MO at Ubuntu. We’re pretty clear on our goals and how we’re going to get there, but every day is a new challenge. Working with people will do that, but when your work is primarily with 13-year-old boys from unsettled environments the challenges never cease. Obviously we have the challenge of leading practices that are challenging, enjoyable, and making players better. But that’s the easiest thing we do! Just this week our job has also included driving the boys around, helping with homework, getting them to study hall, feeding them, meeting with principals, taking them to the library, and a whole host of other things.

It’s not just the tasks that are nuanced, but each boy is different and needs different cajoling and motivating. Some are tough on the outside and need some softening. Some tend to be soft and need to be toughened up. Some tend to whine, which we don’t tolerate. Some are easily distracted. Some need help getting out of their shells. Some of them never go back to their shells! Every day is a new game of chess where you try to discover new ways of reaching the boys.

So, the goal is simple, develop and nurture the next great leaders of Africa. But how we do that is ever evolving with the needs of these young boys.

Cheers,
Casey

Launch of Ubuntu Football Forward

2012-01-19T12:12:00.000+02:00

Last week we launched an exciting new program, Ubuntu Football Forward, which is going to be a prequel to the Football Academy. Research shows that players touch the ball 6 times more in a game of 5 vs 5 than a full sided game. Obviously, touching the ball more is a great help in accelerating a player's development in the game. Football Forward is addressing that need while also creating an environment for mentorship and character building.
On Mondays & Wednesdays (and hopefully a 3rd day per week soon) kids come to the Ocean View Multipurpose Center for a 75 minute session that includes 15 minutes of a skill lesson, a 5 minute life skill devotional, and then 45-50 minutes of 5-a-side football matches. The kids come at different times based on their age group, which keeps them playing against the right aged kids and keeps the group size manageable. The U8s come right after school at 1:30, the U10s at 2:45, and the U12s at 4:00.

Austin reminding the kids what time to be there.

We launched the program last week by doing separate launch clinics at each of the primary schools on Thursday and Friday. The treat of the whole launch was having friends from Elon University in North Carolina there to help. They are on a Winter Term travel course and spent 2 days serving with us. This is the 3rd year we have had Elon students with us. They are service minded and globally focused, so they are a great help to us. They are inquisitive and thoughtful, so they are a pleasure to have around. Hopefully they are also inspired by what they see happening with Ubuntu Football. I know they enjoy it, because we were supposed to have 6 students with us, they showed up the 1st morning with 11, and then returned the 2nd day with 17!! It's cool, we like having new friends.

The 1st Day's crew: Brett, Nick, Ashton, Taylor, Jenny Steph,
Emily, Jay, Taylor, Dave, & Drew with Sean & Austin

The launch at Kleinberg, on Thursday, was very successful with 80 kids participating. We didn't expect that kind of involvement the 1st day so we were really encouraged. Friday's launch for Marine was smaller, around 30 kids, but that was to be expected. Mosque happens on Friday afternoons just after lunch, so the schools dismiss early, so that makes the day a little more distracted. We've always struggled with Friday events, so I was pleased with the response.

Steph, one of our Elon friends, working with 2 of the boys

It was a great launch to what is going to become an important part of our development program. In Daniel Coyle's "The Talent Code" he talks about 'hotbeds of talent'- places that you wouldn't expect that are producing large numbers of exceptionally talented people in specific fields. We believe that the Southern Peninsula Valley of Cape Town can become a hotbed of football talent. There has always been natural talent in these communities, but it isn't always effectively developed. Ubuntu Football Forward will give kids the best chance to develop their skills in a lightly coached, lightly competitive, and highly relational environment. They won't be overly concerned with results, but with exploring, taking risks, and having fun. That's what is going to produce great young players. Then, as they turn 13 they will be well prepared to have an impact on their local clubs, and a few of them will go on to become the next players in the Ubuntu Football Academy. Either way, we know they will be better players, and MUCH BETTER people than they would have been otherwise.

Future stars in the making

We need more people to help this grow! As our pilot program goes well here in Ocean View, we want to expand to Masiphumelele, Fish Hoek, and beyond. Come join with us!

Casey

It happened!

2012-01-13T00:43:00.000+02:00

I'm not sure I ever doubted it would happen, but I'm just so happy to report that the Ubuntu Football Academy boys began their new school year as members of Sun Valley Primary School and the Silvermine Academy. What a fantastic achievement for them, their families, and our organization! The 12 new ones (SV- Wandile, Eric, Lutho, Sim, and Keanu; SMA- Sinethemba, Carl, Juan, Tauriq, Chadley, Josh, and Ryan) joined Jesse, Luke, and Alex there.

Some of the Primary School Boys

You could tell it was a mix of nervousness and excitement for the boys the 1st day. Wednesday morning was the start of a beautiful summer day as we joined the boys at the school. I haven't yet had the experience of dropping off a child for the 1st day of school, but I experienced that to an exponential degree on Wednesday. I was so proud of and excited for the boys, while also being amazed that God had brought us that far. Seriously, can you even believe it? It's the type of miracle that only God could accomplish.

The 7 Silvermine Academy Young Men

The 1st 2 days seemed to have gone well. From what they share they seem to like their teachers and are starting to make friends with other students. We're hopeful that they will continue to adjust and become part of the greater community. And we're confident this experience is going to accelerate their growth as they become great men and leaders.
If you're interested, we'd love your help in continuing to pay the fees for the boys. You can give online or mail checks to our address in Raleigh.

The Long, Anxious Walk to the Rest of Their Lives

Cheers,
Casey

New Student Social

2012-01-10T23:39:00.000+02:00

The Ubuntu boys that are attending Silvermine Academy had a New Student Social tonight. They got to meet some other students, check to see where all their classrooms are, and get to know some of the teachers. Tomorrow is the big day! I'm so excited for them as I know this is going to accelerate their development as men and leaders. They seemed to have really embraced the opportunity and will have each other to walk through it with. They will certainly be a crew to reckon with! There will be 7 in Silvermine Academy (3 Grade 9s, 4 Grade 8s) and 5 new ones in Sun Valley Primary (Grade 7). But those are in addition to our 3 that were already there. So, starting tomorrow we will have 15 of the boys in the same school! At least I'll know where to find them.

Please pray with us that their first day will be a success. That they will be comfortable enough in their new surroundings, connect with their teachers, and befriend their classmates. It's such a major step that God has brought them to and He's prepared to bring it all the way to fruition.

Cheers, Casey

The Grade 9s showing me their schedule.

ALWAYS charming the older ladies.

All the boys and parents.

Camp Time

2012-01-03T18:25:00.001+02:00

What's up everybody?
Hope everyone has had a nice Christmas and great start to the New Year. Any New Year's resolutions? Time to start hitting the gym again?

Here at Ubuntu we're starting the new year of in a big way. Last year we took the Ubuntu Academy boys to a pre-season camp that we hosted ourselves. It was great, but this year we're traveling to Worcester to attend High Africa Adventure Camp and letting the professionals do their thing. They'll take care of catering, lodging, team building activities and the overall structure to the weekend. As a coaching staff, we'll be providing the actual pre-season soccer training which will really set the bar for our standards for 2012. That means high intensity and focused training sessions.

One of the greatest parts about going to High Africa Adventure Camp too is that with them in charge of most of the details, it allows me, as well as Casey, Michael and Treswill to really invest in the boys over the weekend. I know all of us are looking forward to being away from our normal settings and just get to spend some quality time with the Ubuntu Academy boys. This is also a huge weekend to make an impact on the boys spiritually. Casey, Treswill and I met earlier today to go over the group and small group sessions we'll have this weekend. Our heart for this time away is to focus on true relationship and not religion. We're also going to be looking at prayer which I think will be good. The reason being is that there's such a culture of just going to a church in these communities that many of these 13 year old boys can be just drowned out with religion and turned away from a genuine faith. The goal is to show them that prayer can be simple and real and a part of an alive relationship with a God who loves them. We're each in charge of a devotion throughout our time at the camp (Thursday-Saturday) which I'm pretty excited about. As much trash talking and joking around with the boys that we do, it will be a nice change of pace to share some serious truth and have some deep conversations throughout the week. I hope we can passionately show the Academy boys who we love this week, that we're who we are because of our relationship with the Lord.

So needless to say, I ask that you'll be lifting up our time together with the boys this week. This is an incredible opportunity for some serious team bonding, for the gospel to be shared and to for these guys to continue to grow in maturity and wisdom as young men.

Austin

Video: Academy Fundraiser

2011-12-20T22:11:00.000+02:00

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?

2011-12-20T22:04:00.000+02:00

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

2011-12-12T17:56:00.000+02:00

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

2011-12-10T14:19:00.000+02:00

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

2011-11-06T03:21:00.000+02:00

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

2011-10-31T12:34:00.001+02:00

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

2011-10-25T14:31:00.000+02:00

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

2011-10-24T14:44:00.000+02:00

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

2011-10-19T12:34:00.000+02:00

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

2011-10-13T10:54:00.000+02:00

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

2011-10-10T17:29:00.000+02:00

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

2011-10-03T17:13:00.000+02:00

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

2011-09-30T19:02:00.000+02:00

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

2011-09-22T15:28:00.000+02:00

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

2011-09-22T14:37:00.000+02:00

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

2011-09-20T11:33:00.001+02:00

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

2011-09-14T13:15:00.000+02:00

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

2011-09-09T16:43:00.000+02:00

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

2011-09-08T14:56:00.000+02:00

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

2011-09-07T15:10:00.000+02:00

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

2011-08-29T03:49:00.001+01:00

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

2011-08-29T03:44:00.001+01:00

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

2011-08-25T14:23:00.000+01:00

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

Joshua Clayton

2011-08-17T06:02:00.001+01:00

Name: Joshua Clayton

Age: 13

School: Kleinberg Primary

Position: Goalkeeper

Grade: 7

Favorite Player: Messi

What do you think about the academy?

I like the Academy, because it is much better than playing for one of the other soccer clubs and we learn a lot each week.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?

My favorite memory was when we went to camp as a team for one of our tournaments.

Dream?

I want to be a professional soccer player.

