Va. Group Helps Equip Young Iraqi Soccer Players

Tag : Soccer Uniforms


Soccer in Muthanna offers a stark contrast to the competitiveleagues in the prosperous Washington suburbs. So some Fairfax County soccer players and their parents are partnering with U.S.diplomats to build in Muthanna a network of soccer fields andorganize a youth league modeled after those in the United States.

Vienna Youth Soccer parent volunteers are raising money andcollecting used uniforms, balls, cleats and other soccer equipmentfrom the league's 3,500 players to ship to Iraq. The charity driveends tomorrow, but already parent organizer Erin Tesch has nearly1,000 jerseys spilling across her garage.

"If every kid can get one or two jerseys, balls, cleats and shinguards, that would be phenomenal," Tesch said as she took inventoryof the donated gear with her 12-year-old twins, Brian and Kevin.

"Our kids use this for one year and then we dump it or give it toGoodwill, so we might as well give it to kids in Iraq who havenothing," Tesch said of a jersey.

The charity drive illustrates the globalization of giving."The people in the community want to make a difference in thelives in Iraq," Brian Tesch said.

Tesch's teammates, Gates Young, 12, and David Andrews, 12, saidthey often think about children their age in Iraq.

"If they're just in their house all day thinking about the war,they'll probably not be very fit and get bored," Young said. "Butif they have soccer equipment, they'll be able to go outside andplay and have something to do in their free time."

"We can help them," Andrews added.

The players are so eager to communicate with the Iraqi childrenthat they are looking for someone fluent in the language who canwrite notes that can be included with the soccer equipment.

Paul O'Friel, who is leading the U.S. reconstruction effort inMuthanna, showered praise on the families donating equipment.

"It's a fantastic effort, and I think it showcases all the best interms of the American character and the American spirit in tryingto help people," O'Friel said.