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.
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 help 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.
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.
Incredible! Praise God!
ReplyDelete