Soccer Is A Way To Cope : Sport As Solace For A Community
Published: August 05, 2018
The Oakland's Life Academy high school founded a program dubbed Futbolistas 4 life in 2009. Futbolistas is Spanish for footballers.
The
program provides a platform for students who have decided to take up a
sport to connect with issues affecting their lives. The program binds
the students and keeps them at school.
The
program is featured in a new eponymous documentary that is directed by
Jun Stinson. The film follows Gonzales and Rojas as they handle
immigrant life under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals(Daca).
The
film highlights how they are able to tackle life living under
undocumented caregivers. Soccer, it should be remembered, is one of the
most popular sports in the world.
It is also among the more popular sports to be bet on and remains a sports bettors delight. You can learn more here as to how sports bettors are on their favorite games to win good money!
About the Futbolistas 4 life
The
program is led by Dania Cabello who is also an immigrant from Chile, a
former semi-pro footballer for the United States and an educator.
The
group has no field nor branded t-shirts, but they ensured they met
twice a week in their school uniforms. It was an act the students
decided to take upon themselves and own their lives.
Futbolistas
4 life tells stories of how immigrants came to the US and the
challenges they faced along the way and even currently.
A
lot of talented players are lost to the US Immigration and Customs
Enforcement. Those who are left have the big task of learning to fend
for themselves and also for their families who are deported.
Futbolistas
is not only a team but a family that grounds every new member of the
community. Playing soccer gives them a second chance to live and staying
in school.
The immigrants face a lot of challenges, but with the help of the Futbolistas, they get to view life in a different light.
The
program has gone through an ironic journey to reach where it has today.
Futbolistas raised $300 in a fundraising event. The money is whole lot
raised by the community but somewhat less when it came to constructing a
pitch.
Fortunately, the US soccer Foundation
came to their rescue. They got a $100,000 grant to construct a field in
school property. The US Soccer Foundation is a charity that promotes
soccer as the drive for change in undeserved societies.
The
field has brought people together from high school and middle school
who compete with each other. The field even features a gym.
However, with every avenue of success comes challenges. The Daca program
was featured under the Obama regime, but with the incumbent, Donald
Trump things are a bit hard. Trump has put it clear that he has zero
tolerance for the immigration policy.
The
current political climate is making hard for people not to live in fear.
But Futbolistas 4 life will be there always to support their own and
grow the community of Oakland.
Igho Kingsley
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