Joshua

2011-08-01T04:25:00.002+01:00

Name: Joshua Jonathan

Age: 13

School: Zerilda Park

Position: Midfield

Grade: 7

Favorite Player: Cristiano Ronaldo

What do you think about the academy?

I like everything about it and have enjoyed being around my friends and coaches.

Dream?

Professional Soccer Player

Rory

2011-07-26T01:33:00.001+01:00

Name: Rory Adams

Age: 13

School: Kleinburg Primary

Position: Right Back

Grade: 7

Favorite Player: Wayne Rooney

What do you think about the academy?

It has made me a better soccer player.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?

My favorite memory is when we won our big tournament.

Dream?

Its my dream to play with Manchester United.

Chadley

2011-07-24T12:59:00.000+01:00

Name: Chadley Philander

Age: 12

School: Floreat Primary

Position: Midfielder

Grade: 7

Favorite Player: Steven Terrard

What do you think about the academy?

I think we have great coaches who teach us a lot.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?

My favorite game was against Meadowridge, because I scored a goal.

Dream?

I want to be a professional soccer player.

Reflection from Jordan Parker

2011-07-24T04:48:00.001+01:00

From June 10- July 10 Jordan Parker, a rising Freshman at Southern Mississippi University, spent a month serving with Ubuntu Sports Outreach. Here is his reflection on his time with us.

Climbing Table Mountain

Hanging with the Princes was amazing but what is to be expected? Nothing less than what I experienced. To see how much the Academy boys have been influenced already and how much they look up to Casey is so inspiring to see. Not only did I get the privilege to help out and even receive the title of coach but I also learned a lot from these 13 year old rascals. They taught me that possessions and money don't equal happiness. Some of the boys come from very rough backgrounds but they are genuinely happy and always a joy to be around. They are not wrapped up in possessions. Also, the boys in the Academy accepted me to the team very quickly. This was very comforting because I wasn't sure how quick they would accept me. They didn't care about what I have done for others.

Hanging on for dear life!

If you have just the slightest passion or desire to serve and the love for soccer you should consider Ubuntu Sports Outreach. It was hard to see my month cone to an end. It went by so quickly and am not quite ready to leave. The relationships that have been built in such a short amount of time is amazing. As they say in Ocean view, it's not goodbye it's just see you later, which is true because I have every intention in going back!

Jordan Parker

Jordan sharing about his experience with Ubuntu @ FITS

Rygersdal Tournament Update

2011-07-11T19:38:00.000+01:00

Recently the Ubuntu boys played in the Rygersdal FC 13th Annual Tournament. There were sixteen teams in the U-13 age division. The tournament format was two ten minute halves so that more games could be played on two fields. The tournament started with group play on Thursday. We played Clyde Pinelands in the first game and after a slow start and not capitalizing on early oppurtunities we drew and recieved one point. We were clearly the better team and possessed the ball for the majority of the game, holding our opponet to two shots on goal. After an inspiring pre-game speech by Coach Treswill the boys hit the field and looked like a new team against Sunningdale. They had energy, and not just 13 year old boy energy, they were talking on the field, and most of all they were having fun. No one seemed to be worried about messing up because their teammate would yell at them. They looked comfortable and confident. After an early goal we didnt back down and kept the high intensity and put two more in the back of the net. We also played excellent defense in this game as well as a great offensive attack.
For the final game of group play we played Hazendale. This game was crucial because Hazendale also had four points so this game determined who would be in first in our group. The high intensity carried over from the previous day and they looked great on the field. Combination play, communication, serving the ball all points that had been coached the previous week. We came out quick and wanted to put them away early and did. We scored quicky and continued to pressure and scored twice more.
So, we win our group and now continue on to the knockout stage. In the first round of the knockout stage or the quarter finals we faced Edgemead, a familiar opponet that we had faced two times before this season (and will play them again in a few weeks). Each time we had beaten them so you know that they wanted badly to beat us in the tournament. After a very early goal within the first minute that was called bacl for offsides and later explained as obstruction the keeper, eventhough the goal was scored off of a followed up shot, the boys didn't let this kill their momentum. They scored several minutes later and this time the goal stood and then scored again later to make it 2-0. The defense had another marvelous game and keeper, Joshua Clayton was credited his third shut fourth shut out of the tournament.
So, we're moving on to the Semi Finals and we are to face Old Mutual. Old Mutual is a well-established and very well-funded Academy. The game was very evenly matched and everyone's skill had to be top tier. Each team had their fair share of oppurtunities but neither team seemed able to finish. After full time the score was still 0-0 so to PK's we go. We are down to our last kick taker and we are down 5-4. As he approaches the ball he changes his mind about which corner he wants to kick to and it goes off the frame. Although they lost the boys didn't drop their heads and no one blamed anyone else. They played very well for the tournament and made us all proud. They went through the tournament unscored upon which is quite an accomplishment. Things are continuing to move forward for the Ubuntu Football Academy and this is just another example of the big things ahead.

Jordan Parker
Ubuntu Sports Outreach Intern

Luke

2011-07-07T22:15:00.000+01:00

Name: Luke Planting

Age: 12

School: Sun Valley

Position: Striker

Grade: 6

Favorite Player: Messi

What do you think about the academy?

I think it is a privilege to play for Ubuntu. It makes you a better player than the other clubs here.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?

My favorite memory was when we won the division in our tournament.

Dream?

I want to become a professional soccer player.

Ryan Cuthill

2011-07-04T17:37:00.000+01:00

Name: Ryan Cuthill

Age: 12

School: Imhoff Waldorf

Position: Central Defender

Grade: 6

Favorite Player: Lionel Messi

What do you think about the academy?

Being with Ubuntu is a lot of fun and I’m always learning new stuff.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?

My favorite memory is when we won the plate division at the tournament by the seas.

Dream?

I want to be an Economist or do something with Wildlife Conservation.

Ryan Serfontein

2011-06-22T08:06:00.000+01:00

Name: Ryan Serfontein

Age: 12

School: Marine

Position: Left Wing

Grade: 7

Favorite Player: Nani Luis

What do you think about the academy?

I love being part of the Academy, because I think its going to bring me far in life.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?

My favorite memory is when we went to camp for a tournament.

Dream?

I really want to become a professional soccer player.

Jesse

2011-06-20T17:27:00.000+01:00

Name: Jesse Donn

Age: 12

School: Sun Valley Primary School

Position: Center back

Grade: 6

Favorite Player:

Lionel Messi

What do you think about the academy?

I love the academy. They teach us about having a good attitude to grow us into better men. I’m also improving a lot as a player.

What is your favorite memory or story about the academy?

Going to Hillsong with the team was my favorite memory because it gave us a chance to all hang out together.

Dream?

I want to be a graphic designer or a professional soccer player.

Introducing...the Ubuntu Boys

2011-06-20T10:50:00.000+01:00

Over the next couple of weeks we're going to be doing something special on the blog. Each day we'll have a short profile on each of the Ubuntu players so everyone can start getting to know the diverse group of young men that make up this team. Enjoy!

What I want

2011-06-05T22:10:00.000+01:00

This is what I want for our Ubuntu players, for them to feel that they are Indivisible! It would totally make sense, because ubuntu means "interconnected" so we should NEVER be divided.

Friday Fun!

2011-06-03T13:33:00.000+01:00

Giving Alex instructions

Amazing sunset & Mountains behind

Last week, the Ubuntu boys played a friendly game against one of the more talented academy teams in Cape Town called Vasco da Gama. The boys played well, but lost. It was a good gauge of where we want to be as a team, but also reminded us that these boys have the talent and ability to compete with anybody. As most things are in life...it's a process for them as players and us as coaches.

Afterwards we set off to the local McDonalds and KFC to enjoy a meal before the big event. That big event was youth night at Hillsong church.

Killing some Big Mac Meals with milkshakes.

As the worship rang out from the front, it was amazing to watch the different reactions by the boys. Some looked around to see what the others thought. Some looked at all the girls. Some lifted their hands in worship. You could see that many already had a true love for worship and were not afraid to show it in public or in front of their friends and teammates. The message that night was "God has a plan for you". I was touched that before Ubuntu, some of these boys had never been told God loves them and has a plan for them to better their lives. Some of them listened intently as the message was shared. At the end, their was an invitation to come forward if you wanted to publicly declare your wish to follow Jesus as your savior. We had at least 7 boys come forward...maybe more (I was standing in the back, and couldn't see them all). WOW! How amazing is that!

Right up front for worship & teaching

Ubuntu's mission statement says..."To introduce the young men of Africa to Jesus and His transforming love through soccer and to inspire and equip them to be the most excellent men (of God) they can be". I saw this played out in a real way Friday night.

What a Great Night!!

Thanks,
Karl Ostrand

Karl is one of our coaches and is here working with All Nations. Previously, he coached at Omaha FC in Nebraska. You can find out more about his family and their ministry at karlandjulie.com

Promo Video

2011-05-20T13:24:00.000+01:00

Here it is! I promised something big and we think this is huge news. We have our first, professionally done, promotional video for the Ubuntu Football Academy!
We're sure you're going to be inspired. Please share it with everyone you know!

They asked to go to church!

2011-05-17T13:07:00.000+01:00

Often when Michael picks up our 4 Steenberg boys for practice- Chadley, Juan, Tauriq, and Joshua- he is listening to Hillsong music. They have become quite fond of it. After our match on Saturday they finally requested to go and hear this music live. So, Sunday night we took the 4 of them with us to Hillsong for the evening service. They were quite overwhelmed at the whole thing, but pretty excited. Some high school girls approached and gave them personal invites to youth on Friday night, so that definitely got them pumped!

The boys really love the song "Search My Heart" from the new Aftermath album. They always tell Michael to play #13. We went down front for worship and even during that, they kept looking at him and saying with their hands, "#13" as if to say, "Tell them to play that one." Them seem to think Michael has more power and authority than is actually true.

They enjoyed that part of the service, but now they were going to have to sit still for the announcements, offering, and message. I was nervous that they would get out their phones, which they did, but without being forced to they put them away. 3 of the 4 boys really seemed to dial in during the message, and I was constantly praying that they would hear something significant. At the end, during the invitation, Juan and Chadley went forward! Chadley's parents are Christians and his grandfather is a pastor, but I'm not sure if he has ever committed his life to Jesus for himself. I don't think Juan's family are true believers. After they go forward and say a prayer they are ushered out to get a new Bible as a gift from the church and get prayed for. Michael accompanied the boys and said that he could notice Juan wiping tears away as one of the youth leaders prayed for him. What an exciting moment!! I know it's only the beginning, but it's a huge start in the development of these boys spiritually.

