Young Men Soccer Match

Saturday was one of those rare weekends when we did not have meetings, firesides, training sessions, etc. We had nothing on our agenda. So, we travelled out to Masina to watch the championship games of the Stake Young Men's Soccer program.

You should note some things in the pictures:

1. The boys are all bare footed. They do not wear shoes because they don't have shoes.

2. The field is not grassy. It is sand and junk. The sand is the loose sand that is everywhere here. It is several inches of loose sand. Which, of course, makes it hard to run and maveuver, let alone know where or how the ball will bounce when it hits the ground, or, when you try to kick it, just how much sand you will kick along with it. When they had a goal kick or any other placed kid, the rules allowed them to make a small sand mound and tee up the ball.

3. These guys play soccer very well. It was a full game of rough and tumble soccer.

4. Pink Sock guy and green long sock guy were my favorite players. one had one pink sock the other had green soccer type socks, with no shoes. Who knows where they got them, but they were proud of them.
5. In the pictures with the blue striped shirts, all of them had white socks - no shoes, but white socks.

6. We don't know where they got the uniforms - someone must have donated them.

7. We were surprised to see the unauthorized use of the yellow - Helping Hands - vests, and suggested to the Stake President that this was not the authorized use of the vests. He agreed.

8. We watched two games, the 3rd and 4th place teams, then the championship game.

9. Afterwards, they all went back over to the stake center for award ceremonies.

10. The field is about 3 blocks from the stake center. Africans are very big on protocol. The stake president and bishops were there, and of course the three missionary couples. So, young men were sent to the stake center to bring back enough chairs for the president, each bishop, and for the missionary couples. So, we sat in the shade and watched the game. After the game, the young men picked up the chairs and took them back to the stake center.

11. It was a fun day with lots of good sportsmanship and true competitive spirit.

12. There were no team moms, or half time refreshments, or after game treats.

In pictures:

The man in the center with the white shirt and pen in his pocket is President Jean Claude Mbaya, president of the Masina Stake. He is an awesome man who loves the kids and really is a great friend to us.

The ref came in a white shirt and jeans suit and shoes with his own whistle to ref the game.

The refs wer very good at officiating. No one argued with them.

Mom and others with one of the players.
Short video of soccer in the sand