FOOTBALL OF A DIFFERENT SORT
In entirely non-football-related news: please, please, please read the NYT article “Outcasts United,” written by friend of the blog Warren St. John about the Fugees, an all-refugee youth soccer league in our backyard of Clarkston, Georgia.
The article is just brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, along with the photographs multimedia stuff accompanying it. Luma is a local hero in our neighborhood, and seeing her get some substantial support and recognition for her work warms the cockles of our otherwise dusty, cold heart. If you’d like to support the Fugees, visit their website and click the soccer ball to donate.
Bring tissues. It’s that kind of party.
Lions on the prowl: Fugees take the field.
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1
VOLG says:
Exceptional woman…moving story. Gotta go now and click that soccer ball.
Thanks, Orson for sharing that.
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:26 am
2
Wooderson says:
Yes, but can they cover Roberta Flack songs?
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:34 am
3
AUAlum says:
I see a future Chuck Amato recruit in that picture.
I hope Wyclef Jean sees this and donates thousands of dollars.
Good article from Warren.
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:37 am
4
Travis says:
I saw that yesterday and spent half the morning reading the article. Great stuff. Thanks for the link, too. I had no idea they had a website.
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:38 am
5
paulwesterdawg says:
It’s one helluva a moving story. The AJC should be embarrassed that such awesomeness is happening under their eyes and they failed to find it.
That should’ve been on the cover of our local paper.
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:46 am
6
The Conscience of a Nation says:
Allez allez Bienvenue!
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:46 am
7
GamecockTony says:
“Bring tissues. It’s that kind of party. ”
/Backing out of room slowly/
Seriously, though – cool story.
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:47 am
8
Anonymous IV says:
I read the article yesterday and have nothing but respect for their coach. The ethics of the rich soccer academy are questionable since their star player is from the poor Hispanic community. But I am a fan of fútbol at all levels and college football.
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:56 am
9
Mark says:
Very cool story. Do you actually know the coach personally, Orson?
January 22nd, 2007 at 12:03 pm
10
DevilGrad says:
Damn, it’s a bit dusty here in my office.
I read most of the article yesterday, but totally glossed over WSJ’s byline. That’s brilliant stuff, but we’ve come to expect no less from him.
January 22nd, 2007 at 12:06 pm
11
DC Trojan says:
That’s right, we’re not just here for your jobs and women, we want your playing fields too! /sarcasm.
That’s an excellent story, and in defense of the AJC, I’m pretty sure I read a story about the Fugees in there, maybe in early 2005 — not that I read the AJC particularly; I had picked up a copy at the airport after a couple of days’ worth of business meetings in exotic Gwinnett county.
January 22nd, 2007 at 12:10 pm
12
4chickens-and-a-coke says:
That mayor is an f-ing jackass.
This is the future of American soccer. If we’re serious about winning the World Cup, this is where we start.
Bravo to WSJ and everyone who’s helping out. I know wher part of my weekly beer money is going.
January 22nd, 2007 at 12:22 pm
13
adam says:
wow. cool read. i wish i lived in ATL. also, that i had any money. the coach deserves a fucking nobel prize.
January 22nd, 2007 at 1:16 pm
14
zzgator says:
Great story. Thanks. And those kids look good in orange!
January 22nd, 2007 at 1:21 pm
15
tOSU_radar says:
I bet like the Mayah is pretty diverse himself. From his quotes it sounds like he listens to both kinds of music: country *and* western.
Great story!
January 22nd, 2007 at 2:05 pm
16
Bill says:
Orson, you said it was “Football of a different sort”. Well finding parents jobs, waking kids up out of bed, limited language skills…sounds a lot like the stuff we deal with. Great story.
January 22nd, 2007 at 2:21 pm
17
Willet says:
That is a great story. Maybe when they develop eye hand coordination they can play a real sport like Baseball or Football.
January 22nd, 2007 at 4:30 pm
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Orson Swindle says:
Georgia’s already working that angle–they have a few Liberians on their roster.
January 22nd, 2007 at 4:31 pm
19
oc phil says:
That mayor is a total ass. We have a few of the same type even in SoCal, who fight against soccer in the local parks and fields, apparently because they don’t want to encourage “those people”. Actually some local politicos are not in favor of parks at all because of the demographics of the users.
I dunno if the academy is doing anything wrong with the star player. Or at least nothing more wrong than every school that plays Division 1 football does.
January 22nd, 2007 at 6:43 pm
20
DC Trojan says:
Maybe when they develop eye hand coordination they can play a real sport like Baseball or Football.
Baseball? Have a heart, they’ve suffered enough.
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:26 pm
21
MCab says:
A real sport, huh? So these kids aren’t doing anything constructive. Just wasting their time.
Mind you, football is descended from soccer. And that most football players aren’t built for soccer and vice versa.
