San Francisco Seals GM & Head Coach Tom Simpson is preparing for an incredible trek to the World Cup in South Africa later next year. In fact, he is definitely taking the "long way" to get there.
to stay in touch with him as he prepares and takes off on a true adventure of a lifetime.
Our Kickabout will start in London in January, 2010 and after roughly 20000 miles of sand, savannah, rivers and rifts, we plan to cross the goal line of South Africa in time for the World Cup. We'll dribble our way through Europe to Syria and through Jordan, Cruyff from Aqaba to Nuweiba in Egypt, wall pass by Cairo, then juggle along the Nile to Khartoum. From there we'll head our way to Ethiopia, then make a long run along the "Eastern Path" to South Africa, scoring Chilenos in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, and Botswana. We'll safe pass to Uganda, Ruanda and Burundi time, weather, politics and fortune permitting. We have many goals to score. Watch our pile-on celebrations at the flag pole after each goal celebrating that, for the first time, the World Cup will be on
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African soil. You'll see set piece goals at soccer clinics, scored through spontaneous creativity, or by practiced design, in schools, refugee clinics, towns in remote areas, wherever there's an open piece of Africa. We only need a ball and the willingness to say "let's play."
Our destination is South Africa and the event is the World Cup. As we prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime journey, this historic event that will bring smiles on all faces across the majestic continent of Africa, our thoughts are on the kickabout. This is a personal journey, fully funded through the pockets of the principle travelers: Tom Simpson (that's me, the blogger), Maria Perez and Lorrie Fair. However, the journey has caught the attention of others who would like to recast the attention in the direction of worthy projects taking place on the African continent. Some of these projects we will visit. In some we will participate actively. And maybe we can assist these projects by bringing them to the attention of businesses and philanthropists who want to make a difference. For more about the goals and purpose of this part of our kickabout, particularly the work of team member, Lorrie Fair, check out
www.thekickabout.org.