Extending Compassion Through Soccer
The trip to El Salvador over Spring Break was great partnership between Southwestern's men's soccer team and Together in Hope, a non-profit organization based in Houston. Together in Hope is committed to building relationships with members of impoverished communities around the globe. The main purpose of the international trip was to promote dignity and worth of all human beings. The week long adventure, from March 12th through the 19th, indeed accomplished that for the 18 Pirate student-athletes who attended.
The men played three matches in El Salvador – Monday a 0-0 tie with host University of Central America (UCA) and a 1-4 loss Tuesday to the Chelana youth professional apprentice club at El Salvadoran National Team Stadium. Despite the loss the Pirate colors were in full display in the National Stadium, the site of many USA/El Salvador World Cup qualifiers. Thursday Southwestern took a 2-1 win at the home of the Roadrunners in Vista Hermosa.
The international soccer matches were exciting and challenging, but the real highlight of the trip for SU was the three day clinic the Pirate athletes conducted at the UCA stadium for the children of Alta Mira. Alta Mira Flores is a "barrio" school whose students come from underprivileged families. The area is occupied by 30,000 squatters living in small shacks with corrugated aluminum sidings. It was the first time the children set foot on the campus of UCA. The clinics ran for two hours on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and captain Evan Perkins took the responsibility to organize the exercises and practices while the rest of the players were passionate in carrying out their assignments.
In addition to the teaching and coaching, the SU group donated soccer balls, shoes, shin guards, back packs and other soccer items following the last session on Wednesday. The philanthropic activities were an outstanding learning tool for the college players. The El Salvadoran children observed very quickly how to perform the Pirate stand with one eye covered and one finger in the shape of a hook. Both the children and student-athletes found it hard to say good-bye after the last practice.
The week long program also immersed the SU students in the rich history and culture of El Salvador. The group visited the famous church of the cultural hero, Archbishop Romero, and toured the El Salvador Museum of Natural History. They drove to the remove "hamlet" of Mezote, the site of one of the worst massacres in the twelve year Civil War which ended in 1992. Intimidating, but very enlightening was a night time visit to the country's oldest church, built in the 1500's by the original Spanish settlers. They walked through the garden site of the 1992 murder of the six Jesuit priests at UCA, an atrocious event that ultimately lead to end of the war and the players also had two great late afternoons on the Pacific beaches of the host country.
The powerful combination of service opportunities, altruism and international sport was inspiring to all involved.
Southwestern would like to extend a special thank you and many "abrozos" to Diane McGehee from Together in Hope and Doctor Harold Recinos, professor of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas for putting together the life-changing program. We hope this will be the first on many trips for the Pirates' men's soccer program.
Diane summed up the entire experience with a wonderful quote from her daily blog: "Pride and joy wells up within me as I watch them (Southwestern's student-athletes) offer hope, extend compassion, and treat with dignity these children whom the world has forgotten."
