How it all started...

At this time one week from now we’ll all be more than ready to touch-down in Johannesburg, South Africa to take in the FIFA 2010 World Cup Finals – and more.

How did this all come about?

Was it in 1978 when I first touched a soccer ball playing for my first soccer team, the Miwok Indians?

Was it in the 1980’s when I had a mullet and was playing premier soccer in northern California?

Was it in 2005 when I coached my first practice with my, then Boys U6, team the Jedi Booters? 5 years and over 100 games later these boys have rekindled my love for the “beautiful game”.

Was it New Years Eve 2008? That night I was at Mike and Dana Sherstad’s house and was talking with Dana’s brother-in-law Dan Moyer. Dan is a missionary in Tanzania and we were talking a lot about “football” and World Cup 2010 in South Africa. I had heard Dan tell stories about African kids playing “sandlot” soccer with beat-up balls and barefoot.

After a glass of wine, maybe two, I got the bug…wouldn’t it be awesome to go to South Africa for the World Cup?

And could we go to the World Cup and somehow also invest in the kids there who love soccer?

Hmmm…

So it definitely started New Years Eve 2008. But…New Years Eve 2008 would not have happened without 1978, the 1980’s, and the five years coaching the awesome Jedi Booters.

One thing led to another.

I talked with Dan Moyer about coming to Tanzania and heading down to South Africa for the World Cup. Logistically tough. Countries pretty far apart and just didn’t seem feasible.

Enter Dianne Uplinger. Dianne has been friends with my wife Stacia since they were in diapers. I knew she had been to several countries in Africa including South Africa. I mentioned it to Dianne and boom…we were off. She was “all over it” as they say. Dianne had a ton of ideas and was very excited.

At this point it was pretty much gonna happen.

But who else would come along?

Shortly after this at an Indoor soccer game I was coaching with the Jedi Booters I mentioned the possibility of a World Cup trip to South Africa to my friends Mark and Leimomi Loschky. Their son Nainoa is on my Jedi Booter team (and the best two-footed 9 year-old I have seen…).

Mark’s eyes lit up like a 5 year-old on Christmas morning. He told me he and Leimomi had planned a trip to South Africa in the past but couldn’t make it work. They had always wanted to go.

One week later, at the next Jedi Booter game, Mark walked up to me and said, “We’re in”.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what he was referring to, so I asked him. “In for what?” “South Africa and the World Cup”, he said. “We have the money all set aside and all four of us want to go.”

Well alright then! We are on!

Since then we have entered the World Cup ticket lottery and were able to purchase tickets for 3 Round of 16 games and the World Cup semi-final match in Durban. We have planned a “World Cup” tournament in Loskop, KwaZulu-Natal at a school and orphanage Dianne has worked with in the past. The tournament will be 5-a-side over 3 days, involve 360 kids, 72 teams and 150 matches. Mark has done an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING job organizing the structure of the tournament and Dianne has done all the logistical legwork in South Africa to make sure we have the resources we need. She is our “Tour Guide” and leader. Many of you have generously contributed to the cost of the tournament through our fundraiser.

THANK YOU!

Honestly, I feel like I am just along for the ride…I could not have asked for a greater and more talented group of people to go with. I am sure we will have some challenging moments while we are away, but those are the things we remember most in life, are they not?

Why are we doing this? Because we dig soccer? Yes, that’s a big part of it.

Because we want to bring some fun and joy to a community in a small town at the foot of the mountains in KwaZulu Natal? Sure.

Because we want our kids to experience another culture besides our “comfortable” way of life in America. Yes, that too.

Because we ourselves yearn for that same experience? Yes, in my case, that probably most of all.

As the late John Wooden said, “Happiness begins where selfishness ends.” My prayer is that this trip, especially the one to Loskop, help me remember that.

Thanks for reading and thanks for supporting us. We’ll do our best to keep everyone updated with photos, etc. while we are there.