After the service they got to meet Jon, the associate pastor who is a big soccer fan, and Rachel, the youth pastor. We took them out to dinner and then home for bed.

You know, people say, "You see church differently when you bring a new person or non-believer to church." That's definitely true, but try seeing it through the eyes of a 12-year-old Muslim boy from the 'hood. It was so interesting wondering how Tauriq was taking things in. He even asked me once during worship, "Why do you close your eyes?" It made me really think about why I do it. If you watched the video, you heard the words that these boys are coming in contact with. How significant that Tauriq is singing this before he even knows Jesus!!

It was such an exciting night and we look forward to many more interactions like this with all our players. God is on the move, even if they don't know it yet!

Casey

Dylan is taking it on!

2011-05-05T13:03:00.000+01:00

This summer we met Dylan Thayer at one of the camps that Sarah was speaking at. He's a student athlete at Hamilton College in New York. He was inspired by what we're doing with Ubuntu Sports Outreach and wanted to combine his passions and gifts to our cause.
So this summer Dylan is doing something crazy, and he needs your support!! On July 24th, Dylan will be running 41 miles across the Maryland section of the Appalachian Trail in one day to raise funds and awareness for Ubuntu Sports Outreach. How amazing is that?!?! I have run one marathon, 26 miles, and it was one of the worst experiences of my life! He's doing a marathon, a 1/2 marathon, and 2 more miles just for fun!!
Dylan's goal is to raise $7,500, which would fully support 10 Ubuntu school teams this year. That would be 10 of the 24 teams that it looks like we are going to have.
Please visit his cause site at: http://atxc2011.causevox.com/. This is a completely secure site where you can give any amount of donation that you would like. He also has a separate blog that you can get the details for there.
Dylan is doing something significant for Ubuntu, let's get behind him!

Casey

You need to meet Treswill

2011-04-14T13:56:00.000+01:00

Treswill (in blue) with Peter, our cook from our recent camp.

This is long overdue! Back in January, Ubuntu Sports Outreach hired Treswill Overmeyer as our "Community Connector". Treswill will lead our schools programs, anything else that is community related, and be an assistant coach with the Ubuntu Football Academy.

Treswill grew up in Ocean View right near our house. He was one of the few boys that found his way out of the community through soccer, eventually playing in the professional soccer league here, the PSL. Treswill is a unique man, though, and purposely moved back into Ocean View to try and influence young people. We developed a friendship which eventually led to us asking him to join our team. He's such an asset for us. Treswill is the unofficial mayor of Ocean View & the whole South Peninsula! Everybody knows (and loves) him!! Whenever we are out he is constantly being greeted by others. So, he's endeared us to the community even more. He speak Afrikaans, which is helpful with some families that aren't comfortable speaking English. And he loves sharing the vision and getting others involved. He's constantly getting us stuff and sponsorships by just chatting up whomever he comes in contact with. It's brilliant!

Well, we look forward to a long relationship with Treswill, so you need to get to know him. I've asked him a few questions below:

What is your Favorite Bible Verse?- Mark 8:34-38

What is your Favorite Worship Song now?- Take Heart by Hillsong

What is the Best Goal you Ever Scored?- For Mother City FC (in PSL) vs Bloemfontein Celtic in the old Green Point Stadium. Was chosen as goal of the week by the league.

Which boy in the Academy you were most like at 12-13 years old?- Juan Cloete because I didn't get involved with stuff unless enticed, which is just like Juan. He's a rascal!

How did you oame to trust Christ as Lord?- I was messed-up! I had been let down by my club at the time, Jomo Cosmos, and had to have surgery which cost me lots of money. During the time at Cosmos I was exposed to witchcraft. My only way out, I believed at the time, was to have Jesus save me from the mess I was in. A guy named Mike Alford, a missionary from the USA for Athletes in Action, was the guy that told me about the love of Jesus.

What gives you the desire to work with Ubuntu Sports Outreach?- Getting to work with 2 good looking white guys! :) I enjoy working with kids, and more importantly I get to use soccer as a tool to share the love of God.

What are you most excited about with your particular role as the Community Connector?- Having worked in schools before, and being passionate about seeing communities restored, I'm excited that I can connect communities to see families healed.

What is your Previous Ministry Experience?- I have worked with Ambassadors in Sport, holiday clubs and camps with Scripture Union, missions into Africa with AIS, and prison ministry at Pollsmoor Prison for 3 years.

What is your Previous Playing Experience?- I grew up playing locally in Ocean View & then FHAFC. Moved on at 17 years old to play professionally with Hellenic (in Cape Town). Moved from there to FC Fortune. Then played for Mother City FC & Jomo Cosmos in the PSL. Last professional club was City Pillars in Johannesburg. After 3 years of no serious football, now leading the team at Fish Hoek AFC!!

In Afrikaans, say something funny about Casey- ''Die American wietie wanner die laaities vir hom vir n apie vattie...hahahaha!!!!'' (This American doesn't know when the boys are making a monkey out of him....hahahaha!!!!)

What is your Current Relationship Status?- Dating Cindy James, who is awesome!

In your opinion, will Mike ever get married, and if so, how old will he be?- Mike will be married before he turns 34 (which will be in about a year and a half).

Last Friendly

2011-04-11T12:23:00.000+01:00

We played our final friendly this weekend before the league season starts. It was the 2nd time we have played Wynberg St. Johns, which is actually playing this year in the league above us. We beat them 5-0 last time, but their coach was more confident this time around and even communicated that to Mike.
Well, unfortunately for him we played some of our best soccer this whole preseason! We shared the ball nicely, created some nice goals, and only gave up a few goal scoring opportunities. We only beat them 4-0 this time (so the coach did make progress), but we played very well.
The way we played has gotten me very excited about this week's practices. It really showed me that the boys are learning, even when I don't know it's true.
Next weekend it all begins! I'm pumped!!

Casey

Few pics from Ajax Match

2011-04-06T13:58:00.002+01:00

Here are a few pics from the Ajax match from a local website. Check it out: http://www.sasportsonline.co.za/?p=3287

Casey

Our First Championship

2011-04-04T21:43:00.000+01:00

What a weekend! Our first tournament as the Ubuntu Football Academy/Fish Hoek squad and we took home the Plate Championship of the Strandfontein U-13 Tournament. It really couldn't have gone much better!

We started the weekend on Friday night at camp where we hung out, had some amazing lasagna prepared by Peter (pic below), and then watched "Goal" to get us inspired. Even though they complained when told we would wake them at 7am, they all woke up at 6am! They seemed to be excited about the games ahead. After a great and healthy breakfast we headed to the fields.

A few pregame thoughts.

Our first game was against Ajax Cape Town. They are the most professional setup in town. They have fancy tracksuits and outfits, and they play with discipline. Our boys were quite intimidated by all of the externals and we started the game poorly. They jumped on us and took an early lead which ballooned to 3-0 at halftime. We really started playing in the 2nd half and got 2 goals, but Ajax is a good team and they quickly squelched our comeback with a 4th goal. The game finished 4-2. The thing I'm learning as a coach is how to convince these boys that they don't need to fear the perceived "big boys."

We played better in our 2nd match and picked up a 3-1 victory over Ken Park which meant we finished 2nd in our group of 3 and would be placed in the Plate Knockout Tournament on Sunday. (Ken Park went on to win the Shield Knockout for teams that finished 3rd in their group. Ajax was upset in the semifinals of the Championship Knockout.)

We left the field and headed back to camp and then to the nearest beach. The boys had a good time with each other there. Coach Mike tried to challenge the boys to a belly flop contest, but he had to demonstrate first. Not to many followed after him!

Look at that form!

The water is freezing, but they don't care!

Back at camp we played some cricket, had another great meal, and then had a group time. We had a really good chat about growing into the type of time that doesn't fear anyone. Then we looked at Philippians 4:10-20 and compared it to them writing a letter to the coaches that are providing for them and then believing that they can truly do "all things through Christ who strengthens them." The boys were pooped from the day, so it was easy to get them to sleep.

I'm quickly learning that I hate that 12 year old goalies aren't tall enough to cover the top of the goal! After giving up a few goals on Saturday to high, hopeful shots, we started the quarterfinal giving up a 'hail mary' goal. We were clearly better than the other team but remained down until about 10 minutes left when we finally scored the equalizer. With about 1 minute left we found the winner. It was such an exciting comeback and I was proud of the boys' character. The semifinal actually ended up being our most comfortable victory, not coincidentally it was the best game we played. We scored some nice goals on our way to a 3-0 victory and really should have scored a 1/2 dozen more.

So, as we prepared for the final, I expected us to come out with lots of energy, but we were quite lethargic. About 10 minutes into the game we gave up a weak goal and couldn't find the net on our own end, though we were creating more chances. Things improved in the 2nd half and we eventually found the tying goal. With about 10 minutes left we scored the winner on our prettiest goal of the tournament. It got moved from one side of the field to the other, shot off the bar, recovered and passed to an open player, and then eventually finished! I was so excited that our last goal was our best! After 8 weeks together as a group we are the Champions of the Plate Knockout of a very competitive tournament!

This weekend was a success on SO MANY LEVELS! We got to spend a lot of time together and the boys did a great job mixing and bonding with each other. We got to play the maximum number of games, 5, which really helps our development. Almost all of our families were there for at least one game. All 17 players that we took played at some point, and everybody made an important contribution. And the coaches had a great time continuing to deposit truth into the lives' of these players. I'm so excited about the character the boys showed in overcoming deficits, injuries, and fatigue. I know we have a bright future on the field!

Celebrating their 1st Championship together.

But there is one other thing that I am even more proud of. On Thursday we talked to the boys about making it our goal to win the "Team Fair Play" award. We wanted to be known as a team that acts the right way, treats people and the game with respect, and honors God. Well, during the awards ceremony Fish Hoek was given the Team Fair Play award! It's nice to have a team that plays well together, but it's even better to know that you're also doing things the right way, and even better when others notice.

