Nicaragua Day 4: More Than Futbol

I woke up this morning feeling kind of nervous. The Championship games are here and I was just hoping that I wasn't going to have to pull any red or yellow cards out or make a call that would really upset one of teams. Yes, I know its part of soccer but I just want everyone to have a good time :-) 

Upon arriving to breakfast I was approached by one of the boys championship players, Isaac. One of his players had tripped and cut his foot open the night before. They had to take him to the hospital to get stitches and although he could walk he could not play soccer. So Isaac hoped that I would allow another person to stand in for his missing player. Well, his is not the first team to have to play a player down in this tournament and adding someone to the team who has not played throughout the tournament with the team would be very unfair so I told Isaac that he would have to play a player down. 

After some more beans and rice for breakfast I turned to Mike and jokingly said, "after we leave camp today, no more beans and rice." Usually, I can take it, this year, I'm getting a little acid reflux :-/ Since today is the last day of camp we don't have to eat the food provided anymore we can make something from the grocery store or pick up whatever we want to eat :-) 

Anyways, back to the tournament. After breakfast and the morning devotional we started the tournaments. With the speakers set up, and Rabin ready to go on the commentating, we started out with the girls game first. We ended up with 2 White teams in the finals! Luckily one team was wearing "SAC" uniforms while the other was wearing "LTRC" so it made it easy to tell them apart. The girls game was fun and competitive and all of the campers spectating set a great cheering atmosphere! Freidy's team won AGAIN this year and she was named MVP AGAIN for most goals! 

The boys game started off with a goal for white in the first 10 seconds and then the green diligently worked there way back into the game and eventually beat the white team 3-1! It was fun to see their determination and team work. The two boys teams that made it into the final were truly teams. They really worked well together and supported each other on the field.  Funny thing is the white team ended up playing with all of their players after all. In a brave (or stupid) move they put the guy with stitches in the goal! 

Both games went off well and easy with no big calls to make and no arguing from the players (thank goodness). 

After the games were over we presented the award to the player with the most juggles (at over 400), to the partners with the most passes in the air back and forth, and to the two MVP's of the tournament. Ericcson, who is probably one of, if not, the best player in camp, was given a very weak team this year. After being the MVP last year it was tough for him to play on a less competitive team this year. Not only did they struggle but they played a player down in the last game. I was really impressed to see him never give up, work well with and encourage his teammates, and he stayed to watch and support every game in the tournaments that he was NOT playing in. So we decided to give him the camp "Sportsmanship" award! 

After the individual awards we gave out the prizes to the two Champion teams. Usually, we give out shoes as prices but since the shoes were taken away this year, we gave up t-shirts, trophies, and warm-up jackets!

Before we closed the ceremony Rabin asked me to come to the middle of the floor and when I did everyone got up and started walking towards me. What was about to happen was probably one of the coolest things I've ever experienced. Everyone "laid hands" on me or connected to me through the person standing in front of them and said a prayer for me. I was so touched in that moment. I don't even know what to say about it, it was so amazing. 

I have felt very connected to the Nicaraguan community since I started making trips down here. However, now I can truly say that I feel like a part of the community- a friend, a sister, a coach. I don't feel at all like an outsider or someone who is just coming to visit, I feel like "home" here. One of my friends here is getting married to someone he actually met in camp last summer! When he told me the news my first thought was, "I'm going to have another new sister" (my brother also just got married in Baltimore). I felt like this because I really do feel like he is my brother. 

I'm so thankful for my friends and community here in Nicaragua, I only hope that more of my friends and family back home can come and visit some time in this little slice of heaven. 

So, we packed up the school bus and sat 3 people to every seat! I sat in the seat in front of Mauricio, my 3 year old little friend, and Julianna, his older sister. These two are Anyelca's children. Anyelca is a pastor from Somotillo (where we have held camp in the past) and although Julianna (12) and I are very close, Mauricio doesn't remember me :-( I spent all week trying to get him to tell me my name and talk to me but he was not having it, acting shy all of the time. I played with him on the bus a little and finally when we had to say goodbye he gave me a kiss on the cheek :-) Victory! Yasmine, another pastor also brought her two children. Francel is a very cute little 4 year old and this week we learned how to count all the way to 39 (Her old record was 15)! Although their children are so cute, what is most cool about these two pastors is that they both played in the soccer tournament! 

  

Once we arrived back in Managua we unpacked and inventoried the rest of the donations for the year-round More Than Futbol soccer program. As we unpacked someone brought in a liter of Coke and as we drank it I explained to them the difference between sugar and high-fructose corn syrup (which they have never heard of before). 

Finally, we arrived back to Mike's house where we started the trip from the beginning. We arrive back here at 3:30, walked to grab some groceries for dinner and breakfast- Mike made me chicken and I'm going to make some eggs in a basket tomorrow morning! After we got back from the store we literally sat and talked and relaxed for 5 hours. Now, Mike is sleeping and I am very ready to hit the sack but first I wanted to write this to all of my friends at home! 

Tomorrow, we go to one of my favorite "chill" spots in Nicaragua. At the Lake there is a place called "The Monkey Hut"- $6 entrance fee to hammocks, outdoor bar and restaurant, wifi, kayaking, and swimming. A nice rest day after a very busy week that averaged 5-6 hours of sleep a night. Then Friday we are hosting a soccer day for all of the youth at the central church. We rented a turf field and are going to put on a mini 5v5 tournament! (and I'm going to play :-) 

Good night all! Thank you for your well-wishes and your support!