SOCCER

The World Cup is on. Soccer is a sport that you either grew up playing and still enjoy, or a it is a sport you have no clue about and think it should be kept in Europe and Africa. One football coach at Belton described a soccer game as watching paint dry.

I played soccer as a kid and even a few years in High School. I appreciate the athletic abilities of good soccer players. I coach the Freshman high school team at Belton.

I went to Ghana when I was a freshman in college. It was a wild trip and some of the things we did and saw were just amazing. While in the capital of Accra we got to go to see a soccer game between Ghana and Nigeria. We sat in plastic lawn chairs in the reserved section with government dignitaries and other high ranking officials. The stadium looked like a Roman coliseum, with concrete seating encircling the field. There were armed guards on the field at the end line and along the sidelines. When the referee made a call that the crowd did not like then they would throw rocks and stones on to the field. It was the best soccer game I have ever seen.

Today Ghana is playing the Czech Rep. and I find myself wanting them to win. Ghana scored in the second minute of play and is leading still 1-0. When I watch the team from Ghana I remember that summer with Jason Strong and Mike Smith, the Hayhurst family and the yam truck in Tamale and the church in Kumasi. It was a great summer.

Ghana beats Czech. 2-0