Receiving the Team Fair Play award.

Afterwards we got so many requests from the organizing club to return to the tournament next year. We will definitely do that! It was a great opportunity for our boys to play in a well-organized, highly competitive tournament. Thanks to Strandfontein Football Club for hosting a great event! And thanks to all of you that were praying for us over the weekend!

What is going to happen next?!?! I know I'm excited to see what God has in store.

Peter, our legendary cook, with the trophies!

A HUGE weekend coming up!

2011-03-31T14:57:00.000+02:00

This week is massive for the Ubuntu Football Academy. After about 8 weeks of training together we are going to be playing in a very competitive U13 tournament. We have been winning all of our friendlies handily the last couple of weeks. This tournament is going to be a huge opportunity for us to play against MUCH better competition. It also will allow us to play as many as 5 matches in 2 days.
The tournament consists of 24 teams that represent the best clubs in Cape Town and the surrounding area. All of the established academies in the area will have teams there. The "best" part is that our first game is against Ajax Cape Town, the junior squad of the most successful professional team in the city. Right now the senior team is in 1st Place of the PSL, our professional league. Basically it would be like your new AAU basketball team playing against the Chicago Bulls' U13 team. Or your football team playing against the junior team of the New England Patriots. But it's a great opportunity for us to measure ourselves against other good teams/players. And, WHEN we beat them it will create quite a stir! :)
We play two group games on Saturday, the one against Ajax CT and another club called Ken Park. From those results you are placed into a knockout group of 8 for the Sunday games. So, Sunday could be 1 game or 3. We're planning on 3!
We really wanted this weekend to be special so we're taking the boys away on a retreat for the weekend. We'll be staying at a camp nearby called Gordon's. It would be like using a camp setting like Sea Gull to host your team for the weekend. The boys are really excited about the time together and the tournament.
Please join us in praying for the weekend. Pray that the boys will bond well and that deep chemistry will start to grow. Pray that we would stay safe and avoid injuries. And pray that our influence, mentoring, and discipleship would also take a big jump forward with all this time together.

Excited,
Casey

I Never Imagined

2011-03-22T13:53:00.000+02:00

I could have never dreamed or imagined the things that we would come up against as we have started this Academy. These kids bring the most surprising struggles to the table.
For the last couple of weeks we've been struggling with one of the boys, Rory. He just doesn't want to train as much as we require. The problem is really that he wants to hang out with his little girlfriend. Really? At 12 years old you want to waste time with girls!?!? I had to think back to when I was 12, and remembered that I also had "girlfriends" but in suburban America that's all a big joke. You see each other at school and you're lucky if your Mom will take you to the movies together on Friday night. But in the communities that the boys are coming from they can walk to each other's houses, so it's actually quite a temptation. And because sexuality is such a perverse thing here it's possible that they are already considering having sex. Rory missed all 3 practices last week (he was lucky we already were giving them 1 day off or he would have missed all 4) and has missed 6 of 11. We had a heart to heart with him during school on Thursday and he STILL didn't come to training that night. On Saturday Mike & I tried pursuing him and not letting him waste this opportunity. We scheduled to take him to lunch, but then he wasn't at home. We tracked him to Fish Hoek at which point we walked the streets and the beach looking for him. I NEVER imagined that this is what I'd be doing! We never found him, but did eventually chat to his mom for a few minutes. Finally on Monday we wrangled him into a lunch meeting and got him to commit to the next 2 weeks (leading up to a big tournament we are playing in) before he gives up. Hopefully he'll get sucked in by that.
We've also been dealing with Josh, who I wrote about a few posts back. Josh comes from such a rough background and he's quite rough around the edges. That bit of anger actually helps make him a great player, but it often gets misplaced. On Sunday we had a friendly and he arrived grumpy, everything was frustrating him. Towards the end of the game he made a bad play which led to him passing the ball out of bounds, he then shouted at the player he was trying to pass to, attempting to shift the blame. That kid shouted back and Josh continued shouting. (Mind you, all of this is happening in Afrikaans, so I have no idea what they're saying, I just know it's not nice!) Because Josh wouldn't stop I pulled him off the field. He has this problem from time to time and we're trying to slowly work it out of him. Being positive is one of the main values of our culture and we talk about how we never scream negative things at each other. Well, me pulling him off just sent him over the edge. He wouldn't calm down and couldn't talk with me. The game ended about that time so everybody started changing. We were planning to take the team to the beach for a little team bonding, but when we prepared to leave we realized Josh had left on his own. His house is at least 10 miles away, so I'm not sure what his plan was, but he just doesn't have the skills to deal with his anger. Eventually, Mike caught up with him, convinced him to get in the car, and the longer the time went on the beach the more he softened.
Again, I never imagined dealing with this stuff. How do you handle this? You can't deal with these situations the same way you would in the States. The environments, cultures, and experiences are so different. I don't know what kind of trauma Josh has experienced that has caused him to respond in these ways. The reality is that we WILL NOT give up on these boys easily. Most people in their lives give up on them when they mess up like this, but that doesn't feel like the picture Jesus drew for us with his life. He constantly pursues us, even when we hash things up, so we'll keep chasing these kids until they decide they truly don't want it anymore. But please pray for us! We need grace, wisdom, patience, and discernment!

Casey

Updates

2011-03-11T22:22:00.000+02:00

I'm late reporting on last week's friendly. These friendly matches are us now playing as a Fish Hoek AFC club.

Last weekend we played Wynberg St. John's and defeated them 5-0. The B Side (2nd team, which includes some Academy kids) won 9-1! So that was a great start. We heard that our opponent is in the league above us, Super League, while we are in Premier League. One of our goals for the year is to get promoted to Super League. We started a bit slow, but got going eventually and scored a few really nice, attractive goals. And you always love shutting out the other team.
Tomorrow morning we play a friendly against Meadow Ridge. They are in our same league and probably the closest to us geographically. I'm looking forward to us playing again and learning more about our team. I'll give you the update this time much quicker.

Thanks,
Casey

2nd Friendly

2011-03-04T14:25:00.000+02:00

The Football Academy had its second friendly game on Wednesday against the Old Mutual Academy. This is an actual proper academy and quite an organized setup. Old Mutual is a financial services and insurance company based here in Cape Town. Imagine if State Farm or American Express hosted an Academy in Raleigh, that's what this is like. They have beautiful fields built onto their huge campus in the Pinelands area of Cape Town.
When we first arrived I think our boys were quite intimidated, and it showed as we started the game. Their boys have been for a few years and are all true U13s (ours are 1/2 U13 & 1/2 U12), so they were a bit bigger than us. We played so nervously and passively at the beginning and they jumped out to a 2-0 and 3-1 lead. At halftime we talked about us calming down and relaxing and trying to keep the ball more. In the 2nd half the boys played totally different. They played with confidence and passion! They got a penalty kick that we converted to cut the lead to 3-2. Then, a few minutes later we got another penalty. But this time Josh wanted to take it and he kicked it over! Oh no, there goes our chance, but actually just a few minutes later we scored our 3rd to tie the score! So, we ended the game tied at 3.
The point of the friendlies are to play together, try new things, and measure yourself against another opponent. It's really not about the result. But the boys were quite proud of themselves! For our young organization it really was quite a neat moment. Old Mutual has big resources and has been around for 10 years. They have an easier time attracting players at this point. But I think we have shown that in less than 4 weeks we are starting to develop something special. My hope is that the boys will get a confidence boost out of this to realize that they can play with anybody and have the ability to accomplish their goals. But I'm also hoping that it will motivate them to work EVEN harder to get there.
Tomorrow we have our first friendly as a Fish Hoek club. Some of our boys will actually play with the B side so that they can play the whole game. Development is the priority!!

Cheers,
Casey

First Friendly

2011-02-25T22:06:00.000+02:00

The Ubuntu Football Academy has its first friendly (or scrimmage) this week! Mike met a couple at Hillsong Church that runs a club in another area of town. We made a plan to have a friendly match. We knew their U-13 age group wasn't that strong, but the kids were ready to go out a play a game. We had a great time playing the game, scored some goals, and learned some things about our team.
Mike has already set up another game for this week against a much more established club. That will show us a whole lot more about where we are!

Casey

They are Rising!

2011-02-23T15:02:00.001+02:00

Friends, Followers, and Supporters,
We have some exciting news to announce! Ubuntu Sports Outreach is launching a special fundraising campaign. Over the next 60 days, from now until Easter, we are seeking to raise $18,000 to cover the costs of all 24 soccer teams/coaches we hope to have this year. We are doing this through a new crowd funding format called Causevox. You can find the cause, and donate, right here: www.rising.causevox.com.
Our hope is that by making this really easy for people we can get LOTS of people involved. So, not only are we asking you to give a little, but please spread this throughout your friends! Make it your facebook status once a week for the next 2 months. Put it on twitter. Email your friends. Put it in your church bulletin. Write it in the sky! You can find all the details on the site, so I won't share all of them with you here.
There is significance to doing this at Easter. On that day we celebrate Jesus rising from death to new life which he offers to us. Our coaching mentors are offering the boys in these schools the opportunity for new life as well. Come, let's do it together.
Over 60 days we need to raise only $300 each day.
We only need 1,000 people to give at least $18.
If 1,800 people give $10, we will bring new life!
Imagine if 8 people, church groups, or families sponsored whole teams,
that would only leave $12 for 1000 people give.

Thanks for the support you give us for EVERYTHING that we are doing!

Casey & the Ubuntu Sports Outreach Staff

We have a need

2011-02-15T22:33:00.000+02:00

We have a need for volunteers, a serious need! As Ubuntu Sports Outreach grows we need more help! We have a few specific needs and we invite you to pray about filling that need. Or maybe you can think of somebody that would be perfect for this.
The first need we have is for someone that likes to work behind the scenes, can help with some organizational & administrative stuff, and likes to write and communicate with people. Do you have experience writing reports or stories? Are you good at the details? This area is growing the more we do, especially as we try to raise significant funds to support Ubuntu Football Academy. Can you come help us for 3, 6, or 12 months? (This is a need NOW.)
We also need volunteers to help with our schools programs. Each school program is run by a local volunteer, but those programs would be enhanced with the assistance and encouragement of a foreign volunteer. You'll provide needed energy and credibility to the team. Are you good with kids? Do you like spending time building relationships & serving? Come join us for a year. What about a gap year, taking a year off from school, or right after graduation? (This is a need now, and ongoing, on a year to year basis.)

