Summary of Week of Practice

Unlike what I’ve done the past few days, I won’t be writing a blog entry for every day while I’m here. This is a cool summer experience, but it’s not THAT interesting. So, to summarize the soccer end of Tuesday through Thursday: pain. Practices hurt and hurt a lot. I ache everywhere. Joe and I eat whatever we can fit in our mouths. I sleep very soundly and am just now getting off EST.

I’m still taking in the level of play here. There are times where I’m defending someone and I think, "he won’t be able to get a shot off from this angle" or I’m making a run and think, "he probably can’t hit it accurately this far" and am surprised when I get scored on or find the ball right on my foot in stride.

The guys on the team interact well. There are pockets of friends like everywhere, but there are no real clices or inaccessible people. Everybody is respectful and knows everybody else’s name. Today we had the morning session off and I ate at Applebee’s with 7 other guys.

Miss Oregon is supposed to do the ceremonial first kick-off for our season opener tomorrow.

Christianese:
Wednesday Joe, Grant, Likius, Brandon and I went to a small Christian school assembly. We had a half hour for their chapel to interact with the 6th graders there. Grant gave each of us a big intro…"and now, all the way from the professional leagues in Namibia, Africa, give it up for Likius!!!" and Likius would run down the chapel isle giving hi-fives to the screaming kids. We did some tricks, played some interactive soccer games and Grant told how, like the servants who got talents and had to report to their master when he returned, we were using our skills for God’s glory.

Being a Surge player brings with it a sort of celebrity-dome. Whenever Joe and I have our Surge kits we notice that people look at us a bit different. The middle school aged kids in the neighborhood around our host family are all thrilled when we talk to them and answer their questions about the Surge. We are no A-list celebrities by far, but people at least think, "oh, that’s the what’s-their-name team that plays soccer". A great platform for the ministry we are doing!