Belize City, Belize
For me, soccer was a way to pass the time and have fun as a kid. As an American, sports were integrated into my life before I even could understand that. For other kids in other communities, that is not always the case. It can be easier to participate in dangerous activities, like gang violence, instead of sports and recreational activities. Kids oftentimes see only the glamour of gang involvement instead of the very serious dangers that come with it.
This was my second time in Belize in Belize City. Last time I was there, we partnered with the police force to provide kids a fun experience. A team that saw our work invited us back to provide kids with resources and an experience they would never forget.
In the late afternoon, the sun had gone down a bit, making it cooler than the midday sun. Belize in March is still very hot despite it being cold for much of the Northern Hemisphere.
The organization we partnered with this time focuses on steering kids away from violence and danger. They work with at-risk youth, teens and adults, trying to make their community safer. In this community, children can get wrapped up in the wrong crowd and it can unfortunately take their lives at a very young age. We tried our best to encourage local leadership in this session by recruiting some of the older boys to help run the session. By introducing soccer and other recreational activities, it is my hope that these beneficiaries will stay on the field and off of the streets. If kids are entrusted with leadership roles on the field, there’s a higher chance of them carrying those same lessons off the pitch and into the classroom, local community, and beyond.
Before I left, I was talking with the organization coordinator that I partnered with. He told me that as the sun goes down and the lights come on, the kids will stay out and play for hours and hours. I understand what he meant by this. I’d experienced the same in my youth… but there’s a difference between playing for fun and playing to survive. If the kids are out playing soccer or another game well into the night, they are less prone to gang violence and getting caught up in the wrong crowds. They can be leaders and show other kids that there is another option.
This message really stayed with me. I am hopeful that this program opened their eyes to play hard and dream big.