Finally, we'll be looking for guys with significant coaching backgrounds to come and increase our coaching staff with the Academy. This is for guys with some significant playing and/or coaching experience. Have you ever wanted to serve Jesus through soccer? Do you want to nurture the next great leaders in Africa? (This is a need in 2012 and beyond.)
Well, there it is, we have a need, and we're trusting God that you're going to fill it. Let us know if you're interested or have questions.

Cheers,
Casey

Joshua

2011-02-15T16:16:00.000+02:00

Periodically I'm going to be telling you about the players in the Academy. I'll make it a bit more formal as we go along, but I want you to start getting to know Joshua Jonathan today. Joshua is a 12-year-old from an area called Overcome Heights. It's part of Capricorn that is the oldest informal settlement in the Western Cape. Joshua lives there with his mom, grandmother, 2 aunts, some siblings, and a few cousins. All in one tiny wooden home. Joshua attends one of our partner schools, Zirilda Park and is in Grade 7.
Joshua is a little bulldog of a player. He has a little fire in him. He's a great tackler, strikes a great long pass, and has good skills; but Joshua HATES his left foot, so we're working on that.
At the end of last Thursday's practice we had a box of pears waiting for us from one of our partners. The players were VERY excited and loaded up on them. Joshua particularly filled his bag up. I was taking him and Juan home that day. As we drove, I noticed that Joshua was eating a bunch of pears and I asked, "how many have you had, 4?" He said, "No, 10." Then he just kept eating! Juan's family owns a little spaza/tuck shop so we stopped and got a drink. One of my goals before Easter is to have some quality time with each of the boys and this was my time with Joshua. We parked near his house and just talked about all the stuff going on in life. Well, the soda started mixing with the 12 pears he had eaten and his stomach started churning! He stepped out and relieved himself but that only delayed the pain. Eventually he said, "Coach, you gotta take me home." We drove home quickly for him to make it to the bathroom in time! It was such a funny experience of how a kid's REAL hunger caused him to make himself sick. Somebody offered him some pears and he couldn't take the chance that he may not get to eat them all. We laughed about it again at practice on Monday.
Joshua is a neat kid, with lots of personality, I'm so looking forward to getting to know him more!

Cheers, Casey

First Practice

2011-02-07T22:43:00.000+02:00

Ryan with the shot.

Team cooling down with Coach Treswill.

We had a great 1st Practice! I was really proud of the boys. They came dressed in their kit, looking like little studs. They greeted me and Treswill (one of the emphasis of our culture is that they must greet coaches and their family's when they see them). And they were all on time except for one. We did a lot of work on the ball so they were busy. They worked hard, and I think they could even feel themselves improving. It's only the 1st Day but I think they'll be excited for more tomorrow!

The 98s- Josh, Juan, Rory, Tauriq, Carl, and Matt
(Chadley was sick)

The 99s- (Standing) Keano, Luke, Jesse, Alex, Sim
(Kneeling) Jayden, Aviwe, Ryan

Launch Update

2011-02-07T11:53:00.000+02:00

Saturday was an amazing day! The launch of Ubuntu Football Academy went great. We had a 5-a-side tournament with the 15 boys. It was a round-robin and actually got quite competitive, which we were hoping for. It was also just a great opportunity for the boys to start getting to know each other. You actually can't understand what a big deal it was for all 15 boys to be there. Communicating with families here, where English isn't always their preferred language, can be a challenge, but it's also just hard to communicate what a big deal and commitment the Academy will be. But they were all there, even if a few didn't bring their soccer boots! We have new training kits that they were given, so the teams looked sharp.
After the tournament we had a braai (cookout) with most of the families. My good friend Nathan came and did all the cooking for me, which was a massive help! We talked about the culture of the Academy and what is expected. Each player received two training shirts, a pair of shorts, two pairs of socks, and a bag. The shirts were new, but all the other stuff came from the items donated from our friends and supporters in Raleigh. The kids were pretty hyped about all the sweet gear.
Looking back it was such a fantastic beginning to a big dream. There is so much work in front of us, but if the launch is any indication this is going to be a special experience for everybody. I'm so thankful and humbled to be a part of it. I have a lot to learn as a coach, but God will equip me. We have our first practice today, and it's the first 4 day week of the rest of the YEAR. Here I go, I'm officially becoming a full on soccer coach!
I wish I could post a bunch of pictures, but I was so excited and distracted on Saturday that I forgot to take them. Sarah is going to come take some at the first practice today so I'll post some soon.
Thanks,
Casey

Launch Countdown

2011-02-03T13:52:00.000+02:00

It's now 2 days until the launch of Ubuntu Football Academy. We have invited 15 boys into the program. 7 are U-13, 8 are U-12. We still are waiting to hear from 2 of them on whether they are going to be involved. One of those was just invited into the junior teams for one of the local professional teams, Santos, and the other plays a lot of other sports and just has to decide if he's ready to put most of his focus on one.
On Saturday we will get started with a 5-a-side tournament for the boys so they can get to know each other and just enjoy playing against one another. Then, we'll have a braai (cookout) with all of the families! It's really important for us to have the families getting to know each other so that we can create a 'family' feel. The boys are going to be in the program a LONG time, so they need to know and enjoy each other and their respective families. It also gives us a moment to talk about the standards and expectations for the academy, so that everything is clear.
We have found great boys to be a part of things. They come from different communities, faiths, and socio-economic backgrounds. I'm excited to start sharing their lives and stories with you. We'll start doing that very soon.
As we get started you can pray that we will be as ready and organized as possible to create the very best atmosphere. Pray that we'll connect quickly with each boy even where language can be a hindrance. And pray that God will provide the resources to make the big dreams come true!

Cheers,
Casey

Elite Clinic Update

2011-01-24T22:34:00.000+02:00

Last Friday and Saturday we hosted our next rounds of Elite Clinics in an attempt to continue to identify players for the High Performance Training Program. This clinic went a lot better than our previous one in the Valley. We had a better collection of players and they really performed. We probably have 8-10 players selected already. We have one more set of clinics this weekend in the Steenberg/Retreat area, so hopefully we will fill out our roster with these guys. We are so encouraged about where we are now in this adventure. It's going to be a great group of guys to work with!
Here are a few pics from the days together:

January Fun Clinic

2011-01-18T15:57:00.000+02:00

Last week we hosted a clinic in Ocean View during their last week of holidays. Unlike the clinics in December (and forthcoming) where we invited specific kids for a specific purpose, this clinic was just for fun and open to anybody. We tried to mostly have kids from 10-13, but we had a few younger than that and some older ones. The clinic was 2 days and we had about 35 kids each day. That's bigger than the clinics we hosted during the World Cup, so our influence must be growing.
We focused on 2 ideas during the two days: protecting the things you value and improving the things that are before you. Those themes led both our devotions and our soccer training. Here are some pics of the clinic.

Looks like I'm getting into it.

This is Connor, and his crazy hair. Keano trying to defend.

We were blessed to have 4 volunteers from Elon University for the clinic. They are in South Africa for most of January for a winter-term trip. They do a lot of touring and learning but for 2 days they do 'internships' in all sorts of areas. Ubuntu is becoming the sought after internship for the group! It's awesome getting to expose them to our work and the kids we love. These 4 fit right in and did a GREAT job of engaging the kids.

Jessie (from Charlotte), Jacob (from Raleigh), Hannah, and Casey with Coach Treswill

We hope each January to keep having friends from Elon visiting us. They have been a great pleasure the last 2 years and I know it's been a fantastic learning experience for them!

Casey

It's here!

2011-01-17T23:14:00.001+02:00

About a year and a half ago we collected a TON of soccer stuff from players at CASL (the club I grew up playing for in Raleigh) and Millbrook High School. We delayed its shipment a bit and then finally sent it back in September. It finally arrived last week!! Thanks to some new American friends traveling around the World for 11 months we have now built shelves in our new storage shed and organized almost the entire shipment!! Check it out, looks amazing.

Shoes, organized by size!

Jerseys, some teams are going to look good!

I can actually see the stuff now to distribute it. We have to figure out how to use it and who to give it to, but we're on our way! It's just amazing to see the stuff that kids here are going to be able to wear.

I certainly couldn't have done it without these guys, so thanks so much!

Team from AIM's World Race: Leah, Alicia, Stacy, Jake, Micah, and Jeremy!

Cheers,

Casey

Ubuntu Clinics Week Two

2010-12-14T17:28:00.000+02:00

Week One of the Ubuntu clinics from our local schools was a great time!

Week Two has begun with new kids and new schools. Pray for us this week as we minister to these boys and many others!

Some Reflections

2010-12-14T16:09:00.000+02:00

The clinics we've been having over the last 2 weeks have been stretching my faith, my patience, and my understanding of these communities. We've now completed 5 of the 6 sessions and the results have been varied. We've had a few really talented players, and some really bad ones. We've had some that work really hard, and some that are quite lazy. We've had some kids that are respectful and do the right thing, and some that just want to goof off. So all of that has been stretching.
Last week we struggled to get kids involved from Masiphumelele, the black township near us. I'm still not sure totally what the answer is there, but we need to think more strategically about how to get those kids involved.
We are also continuing to learn how to best communicate information and who the people are that we can trust to do things for us. It's all been quite positive, but I wish I didn't always have so much to learn!! When will I start to know it all?!?! (And not just in my own mind!)
Now we're wrestling with which kids to invite into the program. There are a few talented kids with questionable attitudes, do we take the risk? There are some kids that aren't great players, but have great athletic ability, do we trust that we can teach them how to play? In "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell (an amazing book, by the way) he talks about people becoming experts in their field when they have reached 10,000 hours of practice. Basically his premise is that if somebody starts with a certain threshold of talent that the difference is the time put into their craft. So, we're wrestling with whether or not our task is to "discover" talented players or to "develop" talented players. It's quite an interesting process and we have a lot of big decisions to make over the next month or so.
We'd appreciate your thought and prayers to that end. After tomorrow's final day I'll post some pictures of this 2nd group of kids.