Baseball a real sport? I’ve seen too many professional baseball players with guts nearly touching their knees, like David Wells of the red sox. Some athletes.
Can you run for two 45min halves, with many sprints in between, while some bastard is gunning for your ankles?
January 23rd, 2007 at 1:25 am
22
Willet says:
Same stupid soccer arguments. As repetitive as Alabama fan. They do not run for 90 minutes that is why they do not score. Next give me the “you never played”. Yes I played and it was boring to play. It is a communistic sport made for little kids and people that got cut from football, basketball and baseball.
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:09 am
23
Orson Swindle says:
OMG Willet you’re totally right! These kids are total losers! OMG!!!!
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:11 am
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Willet says:
Descended from soccer? I descended from an ape but I do not live and shit in cave. Why? because it sucks.
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:12 am
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Willet says:
Not losers dumbass just misguided. They might have a chance if they play a sport with purpose.
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:13 am
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Orson Swindle says:
Willet, they’re doing something they love and getting tons of support via the sport they play. Hate on that all you like, which you will, because you are a troll and that’s what you do, and will likely respond a zillion times to anything printed here because DERRR SOKKER SUX.
You have no idea what this means to them, or to the people who know them. And who says you can’t get anywhere playing soccer? Have you seen the women Ronaldinho dates?
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:21 am
27
oc phil says:
That Beckham fellow seems to be doing OK with the sport as well.
January 23rd, 2007 at 11:37 am
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The Conscience of a Nation says:
Willet–
You, sir, undoubtedly have a shining future as a Little League coach’s bete noire. Bonne chance, raseur!
January 23rd, 2007 at 12:20 pm
29
Brian says:
Im pretty sure that 17 was a good attempt at sarcasm.
January 23rd, 2007 at 1:59 pm
30
thistle71 says:
don’t know if i’d call it a “good” attempt, but i will buy that it was an attempt
however, i do enjoy the irony in pouring scorn on soccer for being communistic and boring, while sticking up for fidel castro’s favorite snoozefest/pastime.
January 23rd, 2007 at 2:34 pm
31
oc phil says:
What’s dumb about the soccer arguments is that nobody views it as being strange at all to be a fan of say both football and basketball. But as soon as soccer is mentioned some of the dumbasses get all threatened.
Last Sunday’s Manchester United vs Arsenal game was proof that you don’t need lots of scoring to be exciting (though the goals at the finish were pretty damn cool, even for someone who was rooting for Man U).
January 23rd, 2007 at 3:36 pm
32
MCab says:
The soccer players I’ve known never even tried out for football, baseball, or basketball. And those people never tried out for soccer.
Low scoring b/c they don’t run enough? Well, I guess the US trade deficit is caused by the lack of solitaire being played on Leap years by Dutch lesbians.
Communistic? And how many people on a football field have the right to call their own shots? As much as I love the support, it surprisingly leaves little or no freedom of choice. Soccer, on the other hand . . .
Sport with a purpose? Is there a new Rick Warren book called “The Purpose-Filled Sport?” I’m on my way to Wal Mart to find out.
January 23rd, 2007 at 9:25 pm
33
Pocho says:
Orson…THANK YOU for posting this. If Mr. St. John is a friend of yours, please tell him it is a glorious piece of work. You know what sucks? I was so touched by the story, but felt like crap after reading some of the comments.
Why can’t we ALL feel good about this story? Pulitzer material.
January 24th, 2007 at 3:39 am
34
The Conscience of a Nation says:
Pocho–
I have a feeling that one of the commenters here (you probably know who I’m talking about) would be right at home with the inbreds from Clarksville who screamed “Go home, N*****s!” to the Fugee players after a game.
People like that are why I am so in favor of no helmet laws.
January 24th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
35
Never Saw Molly Hatchet says:
TCOAN – ” . . . no helmet laws.” Well played!
Orson – Many thanks for sharing the link. I continue to be amazed at what I learn here in addition to good sandwich recipes.
All – For those of us who were touched by the story but don’t live in the Greater Clarkston / ATL area, I’m willing to bet that there are similar opportunities to lend a hand where we live if we’d just pause long enough to find them. Reading about the soccer coach’s efforts reminds me of a passage from Robert Fulghum’s follow-up to his classic, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. In the follow-up, he tells of a friend who didn’t care much for the warm and fuzzy kindergarten story because the joys and safety of kindergarten simply don’t exist for many children in this world. Fulghum acknowledges that fact and then issues a challenge to all of us with these closing words:
“I do not want to talk about what you understand about this world. I want to know what you will doabout it. I do not want to know what you hope for, I want to know what you will work for. I do not want your sympathy for the needs of humanity, I want your muscle. As the wagon driver said when they came to a long, hard hill, ‘them that’s going on with us, get out and push. Them that ain’t, get out of the way.’”
From It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It
January 25th, 2007 at 12:00 am