One Year Later: Still Helping Haiti

Today is the anniversary of the earthquake that rocked Port-au-Prince in Haiti.  I thought I'd share some photos of the collection of used soccer equipment that you, the Huntsville soccer community, so graciously donated in conjunction with the Haiti Food Drive.

Drop-off at the Disaster Response Warehouse in Decatur

A few months ago, my wife and I drove the donations down to Decatur to meet the Warehouse Supervisor Ray who catalogs and readies all donations for transport to on-site locations.  We spent a few hours with Ray helping around the warehouse and got an idea of just how much help is needed in Haiti.  He was truly excited about the soccer equipment donations and thought it would be a great thing for those in need.

Warehouse supervisor Ray boxing up the balls

I'd been meaning to share these for a while now and the anniversary seemed like an appropriate time to do so.

Thank you all for your donations.

UAH Alumni, Haiti Rebuilds, Dives, and Ugly 1860 Unis

UAH Alumni Game Still OnDespite the departure of the former head coach, UAH will go on with its Alumni match on March 27th. Interested players should contact interim head coach, Joe Nemzer.


Haitian Football Federation President Vows To Rebuild

The Haitian Football Federation Headquarters were destroyed in the earthquake. Photo via Getty Images.

During the earthquake that devastated the country the Haitian Football Federation's offices were destroyed along with over 30 Federation employees. Dr. Yves Jean-Bart survived and now vows to reconstruct the offices and the remainder of the soccer infrastructure in the country. He said this about the Haitian love for soccer.

"There is not one Haitian that has not touched a soccer ball. Football is part of the everyday life of Haiti, even with the scary living conditions in Port-au-Prince, even with the fields being occupied, they still play soccer. It is the only entertainment reserved for everybody. At the federation we had the great idea of distributing in the temporary shelters the few soccer balls we were able to recover and it was an explosion of joy. I think it is necessary and mandatory, to help with the psychological recovery of a major part of the population, to free the fields and allow the people to release some stress."

As you know, I am collecting soccer equipment to help bring their beloved game back to them. Please make your way down to Pete's Soccer Shop to donate your new or used shoes, balls, or any other equipment. Thanks, again.


Is It Always A Dive?
Studs Up is a comic strip about soccer. Today's strip is a funny look at diving.


1860, Was Denken Sie?

Yuck!

Let me be clear. Bayern Munich is my team, but ever since I visited Bavaria in college, I've had a soft spot for 1860 Munich. I love the classy look of their light blue kits with the lion crest. But they may have taken the prize for ugliest uniform ever with their shirt to celebrate their 150th year shown above. Yes, you are seeing that right. It's a collage of blue tinted historic photos on a soccer jersey with gold trim.

Oh, that's not so bad.

Well, maybe the powers that be anticipated this reaction because they made the shirt reversible and reveals a shirt that's not quite as revolting. Ahh, that's better.

More Weekend Warrior, Ref's Sweet Backheel, and Eurosnob Smackdown

Weekend Warrior Is Upon Thee


Don't forget to bring your new or used soccer equipment to benefit Haiti out to the Weekend Warriors tournament this Saturday and Sunday. They'll also have a juggling contest to benefit the Melissa George Neonatal Memorial Fund at Huntsville Hospital with some great prizes including Rocket City United gear and season tix. PWT-blog will be on hand to bring you highlights of the fun from John Hunt Park this weekend. Lastly, they'll be selling T-shirts featuring the logo above.


Nice Backheel, Ref!

Apparently, fancy footskills aren't the sole domain of players anymore. When Spanish referee Alvarez Izquierdo accidentally got in the way of a pass, he decide the fair thing to do was to return the ball to the intended player with a nonchalant backheel. Nice pass!

You're So Vain, Eurosnob!

Adrea Canales of Goal.com calls out the American born Eurosnob in her weekly column. She lays it down on the fools who for years dissed Landon Donovan, who is currently tearing it up for Everton in the EPL, because he choose to play in MLS rather than sit the bench for a European team. They claim that Donovan's years of playing for San Jose and LA have stunted his growth as a player and has subsequently hurt the USMNT. Suddenly, those same fools are his biggest fan, and Canales let's 'em have it.

Clean Out Your Closet For Haiti: PWT-blog looking for your old soccer equipment

As you may have read over at Southern Soccer, I've been organizing a new or used soccer equipment drive in conjunction with the folks over at the local Haiti Food Drive.

Kids play soccer in the Haitian National Soccer Stadium that is being used as a temporary tent city. Image via Daylife.

Josh Russo of the Haiti Food Drive has this to say about the soccer equipment drive, "I know that it's going to bring a lot of joy to kids of all ages down there. We're supporting an organization that had 10 orphanages, seven of which are now rubble. Thankfully, almost all of the kids survived the quake (most of them were outside at the time) but a "return to normalcy" as you say seems far off. ...[soccer equipment] is not a priority at the moment, but I'd love to know that we can plan on bringing soccer equipment down there at a future date. ...Once we get to a point where we're sending clothing and comfort items, that's when we'll want to have your help getting those kids kicking (and dreaming of World Cups) again."