Casey

Pictures of Elite Clinic

2010-12-09T11:19:00.000+02:00

There are some pictures of the 1st Day of the Elite Clinic on our family blog here: www.caseyandsarahafrica.blogspot.com.

We've had some good players to work with there. Hoping to uncover some more!

Casey

Elite Christmas Clinics

2010-12-06T13:46:00.000+02:00

These next 2 weeks are really important for us. We are hosting Elite Christmas Clinics for 3 days each week. This week the clinic is in our area and next week it's in an area nearby about 30 minutes away. For each clinic we have invited 25 kids that will be U-13 next year. They have been nominated by their coach at school or from a local club. Through this clinic we will be evaluating these boys so that we can select 16 boys to become the start of our High Performance Training Program in 2011. That program is the start of us moving towards our full-on academy program. We're excited to be working with some talented kids this week and to look forward to our future!
We'll keep you updated this week!

Casey

Follow-up with Fish Hoek

2010-11-18T11:15:00.000+02:00

We had another follow-up meeting with the Fish Hoek Football Club on Tuesday. After we met with their committee, they spoke about our proposal at their Annual General Meeting which generated questions and concerns, so they invited us back to meet with their whole committee. We spent some time presenting ourselves to the full committee and then answered their questions. Most of their questions were things we expected to hear, only a few were things we hadn't thought through. We handled all of their questions pretty smoothly, but there was one interaction that was particularly encouraging. One of the guys, who was clearly skeptical, asked what makes us different from any other academy that is in the other parts of this city. At that point, the club chairman asked if he could answer that question. I was really interested to see what he would say. He responded by saying that our motives are different from the other academies. Those academies are driven by greed hoping that one of their players will make it big and set them up for life. They make promises to kids that they either can't or never intend to keep. He shared that our motives are simply for the kids to be advanced. WOW! So amazing that he basically said what I would have said, but that it didn't come from me. Somebody else, who is only just getting to know us, can already sense that our hearts are different. This was the best moment of the meeting. It left me feeling that if the chairman of the club feels that way about us then our chances of this being approved should be good.
So, now we're just praying that they would respond soon with a positive response. We know that if they give us a year to try it out that they will be blessed by the opportunity and desire to have it continue.

If you're curious about how we presented ourselves to them, here is our powerpoint from the meeting. It might help you know how to share what we are doing and planning with others in your sphere of influence.

Inspiring

2010-10-25T15:12:00.000+02:00

This story is way delayed in being told. This summer we had an amazing interaction with an awesome young man. My wife Sarah had the opportunity to speak at a few of Youth Conference Ministry's camps. Through that we were able to share a lot about the work of Ubuntu Sports Outreach. At the high school camp, Fun in the Son, they played a game all week called "Minute to Win It." It consisted of crazy activities by the students, but they were playing for a prize of $100 at the end of the week. The final day came and the competition even went to a tie-breaker. It was so intense, kids were screaming, and the two churches represented really wanted to win. You kept thinking, "Oh, if they win, they'll buy their whole church ice cream or something fun." Finally after a long competition, Daniel Nasrallah from Reynolda Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem, NC won the competition. They were so excited! They celebrated like they had just won the World Cup! It was really fun to see.
But less than 5 minutes later, Daniel was in front of me holding the milk jug full of cash. Cash that he had worked really hard to win. And then he gave it to me. He said that he wanted it to be used for the work we are doing in Cape Town. I was so humbled by this gesture. Yes, it was really amazing to get the financial help, but even more exciting was the support of his heart. This young man had played SO hard to win this game, and when he could have used his prize on himself or his friends, he chose to sew into God's work here.

We had lots of amazing interactions with people this summer, but this moment with Daniel was particularly inspiring!

Casey

Great Meeting

2010-10-16T14:13:00.000+02:00

Mentioned this week that we had an important meeting. Well, that meeting went really well. We were meeting with the most organized local club, Fish Hoek AFC. I played there this season and enjoyed it, but up until recently hadn't really considered us partnering with them. We have started framing our vision with the problems that we are trying to solve and I kept using the phrase, "using unique sports ministry strategies". In an area like this the idea of working together with someone else is actually a really unique idea. People do their own thing all the time and avoid working together.
So, we spent time hearing from them about their history and current status. They have been around over 30 years and were one of the first clubs to integrate during apartheid. They were actually way ahead of the curve. Now almost all of their junior clubs are in Super League, which is the highest division in this area. We then shared about our vision, why we are here in the Valley, and what we see God doing in the future. They asked a few questions and then we shared about how we envision a partnership. More questions back & forth, and it felt like things ended really positive. So, now they go back to their board and decide what they want to do.
Michael and I are really positive about this potential partnership. It makes sense for us to partner with a long-standing, successful club. It honors the work and impact that they have had over the years, and we are convinced that we can take them to a new level. So, we're praying for discernment from God to know if this is the right partnership. Join us in praying!

Casey

Humming Along

2010-10-13T10:02:00.000+02:00

Stuff with Ubuntu is really humming along. After great success with the community festival we have begun looking forward. It looks like we may start a 'high performance training program' as a bit of a beta program to lead in to the academy in 2012. It may mean we also have to start the beginnings of a club for those kids to have a place to play their games. It's really exciting to see the movement. Now we just need to have the right things come into place.
We had a great meeting with a guy yesterday that is just north of us that has a dream, not totally dissimilar to ours, and we might work together. He has done some work in schools and has been in the schools that I saw as our place of growth. Hopefully we'll work together on that to combine our strategy with his contacts and relationships. Then, he may know of some talented kids that we can put into our HPTP that would raise the level of our group. So, that was exciting.
We have a BIG meeting tomorrow night with the chairman of the most established local club in our area (the one I played with this season). We are open to working in partnership with them, but if they don't want to work together he has the power to possibly block our entrance into that league, which is the better of the two locally. So, we're hoping for a great movement there.
Pray that the right connections will be made and that people would lock into the vision God has given us. This is the time!

Casey

Festival Follow-up

2010-10-06T16:09:00.000+02:00

This Sunday we had a Thank You Gathering for all the coaches, volunteers, and planning team. We hosted it at our house and had some goodies, but also wanted a chance to be in front of these people again. We shared the vision for Ubuntu Sports Outreach so that it would be clear why we exist and where we are going. We also showed them the video that you see on the blog. They LOVED that. So many of them wanted copies to show other people! Then we spent some time talking about the positives of the festival and things we can improve on.
We live in a very wounded community, so lots of our meeting time was spent with them fleshing out the problems of sports in Ocean View and the surrounding area. Most of it I had heard before, but it was good for the rest of our team to hear, and for them to feel 'heard' by us. They were basically saying that the festival really filled a gap for their kids and should continue. They really want the festival to happen more than once a year!! That was great affirmation that we ran a great event. We were so encouraged by our whole time together with them. I'm not sure yet that we are wanting to make that jump, but it's great to know that it's wanted.
As we continue to share the event's success with our host school and other community advocates we are hoping to generate more support, sponsorship, and partners for years ahead. Let's do it!!

Casey

The Festival in Pictures

2010-09-30T22:50:00.001+02:00

Enjoy and Spread as we show you this area being One Valley together.

The One Valley Festival

2010-09-28T15:32:00.000+02:00

Well, it's over and it was fantastic! The first (and possibly annual) One Valley Festival was a huge success. We had right at 60 teams which probably equaled about 400 kids playing on the day. We had music blaring, around 30 volunteers running around keeping things going, and even some fun relay games.

The U7 African Bombers from Masiphumelele

I'm so thankful for all the amazing support we had from my partner Michael Jenkins, my amazing wife Sarah, and all the volunteers that spent their day refereeing the games, organizing the kids, leading the relay games, selling drinks & other merchandise, and generally just having an amazing attitude. Everybody was so willing to jump in and do whatever.

Two of our great volunteers, Ben & Robert

I also want to think Phil Mason from Reemaxe Sportswear for donating the game balls & the Western Province Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport that provided the inflatable field that the Under 7's played in.

After so much work beforehand you would think it would have worn me out so that I never wanted to see another festival again. However, I'm actually REALLY excited about doing it again. We learned so much about how to do things better, things we could add, things that would enrich the experience for the kids, and so on. Also, teams now know about it so they will be excited about it's return.

Some players from Juventus

There were so many great things about the day, and you've heard some from Michael & the girls from 7 Stars on previous posts, but I want to highlight a few more. We really emphasized to the kids that the day was about enjoying each other from all the different communities, and they seemed to really embrace that. We had almost no fighting or little skirmishes. The kids played hard & fair. And one of the great things was just having people from all 3 racial groups together as ONE valley. They played together and enjoyed each other. That's actually a really significant thing. We have some work to do to get the 3 communities equally represented, but it was a great start.

Getting After It!

Kieren & Sarah with one of our Favorites, Kaka

The Back of Our T-shirt

Another Guest Post

2010-09-28T13:27:00.000+02:00

We posted a little guest blog about the festival on our personal blog at www.caseyandsarahafrica.blogspot.com. Check it out, it's from some girls in our community that played in the festival.

