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Lindsay Weber spent some time in Guatemala this past February. Thanks to Brian Dunseth, Ben Hooper & Co, she first came across Charity Ball through a post on the The Original Winger. I’ll let her share the rest of the story…

In February 2013 I set out for my fourth annual trip to Guatemala. I travel with a team that is part medical, part construction. The year prior I had played soccer every day on our site with two little boys, brothers. I noticed over the years that most kids play with makeshift balls, either old and deflated or made of thin plastic and the size of a grapefruit. That year I spent $10 to get the two boys a real leather ball from a nearby market. The gift to them was such a prized possession that they went to hide their ball in a safe place instead of playing with it! When I returned home I looked into bringing more balls with me the next time and that is how I came across Charity Ball.

I ended up making space for 10 balls in my personal luggage. I tagged along with the construction crew on the day they were visiting a 4 classroom school in a rural village. We traveled up a winding dirt road to be met by jubilant children dressed in the traditional Mayan clothing. We installed stoves and water filters, played soccer and basketball with the minimal equipment they had, and enjoyed a dance performance they put on.

We finished the day with my presentation and I had kept the balls in a large black bag to keep it a surprise. By the time I pulled out the first ball I was completely swarmed. I felt like Santa at Christmas! The kids were all smiles and laughter and pickup games broke out in the courtyard right away. I included a pump and extra needles for maintenance and the teachers of the school expressed their gratitude. When we left, the kids rang alongside our bus and waved us off all the way out of the gate.

This kind of experience is just as rewarding when you’re on the giving end as it is for those receiving a gift. The country of Guatemala is so incredibly poor and yet the people are so resilient. Something as simple as a ball really can spread joy. It truly is the beautiful game, in more ways than one.

Lindsay, way to go. Thanks for sharing the beautiful game with others. Let us know when you’re going back and well set you up with some more balls.

E

I’ve got huge respect for Barcelona FC. As a matter of fact, my room back at my old house was actually themed out in Barcelona colors. You can imagine how excited I was when the guys who represent their youth camp reached out to us. As a matter of fact, the official Barcelona Camp is now an official sponsor of Charity Ball and the Play [well] Cup Tournament in Mozambique. I got with the guys recently and asked if they would be willing to drop a guest post on the Charity Ball Blog. Here’s what they put together…

When we heard about Ethan’s commitment to giving kids around the world the chance to play soccer, we knew we needed to get involved. We are the Official FC Barcelona Soccer Camp, and we love soccer and what it does for kids — not only athletically, but in terms of understanding what it means to be a member of a team, learning to compete hard but fairly, and being able to have fun while working towards a goal. We grew up with a soccer ball our feet, and Ethan’s dedication to giving that opportunity to as many less-fortunate children as possible is inspiring. We see some incredible players come through our camps, but what I find amazing is that the best players come from many different backgrounds — rich and poor, from every corner of the world. By giving the opportunity to play with a real soccer ball to as many people as possible, Ethan is an example to all of us who want to see the game we love grow, as well as those of us who grew up with a ball at our feet.

If you looking for a specialized soccer camp to take your skills to the next level, be sure to check out the website.

Més que un club!

-E

Tom Bearor is currently traveling the world by sea- representing Charity Ball and hand-delivering new soccer balls to kids in 10 different countries. Check out this little update…

From Tom…

Deliveries have been amazing.

I have one story that I would love to share. One of my good friends on the ship was independently traveling in Burma. While walking down a few streets and alleyways, he stumbled upon a dirt soccer field with buildings surrounding it. He saw a few boys playing on the field with marbles – because they did not have a soccer ball.

He thought to himself, “What I wouldn’t give for one of the Charity Ball soccer balls at this very moment.” He has personally accompanied me in hand-delivering balls on the tour and has seen the joy it brings to children. He left the field, a little bummed. But after leaving, he noticed a mom and pop shop that was selling soccer balls. Without hesitation, he bought a ball. He then headed back to the field and played soccer with the kids for some time. When he needed to leave, he waved goodbye and started walking. One of the boys ran to him with the ball and held it out trying to give it back.Once my friend was able to communicate that the ball was a gift for them, the boys started jumping up and down in celebration. Back on the ship my friend told me that if it wasn’t for the Charity Ball project we’re doing, he never would have thought of doing what he did.

This is one of my favorite stories that I could ever tell. It proves that what we’re doing is not only making a difference in the lives of kids in developing nations, but also the students on the ship traveling the world. Any student who has had the opportunity of gifting soccer balls with me, or with Semester at Sea service trips has felt that it has been the best thing they have done on this voyage.

Tom, thanks for the update. Hopefully it will inspire other people around the world to do the same. -E

Big Thanks to Tom Bearor, Emily Wood and Jackie Faryniarz for the leadership they’re bringing to the 2013 Charity Ball World Tour!

If you’ve been reading the Charity Ball Blog lately, you know that these guys have been on a ship the last several weeks visiting countries and hand delivering Charity Balls to kids in Asia. They are doing an amazing job. Tom just emailed me some pictures and a way-cool report from Vietnam. Check it out!