Pull those old cleats out and bring 'em down to Pete's Soccer Shop.

So, go dig into your closets for yours or your kid's old soccer cleats, shirts, shorts, socks, balls, etc. and bring them down to Pete's Soccer Shop at 8408 Whitesburg Drive over the next few weeks. If you're playing in next weekend's Weekend Warrior tournament, you can also drop your equipment off there.

I'm also trying to coordinate with Rocket City United on an equipment collection at one of their home matches this spring. Keep an eye out for those details later.

Haiti Through Jim's Eyes: More Ways to Help

One of my buddies from the daily pick-up games in which I play has a special connection to Haiti and the tragedy that has stricken the already desperate country. Jim Biard was part of a missionary group who traveled to Haiti for 3 weeks last summer. On the trip, Jim was struck by the beauty of the Haitian's spirit and the starkness of the poverty. Here's a note Jim has written especially for the Perfectly Weighted Through Blog that describes some of his trip, his despair at what must be happening in the country now, and a list of links that you can use to help. The hardship for the Haitian people is certainly not over...

I went with a mission group to Haiti in June 2009. It was a crazy trip. Haiti really is at the low end of the list of Third World nations. I was prepared for that, and it didn't freak me out, but I found it troubling to see first hand how huge the gap is between the "haves" and the "have nots". There is beauty in Haiti, but the country suffers greatly from erosion as a result of deforestation and other types of poor land management. It sometimes seemed that there wasn't a corner of the country that wasn't littered with plastic bottles or bags. The "highways" are dirt roads. The major cities seem to have only one or two paved streets. There are no bridges over many of the rivers. Most of the agriculture is done by hand with hoes and pickaxes. (Which is probably better in terms of limiting erosion, but it is backbreaking work! It's also hard to make a go of it since your potential crop size is so limited.) There appeared to be no sanitary sewer system anywhere we stayed. In essence, there is almost zero modern infrastructure in Haiti.

Jim, left, kicks around with the kids

But, like I said, there is beauty in Haiti. The last day of our stay, we hiked about an hour out of the city of Port de Paix along the river that bounds it on one side. The river and the areas along its banks were gorgeous! We hiked to a spot where a small waterfall cascaded down a 100 ft cliff into a pool that then fed into the river. It was the sort of place that would be part of a state park here in the USA. We swam in the pool with little Haitian kids and had a great time.

Kids on a burro

We spent most of our time living on the outskirts of the village of Beau Champ. We were on an upland plateau, and the climate was semi-arid. It was much less lush than on the banks of the river down near the coast where we took the hike. There was beauty there as well, but more subdued. Also more thorny. They seem to have every type of thorny plant found in the Americas or in Africa in Haiti!

A young Haitian, Kevinson, and his sister

The most beautiful thing about Haiti was the people. Especially the people in Beau Champ. They were often sweet and shy, kind and generous. I was deeply moved by the strength of spirit that I saw in the people of Haiti. They continued to live their lives, love their families, plant their crops, and look to the future, even though they had little reason (to American eyes) to do so. I know that people often don't miss what they never had, but it touched my heart. It made me realize what whiners we often are here in the USA. We complain and get upset about things that so minor compared to having enough food to keep your children from starving in front of your eyes, or dying from a curable disease because there are no doctors anywhere in the area.

Football is a refuge from the daily struggle

Now, don't get me wrong, I did see people that had no hope. I met some people that were angry with the world. Haitians are subject to the same range of faults as anyone else in this world. They aren't necessarily better for their struggles. Yet they touched me and inspired me.

I was also sobered and felt a bit depressed as I began to realize the enormous effort that will be required to bring the Haitian nation to a point where it is stable and moderately prosperous. Just bringing them to the point of being able to feed themselves will be a monumental task!

Young boy with his plate

(I had written this much back in August 2009. It is now January 20, 2010, Haiti is reeling from the massive earthquakes in the region around Port au Prince.)

What can I do? Where can I start? Haiti was in such a fragile state before the quakes, and now there is no telling how bad it may become, even with aid pouring in. The lack of infrastructure means that it is extremely difficult to get the food and medical supplies to where they are needed. It also means that people in the rest of the country will suffer as well. Port au Prince was the main port, and most of the trade with the rest of the world went through there. The people in other parts of the island are effectively cut off from markets for their crops and goods. Food aid that was being sent into places like Beau Champ won't arrive. Fuel supplies will run out. The impact on the entire nation is hard to fathom.

Young Haitian girl models a hat for the camera

Some authorities estimate that the disruption of their fragile infrastructure may lead to a final death toll of 3 million people! This won't be due to injuries, but to starvation and disease. These beautiful people living in such desperate conditions are only 600 miles from Miami.