Casey

First Response from the Festival

2010-09-27T14:33:00.000+02:00

I'm going to do a proper blog about the Festival ASAP, but wanted to go ahead and get this on here. Michael Jenkins, the co-founder of Ubuntu Sports, wrote this reflection about the festival and asked if he could do a "guest post" on the blog. Michael runs his own business so he isn't able to help with the day in and day out happenings of Ubuntu. We call him the Visionary Consultant and when he is able to be involved with things he's a real champion. Here is his reflection on the day:

On Saturday Ubuntu Sports Outreach hosted our first ever One Valley soccer festival. With close to 60 teams entered we had around 400 kids playing, but it was a small, ragged group of six to nine year old's who brought an ache to my heart and defined the day for me.
Despite our not having received a single team registration just three weeks ago, the day started with astonishing punctuality and a wonderfully large crowd of kids from 6 to 17 years old, standing to sing the national anthem. This is not usually done at public events in South Africa, other than international games, but it was a poignant and fitting opening to a festival held on our Heritage Day weekend.
About an hour in, games were in full swing with continuous soccer being played simultaneously on 7 pitches. I was tearing around the fields trying to find a certain under 7 team who were due to play. Sitting off to one side, I saw a small group of boys who looked about the right age. I asked what their team name was, to which they proudly replied "the Mighty Blues". This was not the team I was looking for, so I hurried off, but with a small itch of concern - I'd gone through the match scedule and I was pretty sure there were no Mighty Blues on our program for the day.
Going back over to them, I learned that these ten boys - a full under 7 team and under 9 team - had arrived at a festival to which their coach did not show up, and in which he had not entered their teams. I remember sleepless nights and waking up ridiculously early and tremendously excited on game-day mornings when I was a small boy. I could see by the growing disappointment in their eyes that these ten little boys had lived that same story on saturday. Theirs had involved walking without adult supervision a few miles to a field where their coach had not met them, and seeing games start without them hearing the call for the Mighty Blues to take the field. Anthony, Ben and Robert - all outstanding young men who were champions this weekend - leaped into action to mark out an 8th field. During the rest of the day we managed to bring most of the other under 7 and under 9 teams over to field 8 which became the home ground for the Mighty Blues. When I called them over for their first game, these kids leaped with fists punching the air in sheer joy at getting to play.

Tim and Natasha are a terrific couple who arrived during the morning and offered to hel

p however they could. These are people in ministry in our communities who have more than enough of their own work to do, and who are not connected to Ubuntu except through friendship and a shared heart for the communities we work in. They stepped into the gap and became the coaches of the two Mighty Blues teams. It was beautiful to see these little guys getting warm-up drills, high fives and pep talks - and loving every minute. I was inspired by how one couple giving a gift of their time on Saturday, brought such tremendous joy to a precious group of small boys, turning what could have been a day of bitter disappointment into one of the best days they have had this year. It reminded me that although we so often pursue happiness through getting, it's in giving that we find it.
On Saturday, often a single coach was responsible for up to five teams. The one major difference between running a festival for kids from township communities and festivals in affluent communities, is the overwhelming ratio of kids per rare adult who is able to give his time to their sports whilst fighting for the survival of his family in the most dire circumstances. We were helped in that regard to have a magnificent and large team of volunteers who were just AWESOME on the day. As a tribute of gratitude to all our volunteers on Saturday, I have such a strong conviction that Jesus is incredibly pleased with what you helped make possible for so many children that He loves beyond words. Thank you!

Casey spoke in the closing awards ceremony and thanked those who helped so much on the day, but I need to add a word of thanks to him and Sarah. It's hard to explain what a great job they did (and are doing) to anyone who has never tried to run an event in this kind of context. And if you have, then you don't need an explanation - you know already!
Finally back to my new favourite team - the Mighty Blues... For a moment I was angry that a coach would allow children to arrive at a soccer festival in which they had not yet been entered. And then not turn up himself! Then I wondered if I'd be giving my time to coach a team of 6 and 7 year olds if I lived with the challenges he faces daily. The fact is that when life gets really tough, hugely important things, like investing time in children, so often get overlooked for the urgent things like food, shelter and survival. Ubuntu exists for children like the Mighty Blues. Our mission is to train and mentor Christian men who will in turn be coaches and mentors, discipling children through time spent with them on a soccer field. The Mighty Blues reminded me of Jesus' words that we can love Him by stretching out hands to the 'least of these'. They reminded me once again of the innocent joy and enthusiasm soccer brings to young children, and what a simple and effective way it offers us to introduce them to the love of Jesus through his people loving them. They reminded me of just why Ubuntu has such an important role to play in South Africa; that many children just need adults who love Jesus to also love them.

Big Day Tomorrow

2010-09-24T17:40:00.000+02:00

The big day is upon us! The One Valley Festival kicks off tomorrow morning at 9am. We're so excited to finally see what all the planning produces. We have about 50 teams signed up to play on the day, 8 vendors, a great lineup of family games, and the spirit of the Lord with us. Please join us in prayer for the day and we will update you next week on how GREAT the event was.

Casey

ONE VALLEY FESTIVAL- Update

2010-09-15T09:59:00.000+02:00

Ubuntu Sports Outreach (www.ubuntusports.org), in partnership with other local churches and ministries is hosting the first ONE VALLEY FESTIVAL @ Sun Valley Primary School on Saturday, 25 of September. The purpose of the event is for all the communities of the Southern Peninsula Valley to enjoy a day together while celebrating the success of the World Cup. The event will primarily operate around a 5-a-side soccer tournament. Teams can register by printing off the form here. You then return it to Casey Prince in Ocean View.

The event is designed to be fun for the whole family. There will be music, family games, food vendors, and craft stalls. We are also having an inflatable field that the younger age groups will play in! And Peninsula Beverages will be providing a mini- Coke field. Please bring your entire family and spread the word throughout your neighborhood. It's going to be a great day!

If you have any questions call or email Casey Prince at 082-071-7165 or ubuntusports@gmail.com.

To access the registration form click here: registration form.

To print the indemnity form that everybody must sign click here: indemnity form

Looking forward to you joining us,

All Nations Connections Church

King of Kings Baptist Church Living Hope Community Center

Ocean View Baptist Church Ocean View Methodist Church

Revival Ministries Simon's Town Baptist Church

Ubuntu Sports Outreach

What we Hope

2010-09-13T14:46:00.000+02:00

I took this picture last Sunday at the Cape Town International Convention Center (CTICC) where we go to Hillsong Church Cape Town.

This is what we hope is a byproduct of the outreach of Ubuntu Sports, to be a wound healer in hearts, families, and communities. We know the power of a mentor, raised self-esteem, and a relationship with Jesus. This will transform kids, families, and communities; and consequently heal a lot of wounds. Pray that God would give us the opportunity.

ONE VALLEY FESTIVAL

2010-09-09T22:12:00.000+02:00

The event is designed to be fun for the whole family. There will be music, family games, food vendors, and craft stalls. Please bring your entire family and spread the word throughout your neighborhood.

If you have any questions call or email Casey Prince at 082-071-7165 or ubuntusports@gmail.com.

To access the registration form click here: registration form.

Looking forward to you joining us,

All Nations Connections Church

King of Kings Baptist Church Living Hope Community Center

Ocean View Baptist Church Ocean View Methodist Church

Revival Ministries Simon's Town Baptist Church

Ubuntu Sports Outreach

World Cup Recap

2010-09-09T16:19:00.000+02:00

This is way overdue, but its time for our World Cup recap.

We had a great program going on in Ocean View at the turf field that we were given permission to use by the city. We met for a total of 6 sessions working on different skills each time. Our main content came by using words that were being used a lot during the World Cup to talk about Jesus. Here is a sampling:

Ke Nako= it's time, it's Africa's time; GOOD NEWS

Used it to talk about the Good News of Jesus coming to live among us

Waka, Waka= joyful, full of life

Talked specifically about John 10:10, that Jesus came to give us life & life abundantly.

Ayoba= amazement

Used it to talk about some of the miracles of God.

Jabulani= to celebrate

We talked this day about us celebrating the things God is doing in our lives.

It was a great way to put the truths of Jesus into a context that they were being bombarded with. Hopefully, as they continued to hear those terms they connected them with Christ.

These pics are from the Jabulani day. We worked on shooting that day, and if they scored they had to celebrate!

2010-07-03T11:37:00.000+01:00

Alright so a lot has happened with Ubuntu since our last post, but lets get everyone updated. The new volunteers, Ben # 1, Ben # 2, and Antony have become familiar with the dynamics of our ministry. Their special gifts and qualities have been an asset to the ministry of Ubuntu. So far we have been running soccer practices with different schools. We have had practices with the primary schools from Simons Town, Kleinburg, and Capricorn. Also since then the World Cup has taken off and we have incorporated that into our ministry. In the past couple of weeks we have had soccer clinics in Ocean View. Each practice we have focused on a particular skill linked with a popular soccer term. Also the Edward brothers from Raleigh visited helping us with our ministry. The first practice we had comprised of short passing and the word we used was Ke Nako (Which means "its time" or "the good news"). We talked about the the gospels and how Jesus is the good news who has come to save his people. The next clinic we focused on Long passing and used the word Ayoba (which means "amazing). We discussed how Jesus preformed amazing miracles like raising Lazarus from the dead. The third clinic we focused on ball handling and talked about Waka Waka (the hit Shakira song which means "full of life"). We discussed how Jesus came to give us life and have to the fullest. The most recent clinic we focused on shooting and linked up with the word Jabulani (Which means "celebration"). This was fun day because after the kids would score goals we would have them preform their best celebration dances. We also talked about palm sunday and how the people in Jerusalem waved palmed branches to celebrate the coming of Jesus. We also continue to hangout with the kids in Ocean View, take them to McDonald's, play games, and just laugh with them. Also we had a bible study with kyle, reagan, and kaka today which went really well. We will have another clinic tomorrow and talked about the word "Ubuntu," a familiar word to most of us. But for now tune in with us next time as we discuss more of our exciting adventures happening in SA!

Kicking Crime

2010-07-02T17:23:00.000+01:00

Our friends, Ambassadors In Sport, have a program called the Hope Academy here in a prison in South Africa. They were highlighted last night on ABC News Nightline. Check it out, it's a great story, and they are great friends. Cheers, Casey

2010-05-26T20:06:00.000+01:00

Our third and final volunteer is Antony Burton. Antony is also from Raleigh, North Carolina, and knew the Princes throughout high school. Casey served as his Youth Pastor in high school and his soccer coach at the neighboring Millbrook High School. God will be able to use Antony through his background in soccer and his love for God. He has been faithful to the Lord’s calling and we can’t wait to see God work through this young man. Towards the end of July, he will also be taking classes at University of Cape Town in history and international studies, which will supplement his studies at North Carolina State University. Like Ben, Antony will be serving until November and we are excited to have him aboard.

Here are some more things about Antony:

Why did you come to Africa: Trying to fulfill the exciting opportunity the God has set out for me and experience new parts and people in our world.

