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KickAbout Africa 2010 - At the Games! The Kickabout Africa 2010 team have made it to South Africa, and they are taking in the matches! Wow! What a trip . . . Starting out from London in January, the team have driven to South Africa. Along the way they made new friends, renewed old acquaintances, and celebrated the diverse cultures and history of the regions they traveled through, along with celebrating soccer and the way in which the game brings people together. The article that starts below is near the end of the journey, but I doubt it will be the end of the story. Any adventure as great as the Kickabout Africa 2010, will live on in the hearts and minds of those who participated. You are invited along. The links at the foot of the story will help you explore the trip with them, in text and photo.by Tom Simpson
After logging nearly 40,000 kilometers to get to the World Cup in South Africa, attending 11 games in 6 different stadiums, I think it’s time I say something on the subject.
 Some say that football is a game for gentlemen played by barbarians. I’d say the gentlemen reference is dubious at the best, and a non-fit at the worst. Lawn bowling and golf are for gentlemen. A player hardly breaks a sweat. Chess. That’s a better fit. Pretending to be a nobleman, the chess player fights medieval battles and never has to leave a chair. The player lifts his hand from his lap to the chessboard occasionally. That’s a gentlemanly amount of energy exerted, don’t you think? The barbarian reference, in contrast to the gentleman reference, fits the footballer like his shoe should fit his foot. The behavior alone qualifies but the image is enhanced by the hairdos of Puyol, the tattoos of Prince Boateng of Ghana, and the take-no-prisoner style of Gatuso. Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do we care about these games?” Think about the question before you answer.
Why do we reward players with rapt attention and virtually unlimited access to the treasures and pleasures of the world for kicking a ball around some grass for 90 minutes while trying to kick it into a net? They’re not always kicking, or even standing, are they? To follow  along, as our very own Tom Simpson and Lorrie Fair continue through Africa on their way to the World Cup in their quest to celebrate the game, and it's impact throughout people's lives in Africa and the world, you can click on the KickAbout Africa 2010 link in out "Headline" section at the top right corner of our website, or bookmark the following sites:Kickabout: Africa 2010 is a grassroots, do-it-yourself expedition, and the team has invested its own resources to make the trip a reality. We have been supported by the wonderful folks at Nike, Los Angeles FC, Plus 3, and our closest friends and family members. If you or your company would like to support Kickabout, there are several ways you can donate and help. Click HERE to learn more about how you can help! |
