Soccer, as we like to call it in the United States, carries a lot of weight down here in El Salvador. Futból is everyone’s favorite sport. It is the sport that everyone cheers for, everyone understands, and everyone knows how to play (even if just for fun). The children at Love & Hope Children’s Home are no exception!
Every Monday and Wednesday at 4:00, about 10 of the children get dressed and ready to go to soccer practice at our local park. They walk down the hill, cleats on, water bottles in hand, tote bags strapped to their shoulders, excited to see their friends and play their favorite game. The three girls from Love & Hope that play are the only girls on the team. Even our two littlest boys participate!
All of the participants convene on the cancha (field) and split into groups by age. They stretch, exercise, run and practice fundamental soccer skills at the direction of their coach. Toward the end of practice, the teams scrimmage. Before heading home for the evening, one of the players leads the entire group in prayer.
Saturday is game day. Early on Saturday morning when most kids would be groaning about getting out of bed, our futbólistas (soccer players) pop-up, take their showers and put on their red and yellow uniforms. They have so much to look forward to! Sometimes games are at the local park and other times a little bit of travel is involved. Either way, they all come home in a good mood ready to recount the highlights of the game.
Thanks to our sponsors and donors our children are able to participate in soccer. Futból has been a great way for many of our children to find recreation, discover their talent, make new friends and gain confidence. We love watching them find motivation to practice (constantly) and learn about team work and commitment!