Breaking Records

I’ll be the first to admit I’m new to the world of blogging. I struggle with the HTML codes, I (gently) curse at my computer when the pictures refuse to load, and I am forever googling how to do this and how to do that. The intermittent internet connection we enjoy here in our office in Granada continues to depress my learning curve…at times I feel my blogucation is flat-lining.

Nevertheless, Kay and I persevere with the hope that our sheer enthusiasm for the project and its supporters will override our relative inexperience and continue to make these updates at least mildly interesting to the half dozen or so readers we like to believe we have out there.

Having said that, last week we received an e-mail that enthused us more than any other ever had. We stopped working for at least 3 minutes, unable to believe what we were reading. We smiled and jumped around and just generally acted like morons. The e-mail reinvigorated us, gave us hope for the project’s future, and reminded us of how incredibly rewarding this experience can be for those who choose to be involved. It made all of those months this summer we spent driving and speaking and fundraising and suffering from sleep deprivation absolutely, completely worth it. So, without further adieu, we present SOCO.

I have known this team personally for over two years now. I coached them at the Penn State Women’s Soccer Camp in the summer of ’08, and we had such a grand time, we decided to keep the tradition alive by pairing up again for the PSWS Camp in ’09.

It’s one of those teams with attitude, spunk, and personality…it just makes you like ‘em, you know?

Kay and I gave a short presentation to the high schools at camp to explain the mission of Soccer Without Borders and tell them what we hoped to accomplish as the first-ever long-term interns for the Granada site. Jen Stine, the SOCO Varsity Girls’ Soccer Coach writes that “[after the presentation]… I saw the impact it made on our players, some of them even in tears, when they saw just how harsh conditions can be, and what we take for granted. From that moment forward our kids were inspired to make a difference in any way possible.”

That night every member of the team purchased a Baby Blue and Kay and I were so grateful for their support. Little did we know, their commitment to the cause wouldn’t stop there.

They decided that in addition to the T-Shirts, they would hold SWB events back home. After school, the girls began forming committees and deciding on fundraisers, slowly making progress toward their goal. Jen says that although she and her sister provided guidance, the majority of the work was done by the team. In the end, the SOCO girls raised more money than any single team has in the history of the program. Feast your eyes on all the girls accomplished.

Beside their fundraising success as Ambassadors, Jen says she has seen a marked difference in the girls' behavior. They are more grateful for the things she believes they took for granted in the past because they are able to see how fortunate they are when compared to teams in other parts of the world. “Raising funds for Soccer Without Borders is probably one of the most rewarding experiences a team can have,” she says “…and I would encourage every team to actively participate and host their own events. The feeling of knowing that you are providing one child with the proper soccer equipment, to play in a game that they love, is like no other.”

Reaching their goals did not happen overnight. Player Samantha Fraley admits that it took a lot of preparation and hardwork. However, she says that when it was all said and done “you’re left feeling great with what you accomplished.”

Player Courtney Cecco agrees that each player felt a sense of accomplishment when she looked at the number on the giant check they had made. But she says that beyond that, the SWB experience was also a way to bring the team as a whole closer together. “We decided as a team to raise money and this gave us more responsibility. It gave us the chance to help out when it was not obligated…it was a much better feeling doing it because we wanted to.”

So, just what, you might ask, were SOCO’s secrets to success?

First, they targeted the teaching staff preparing a soup, salad, and sandwich meal at $5 a plate. 80 teachers took them up on the bargain, and everyone left the soccer team’s Teachers Luncheon feeling satisfied.

Then on September 20^th, they organized a Vera Bradley Purse Bingo in the cafeteria and extended an open invitation to everyone at school. They asked for a $15 donation per ticket with the option of buying additional tickets for the 50/50 and Raffle items. With donated baskets and other prizes ready to go, the team waited nervously in the Caf, unsure if their hours of organizing, cooking, basket-making, and running around would be enough to turn a profit…

Needless to say, in the end the event was an unbelievable success. Over 175 people attended the bingo, leaving the girls scrambling to provide additional seating. Every last raffle ticket was sold and every last food morsel was gobbled up.

It all paid off for the SOCO girls – our highest grossing Ambassadors to date.

Huge thanks to these girls for their commitment to the SWB Granada Project and congratulations on your record-setting achievement.

Thank you to Jen Stine and sister Amanda for supporting the team through the process and encouraging other teams to get involved as Ambassadors.

Also, thank you to the staff at Southern Columbia High School for putting up with the Varsity Team’s antics and allowing these girls to rule the roost for an afternoon or two. All in the name of a good cause, right?

Until next time, thank you to anyone/everyone who continues to check-in with us on the blog. As of today, rest assured we're still alive and kicking and loving the experience.