Dinner did not start until 10pm because several of the team members are hasting during Ramadan. In the meanwhile, we had a meeting about the team’s schedule for the weekend. I met several new girls who were very excited to talk to me. Although we did not necessarily speak the same language, we communicate well through gesture, phone translation, and other means.
At 10pm we headed out in the rainy weather to get dinner in a nearby restaurant. We spent a few hours talking lively and having wonderful food. We also surprised J. with special candles from the restaurant owner and singing for her. At 12.30am, we had a hard time separating. The girls insisted I join them the next day. The invitation was all that I needed.
Saturday
Early on Saturday we met in the stadium for another long and exciting practice. What makes the football experience so special for me is the acceptance I am met with. I feel grateful that I can be a part of this adventure with the girls and that they are so welcoming. I cannot help but think that the more one knows about the lack of acceptance, the more she is able to open up and help others who might be going through the same difficulty.
During the practice we were separated in two-person teams and played on small fields. My partner and I were doing great and scoring many goals. This experience made us feel really close in a unique way. By now, I can see that each player has a very distinct identity and sports is what helps us reveal it.
After practice, we all relaxed together in the girls rooms until late lunch arrived. After lunch, we all headed out to the cinema! If you haven’t seen Colombiana, I strongly recommend it! Taking the metro together with the team and waiting for the movie to begin made us form a different and even stronger bond.
After the movie, everyone insisted I have dinner with them. There was no way I could have refused. Team dinner was filled with laughter, jokes and pictures, especially after the team’s caps and sports clothes had arrived. J. and I interviewed one of the coaches while he was waiting for sunset (because of fasting). It turned out that he had competed for the male HWC in Brazil last year! He had come to France from another country 10 years ago, and it was hard for him to obtain a flat. He lived with friends and acquaintances for some time but never had his own place. An association that was helping him try to find a flat told him about the HWC. He had played football all his life and he loved the idea.
Being part of for the male team was very competitive because of the high number of male participants. However, he placed at each round and was one of the last eight players to go to the championship. Seeing Rio de Janeiro for him was like an accomplished dream. He gained confidence and was full of new hopes. Following the championship he was able to find a flat with the organization that had first helped him and he was ready to move on with his life. When I asked him what his new goals in life were after the HWC was over, I expected many answers but not this one: he wanted to dedicate the rest of his life to helping others who are in a difficult position.
Why was this answer unexpected? In my world, where a majority of my friends are graduating from college and having dreams and ambitions about their careers, I assume that everyone is striving for individualistic success – good career, money, family, etc. On the other hand, I realized that people who have personally experienced difficulties and know the importance of having someone being able to stretch a hand for you when you need it the most are the most compassionate.
After the interview was over, J. and I were having a conversation about homeless people. You can be homeless without necessarily being on the street. In French, the word homeless literally means “without a roof.” What the coach had said was that not everyone who is sleeping under a roof is sleeping under their own roof. Sometimes it can be a friend’s, a family’s, or a public roof. But the fact that it is not yours, and you won’t be able to keep it for long is enough to classify you as homeless as well.
While the coach had never lived on the streets, I thought the opportunity was good to ask whether J. had been in that position herself. She confirmed that she had been on the streets for three months but is not ready to talk about it. Without asking her personal questions, she slowly opened up throughout the night and shared more about her terrible experience. While I would not like to reveal details of her story because of its private matter, I can tell you that it is quite an unbelievable one – as many homeless people’s stories are. Most of us never believe we can get on the street. Neither did J. But because of a series of absurd events outside of her control, she did end up in a tough situation. While her story sounded unbelievable, she helped me realize that if the same things happened to me that very night in France, I would have at least temporarily ended of up without a roof…
Sunday practice
Practice on Sunday was in a faraway place in the west of Paris. Being late as usual, we began practice at 11 and finished at 1:30pm. During practice I got a chance to speak with several people from the communications team of Remis en Jeu – the French organization for the HWC. They had come to watch the girls’ practice. I learned a lot about their intense work and the serious coordination and planning they needed to exercise on a daily basis. The local organization’s boss had also come to watch the game, as well as four groups of photographers and journalists.
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