Most inspiring scripture for you: Isaiah 41:10

Add to Mt. Rushmore: FDR

Favorite thing about South Africa so far: Everything

Favorite Book: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Mentor in your life: My Brother

Favorite Movie: Shawshank Redemption

Favorite Clothing: Corduroy Pants

Favorite Soccer Player: Wayne Rooney

Favorite National Team: England

Favorite Club Team: West Ham

Favorite Soccer Coach: Brad Meyers & Casey Prince

Nike or Adidas: Nike

Favorite Food: Steak

Thing you miss the most about home: Family & Friends

Favorite band or musical artist: Radiohead, Elliott Smith, & Kanye West

2010-05-26T20:01:00.000+01:00

The second volunteer is new to all of us, but he fits right in like family. Ben Pflederer is a 19-year-old, USA soccer fanatic with a gnarly beard that makes him look like Moses. He comes from Indianapolis, Indiana from a family of four. He is the son Kevin and Debbie Pflederer. He currently attends Vanderbilt University in good old Nashville, Tennessee. He loves soccer and Jesus. What do you need more for Ubuntu, a ministry orchestrated around Jesus but uses soccer as a tool to draw in kids. At Vanderbilt, Ben is currently undecided with his major but with his great wisdom he will do great things in college. We can’t wait to use his excitement and unique humor for the Ubuntu ministry.

Here are some more things about Ben #2:

Why did you come to Africa: Trying to trust God by following him and learning what he has to teach me.

Most inspiring scripture for you: Luke 9:23-24

Most inspiring quote: “One of the greatest lies that you can live by is that life is a story about me.”

Add to Mt. Rushmore: Denzel Washington

Favorite thing about South Africa so far: The natural beauty. It’s incredible.

Favorite Book: Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper

Mentor in your life: My parents, David Brown, and Andy Blasius

Favorite Clothing: U.S. Soccer Jersey

Favorite Soccer Player: Michael Bradley

Favorite National Team: USNT

Favorite Club Team: Chicago Fire and Fulham FC

Favorite Soccer Coach: Bob Bradley

Nike or Adidas: Adidas

Favorite Food: Buffalo Wings

Thing you miss the most about home: Sanitation

Favorite band or musical artist: Jon Mclaughlin

2010-05-26T19:48:00.000+01:00

We want to introduce our newest volunteers who have recently arrived in Cape Town, South Africa. Andy Chenlo has been here for about 7 months so we decided to pull in some more help for Ubuntu Sports Outreach. Our first volunteer is no stranger to the Prince household, the one and only Ben Cash. He is planning to stay in South Africa for about 6 months helping with Ubuntu while at the same time taking classes at the local university. Ben Cash is the son of Roxie and Tom Cash, with two brothers and a lovely sister Caboose (Emily). He also graduated from Millbrook, however he did not play soccer. But with lots of optimism, he plans to learn as much as he can while in South Africa. After graduation he headed off to UNC-Wilmington to study and surf. He studies Communication Studies and Journalism while at college. In Wilmington, Ben helps out with a local church in the youth group. Ben loves kids and loves God so he will be a great asset to our ministry. He will be serving with us until November, so we are excited for the adventures to come.

Here are some more things about Ben Cash, known here as Ben #1:

Why did you come to Africa: God is funny when he throws you into these unexpected adventures. You don’t have to really understand why he works the way he does, you just have to answer the calling that he places in your heart and fulfill it. Africa was an awesome opportunity for ministry and school that was presented to me. I want to match the calling of God to the needs of the South African people.

Most inspiring scripture for you: Galatians 2:20

Most inspiring quote: "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." -C.S. Lewis

Add to Mt. Rushmore: Benjamin Franklin

Favorite thing about South Africa so far: The people are awesome and approachable. Also, it gives you an innate sense to not have expectations of the way people should act which makes it more exciting to share the good news.

Favorite Book: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Mentor in your life: My brothers

Favorite Clothing: Zip-up hoodies

Favorite Clothing Brand: Fila

Country you would most like to visit: Ireland

Favorite Movie: The Hurt Locker

Favorite Food: Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Favorite Drink: Chocolate Milk

Favorite Dessert: Strawberry shortcake

Thing you miss the most about home: Warm ocean water. The water here is FREEZING!!

Favorite band or musical artist: Need to Breathe, Monk & Neagle, Punch Brothers, and Jurassic 5

Things are Heating up!

2010-05-10T07:59:00.000+01:00

This week things are really going to be heating up. They will start team tryouts at Capricorn Primary on Tuesday with their coach, Grayson. Really excited about that. We will also start at Simon's Town Primary on Wednesday. We are having issues getting their coaches trained, so Andy and I will be getting things started there. Ukhanyo Primary should get started this week with Desmond and Tondazo. And hopefully Marine Primary will get started later this week with Pastor Freddy and Edmund.

We are training coaches from Sharon AOG in Capricorn this Saturday. They will be working at Christian David Primary School. We still need a church partner for Zirilda Park Primary. And I think we have to reconsider our church parter with Kleinberg Primary in Ocean View. It doesn't look like it's going to work out for them. But, God willing, that will happen this week!

Cheers,

Casey

Training Update

2010-04-19T10:53:00.000+01:00

Our first training went well on Saturday. Had the guys that will coach at Marine Primary and Ukhanyo Primary. We mostly focused on ministry stuff. This weekend we should have most of the rest of the coaches there, along with these guys. We'll be focusing more on the soccer stuff and actually walking through the first 3-4 Ubabalo lessons. We'll talk through the Life Skills components, give them actual drills & games to use to further develop the life skill idea, and then talk about the Bible devotion. I'm really excited about using the Ubabalo curriculum. It was created locally so it will be culturally relevant and creative. You can check it out at: www.ubabalo2010.com.

We hadn't shared the news that we have 7 schools signed on to be our partners. That's amazing news!! They are Marine Primary (Ocean View), Kleinberg Primary (OV), Ukhanyo Primary (Masiphumelele), Simon's Town School, Capricorn Primary, Christian David Primary (Capricorn), and Zirilda Park Primary (Capricorn/Sea Winds). We met a pastor yesterday to try and find the church partner for Christian David. Now we need to find the partner for Zirilda Park. Pray that God would provide these churches. These schools and keen and excited!

We'll give you an update again next week after training!

Casey

April News

2010-04-13T22:14:00.000+01:00

We are starting training for our first wave of coaches this Saturday. Over 2 weekends we'll focus on ministry and soccer coaching. I'm really excited to be closer to the point where boys lives will be impacted by the coaching mentor involved in their life. There are some nerves in finally getting started, but mostly just serious excitement.
Pray for the training and also that we will find 2 more churches that want to invest in the Capricorn area. Some schools were slow to the table there, so we are looking hard for churches. We need churches for Zirilda Park Primary and Christian David Primary. Both need men mentoring boys there.
Ubuntu is busy planning a festival for the entire valley for May. This area is so divided by demographics, culture, and frankly color of our skin. We are using the World Cup as our "excuse" to draw all the communities together. We have gathered leaders from different churches all over to help drive this thing. We made some big decisions this week and crunch time is on. We're really excited about "ONE VALLEY FESTIVAL: Celebrating the World Cup Together". Pray that things would come together quickly as it is scheduled for the end of May!
Keep updated on our family and the amazing work that my wife, Sarah, is doing on our blog: www.caseyandsarahafrica.blogspot.com. She is doing amazing work with women in Ocean View.

Cheers,
Casey

Spreading the Word

2010-03-22T14:22:00.000+02:00

Our good friend Jock does leadership training and consulting. He was recently at a meeting for a healthcare company. Their dinner one night had a sports theme and they were supposed to wear the shirt of their favorite sports team. Well, Jock work his Ubuntu Sports Outreach shirt! How awesome is that?!?! What a great way to spread the word about the work we are doing!

Casey

TREC Experience

2010-03-08T14:09:00.000+02:00

Last week Andy and I had an opportunity to be part of a coaching course called TREC: Training, Resourcing, and Equipping Coaches. This was provided by our friends at Ambassadors in Sport. It was a 5 day coaching experience that mixed a normal coaching course with sports ministry training. There were about 4o students from all sorts of different backgrounds. Obviously there were a lot of South Africans but also a few other Americans, an Englishmen, 3 Germans, and an Australian. The diversity made for such an interesting environment.

Although the soccer was very basic, because it was Level 1, it was such a great week. TREC is something that we are hoping ALL of our Ubuntu coaches will go through eventually. Because of that we thought it was important for us to experience it first.

And, you can be encouraged, I did score a '1' on my coaching assessment, which is the highest score, so I do know what I'm doing!

Casey

And there were two!

2010-02-24T10:56:00.000+02:00

We have our second school signed on to be a partner. Ukhanyo Primary School in Masiphumalele is our 2nd partner. This school is full of boys that LOVE soccer so we should have quite the squad there. I've been meeting with young men from a church in the area, Maranatha Family Church, to recruit our coaches. I've met with 2 really great guys and I'm hoping that God will lead them to us!

Be praying for our remaining schools and coaches!

Casey

We have one!!

2010-02-16T22:11:00.000+02:00

We have our first official host school! Marine Primary School in Ocean View has signed on as our first official host school that will receive the assistance of soccer coaches trained by Ubuntu Sports Outreach. We're very excited to have our first and hope the flood will come of more schools and then the corresponding churches and coaches!

Casey

February Update

2010-02-15T17:52:00.000+02:00

Things have really been cranking up for Ubuntu Sports Outreach. After our series of successful clinics at the beginning of the school year momentum is building. We have been busy seeking firm, long-term commitments from the schools we have been working in. We want them to commit to our program of providing them well-trained coaching mentors. We are also spending much of our time connecting with the local churches that will provide our coaches. We’ve had great meetings with pastors and people are very excited. Now the challenge is finding the right men from within those churches. I have had the opportunity to speak at a few churches to share the excitement. These pastors lead churches that are passionate about reaching the kids in their community, which is exactly what we want to see.

We are also excited to see some opportunities opening up to expand into other areas. The Muizenberg area, also a Living Hope area, has 4 schools that we are meeting with. They seem keen to partner with us, too, which means more churches to find! So, pray that God would be raising up the right churches and the men to coach.

Photos of Clinics Uploaded

2010-01-25T16:24:00.001+02:00

I'd like to share photos with you from our recent clinics. Click on the link to view the action from Kleinberg, Ukhanyo, and Marine!
Click here to view photos