Soccer experience abridged

Having been in Ghana for 2 1/2 months now, I have a good number of soccer experiences to share. Though I would have liked to give great details about each experience, I'll have to give a chronological account of what I've been able to enjoy while in the Techiman area.

Week 3: After watching the local Aworowa team play each afternoon while walking from sector lessons to my home, it was time to stop explaining to onlookers that "Yes, I know what football is." Will and I got out of class early one afternoon and headed to the pitch at around 3:30. Several of the guys were sitting around playing cards but nobody else was playing yet. Will and I started to warm up and kick the ball around. Slowly but surely, we heard jeers and laughter as onlookers realized that we had actually touched a ball before. As some local players joined, I decided to get in goal and let people take shots to warm up. I haven't played keeper since I was maybe 12 but thought it would be fun to let the guys take shots on the Obruni. I'm no Barthez but I turned away most of the shots that came my way and within minutes was getting invitations to play keeper during the afternoons game. I decided to play on the field.

Teams were divided and I was put on the "skins" team. Never have I felt so white!! I'm sure that the darkest freckle on my body would look like a pale imperfection on the body of any of my teammates. As the game started, more and more spectators trickled in. I was taking it slow since the field is about 70% clay dust, full of pot-holes and sits with a 5% decline towards the goal I was attacking. Unsure of my touch and cautious about the strength of my knee, I kept every possession to one or two touches. Not long after the game started however, one of those touches resulted in a half volley rocket to break a 0-0 tie. I received a cross from the left side and made great contact with the laces of my Puma Roma's. The response was amazing. My team erupted and I was getting hugs and high fives from guys who laughed at my presence not an hour earlier.

The game ended in a 2-2 tie and Will scored a penalty kick to keep the obruni score tied also. My pride kept me on the field for the entire game though by the end, I was so dehydrated that I could spit no farther than my upper lip. The next morning, men women and children around town greeted me with an entirely new attitude. "Wo ko bobo??" they would ask as they swung their legs at an imaginary ball. No matter what time of day or what clothes I was wearing, I was asked if I was on my way to play football. When you're one of 6 white people in a town, word spreads fast if anything happens and gaining the reputation of a talented football player is much as I could have hoped for.

Week 5: After a few makeshift practices with my fellow trainees, the time came for Trainee vs. Trainer match #1. We met in the SED training town of Nsuta and at 3pm were matched up against language trainers, Peace Corps volunteers and drivers. Our roster boasted two college players, a few high schoolers and many other dedicated though inexperienced players. While outshooting our opposition maybe 25-5, we lost 3-1 and left the field exhausted and dejected. I'll admit that at certain points in the game, we connected 3 or 4 one touch passes down the field and looked like a real team.

Week 9: With only one rain interrupted Aworowa practice since the fifth week, it was time for our rematch with the trainers. This time we played in Akrofrom, a sister town to Aworowa. By this time, we had all passed our respective language exams and had moved out of our homestay sites. With over 100 onlookers present, retribution was achieved!! I scored on a breakaway after 15 minutes of peppering the opposing goal with shots. Egan and Jon scored goals of their own before half time and Caitlin put away our one goal of the second half to give a 4-0 lead. The trainers scored a late goal to give a final score of 4-1 but we felt GOOD. Training was over, we were preparing to move to site and we played some beautiful soccer while looking like a real team. It's a bit sad that we won't play as a team again while in Ghana. We've all dispersed and many of us will only see each other a few more times while in country. Bitter-sweet for sure but as always, I'll focus on the sweet!

Love to you all.

Happy Birthday Gran Fran!!!!!!!