Always a growing hope. The dance is only just beginning....


In case some are unawares, there is a bit of "futbol fiebre" coursing through the village. Oh, the romance, the romance, the romance!

The under 18 youth team have begun their Title Defense. After a convincing, sweepaway season where - i believe - they went 13 - 0 - 1 (13 wins no ties one loss) they proceeded to waltz, strut, skip, swirl, ticky-tack and sachay their way through the post-season to a most jubilant of victories in the final a few months past.

Now, rain allowing, the game goes on. Next season. This. Our adventure continues.

****

Inter-city and Inter-league rivalries aside, the true fever of the game finds traction in our very own 8 by 8 League which plays out here, in town. Internacine, intergenerational, it is a league composed of 6 teams of 14 registered players each. This 8 on 8 game is played sideways, across the width, with 25 minute halves and smaller nets.

Here one finds the village spirit in full expression. Food and drink, fun and frolic; dogs, dogs, dogs. Its a blast.

More than joy, investiture, loss and madness, it is education. Sport: the great Educator. This I truly believe and stand by, stand in and do by. I play in this Village 8s league and I love it. I am not sure who I would be without the allure and attraction and challenge of sport. I know that as a 44 year adult it is a most (re)invigorating reality. When in play: there is no yesterday, there is no tomorrow. Like music, theatre, the performance arts, when engaged, one is fully engaged, hence present and , well, I say: free.

The way of sport (soccer), physical, interactive and interjective, (sometimes) competitive, demanding and taxing too, on mind, body, emotion and spirit, creates balance of character, focus of mind, and belief in self. It literally is: Poetry in Motion; a kind of ... Cosmic Ballet, dare I say.

The efforts to generate funding for uniform, equipment, shoe, ball and travel costs (?), is an effort to give children and youth a healthier more hopeful way, a way forward, into active, living breathing balance. A way into confrontation that is (ostensibly) non-violent and yet always resolves itself. Hence: the victor, the vanquished.

Future hopes involve:

Children's Teams
Youth Girls Team

If you put the word ' soccer' in the search bar here, a few threads will appear (once you set it to show "by date")

Tres Hermanas Tacos is Soccer Central. Please feel free to approach and ask any who are working there about how to get involved and/or donate.

Clayton Michael