The ball deliveries have taught me more than I would have ever expected. Even at the age of 20, I am still learning about giving. Nay, I am still learning about the power of giving. Just like Ethan realized after gifting his first soccer ball, I am realizing the joy a ball can bring children. I had traveled before this trip, but never realized the power a gift as simple as a soccer ball can bring children. I am learning that a soccer ball brings more to children than a smile on their faces, or a ball to their home. A ball brings with it a world of new adventure, building of friendships in matches and passing games, and solitude in improving their skills, individually.

Thank you, Ethan. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, and for making it possible for over 500 children to share in the love of the game of soccer. Every kid deserves a ball.

Tom, thanks for what you’re doing! -E

We’ve been talking about intentions lately at the King house. As a matter of fact this blog post is a result of some conversation around the table.

Everybody has good intentions from time to time. But what is the point in having a good intention if you never do anything about it?

When it comes to soccer, I spend a lot of time thinking about how to improve my game. After training sessions, I take time to evaluate my play. I write down the things I did well and things that need work. My intention is always to do something about the things that need work and get better. However, I’ve discovered that good intentions aren’t good enough. If I’m going to get better, I’ve got to move. I’ve got to practice. I’ve got to train. I’ve got to “do.” Intention without action is nothing. If I’m going to get better, I’ve got to act.

I’ve learned that it works the same way with Charity Ball. There millions of impoverished kids out there who would love to have their own soccer ball, but will never get one because of where they live. I can spend my entire life intending to do something about it, but unless I act, nothing will happen. I’ve got to get beyond my intentions.

Charity Ball started a few years ago with a simple act of giving away a soccer ball to kids in Africa. It really wasn’t a big deal. It was kind of a small deal. Through the process I’ve learned that a small act of kindness is more powerful then the greatest intention. One small act of kindness can change the entire world – for a kid, a family a village, maybe even a country. Imagine what several small acts of kindness could do.

If you read this blog, chances are good you love the Beautiful Game and have intentions to share it with others. Cool! Let me challenge you to get beyond your intentions and do something about it.

Want to help us share the Beautiful Game? Here are 10 small things you can do:

1. Follow @charityballnews on Twitter
2. Donate a tweet or retweet to help spread the word
3. Put a Charity Ball logo on your website, blog or facebook page (download a logo)
4. Get 25 of your friends to donate $1 and buy a new ball for a kid
5. Download a Charity Ball flyer from the footer and post at your school, work or soccer complex
6. Make a phone call to your local soccer shop and ask them if they would be willing to help promote the project or donate new balls
7. Collect soda cans or bottles and donate the return money
8. Get a Charity Ball T-shirt or patch and represent
9. Start a Charity Ball team at your club, school or business
10. Shoot a Charity Ball promo vid with your team or friends on your smart phone and load it to YouTube

Want to do something bigger like organize a tournament, become a corporate sponsor or donate massive amounts of money, drop me a note.

Thanks for caring.

The 2013 Charity Ball World Tour sets sail from the Port of San Diego this Wednesday, January 9.

The tour will take place over a 4-month period and 500 new, quality soccer balls will be hand delivered to kids in 10 different countries. Tom Bearer, a student at the University of Maine will be giving leadership to the the deliveries on the ground. Emily Wood and Jackie Faryniarz are also leveraging their semester at sea by representing Charity Ball in the effort. We anticipate some really cool stories and pictures coming our way over the next several weeks.

Dates and countries are listed below. We will be publishing tour updates here at charityball.org and via Twitter @charityballnews. Be sure stop by and catch the latest, the greatest and pictures of all the smiling faces.

A big thanks to: Soccer World, John Rivers and Co., Bounce Athletics, SoccerPro.com and the players at Canton Celtic (Canton, MI) for helping sponsor the tour. This is going to be amazing!

Itinerary
China – February 3
Vietnam – February 12
Singapore – February 20
Burma – February 25
India – March 6
Mauritius – March 18
South Africa – March 25
Ghana – April 8
Morocco – April 18

Have you ever wondered why the big soccer leagues like Barclays, La Liga, and Serie A, switch from using a white soccer ball to a yellow soccer ball mid season? Well I’ve done a little research and discovered that Nike introduced the yellow ball back in 2004/2005. Allegedly, the yellow colorway allows players on the pitch to see the ball better during cold, foggy, winter conditions. If you can see the ball better, you can respond quicker – which ultimately takes the game to a higher level of play.

Some people say it’s just a marketing ploy by Nike to sell more balls, so I decided to run my own test. I live in West Michigan where the weather is very similar to England this time of year. I went outside with my white and yellow soccer balls and held them agains the grey sky to see if one stood out more than the other. Sure enough, the yellow ball created more contrast and was easier to see. Check out the pictures below. I can definitely say that using a yellow ball in the winter months against grey conditions makes a lot of sense. Maybe we should start using them more in our youth leagues here in the States. -E