I want to go there, to do something tangible to help. I'm donating money, but it doesn't feel like enough. I think of the kids and adults that I made friends with who will likely suffer tremendous hardships over the coming months. I want to ride in like the cavalry and save them, but I have no way to do it. I recognize that I would probably be little help to anyone if I did go, but it doesn't stop me from feeling the desire to do it. So I pray...

Here are some links to a few places where you can make donations to help with the earthquake relief effort. There are many good groups, I just happen to know something about these particular ones. There are also a couple of links to sites that have other lists. These groups are not listed in any particular order.

Please help your neighbors in Haiti.

American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/
In general, Charity Navigator says it sends 90% of donations to the field, and gives it 3 stars. If you are an Intergraph employee, Intergraph says it will match your donation. (There was an email sent out giving the details of how to do it.)

International Disaster Emergency Services http://www.ides.org
This is a Christian charity. In general, Charity Navigator says it sends 86% of donations to the field, and gives it 4 stars. They are known for helping everyone, not just a particular subgroup. (Some groups only help those in their religion/denomination, etc.)

Yelé Haiti http://www.yele.org/
This is an established Haiti assistance charity founded by Wycelf Jean, who is a Haitian hip hop artist. I couldn't find a rating for this one, but I know of some people that say it is a good one. They say that 100% of donations to earthquake relief will go to the effort.

Northwest Haiti Christian Mission http://www.nwhcm.org/
This is the group that I worked with this last summer. I couldn't find a rating for them, but I know first-hand that they don't have a high overhead. They do a lot of good and have a well-established network of people in Haiti.

Direct Relief International http://www.directrelief.org/
This group deals with medical supplies and aid. In general, Charity Navigator says it sends 99% of donations to the field, and gives it 4 stars. They also have been working in Haiti for some time. They say 100% of donations will go to the effort.

Haiti Emergency Relief Organization http://haiti411.com/haiti/
This is a group based out of Huntsville, AL. The leader is Haitian. They are a Christian group. I couldn't find a rating for them.

You can find a list of other groups at http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1004 and at http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/.

God, work a miracle of help and hope and love in Haiti. Please!

Links To Check Out While At Home Sick

One of the unadvertised perks of parenthood is the passing of every germ your little one can acquire to the parents and this week my daughter passed on a nice stomach bug to me. So, in between trips to the bathroom, I was able to hit the internet for some interesting nuggets.

Soccer on the Radio

Enjoying the company of friends while listening to the game on the radio.

There was no soccer on the radio when I grew up. But I did get to listen to some fantastic sports broadcasters ply their trade over the radio waves. Listening to Jon Miller broadcast Oriole games was a joy. My family would also watch the Redskins with the TV sound muted and crank up the radio broadcast to catch the excitement of the local broadcast crew. So, I totally get it when the guys at EPLTalk advise us to listen to soccer on the radio for a change. The radio broadcast can open up the game in your imagination and bring the excitement of the stadium to you in a way TV just can't do, no matter how good the resolution. I'm gonna give it a try.

Bundesliga is Back
I was so excited to see that the best supported league in Europe was back in action this past weekend after its traditional winter break. And I was excited to read the quote machine Raphael Honigstein's latest Bundesliga wrap-up column. This week he writes about the surprising season Eintract Frankfurt is enjoying. And Raphael doesn't disappoint by dropping this gem of line:

"After 18 matches played, Frankfurt are in seventh, only one point behind Werder Bremen. The position is so incredulous, it really belongs in the Kama Sutra."

Hehehe!


Juju in African Football

Juju man blesses a ball.

Andrew Guest of the blog Pitch Invasion wrote an incredibly interesting piece on witchcraft in African soccer. He makes some great points that juju is really no different from western religious blessings, for instance, teams who pray together before a match or the players who cross themselves while entering the field. It's just that many western people are ignorant of the African culture and therefore sensationalize the actions that they don't understand.


Beer/Soccer Q and A

As you know by now, I enjoy a good brew and the beautiful game. Here's a Q and A from a like minded fellow from the soccer blog Avoiding the Drop.

More Sadness From Haiti

I picked up this from my Twitter feed. Terribly sad.

RobHarrisUK at least 30 members of #Haiti soccer federation killed in #earthquake - including players, coaches and refs @AP

Here's a link to Haiti United, where as part of the soccer community you can continue to help the country so desperately in need.

Altidore on Haiti and How the Huntsville Soccer Community Can Help

Haitian native and US National Team player, Joe Gaetjens, is carried off the field after scoring the lone goal in the 1:0 World Cup victory over England in 1950.

US soccer fans should hold a special place in their hearts for Haiti, the country devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake earlier this week. After all, the goal that took down the giants of England in 1950 was scored by Haitian native, Joe Gaetjens. Also, current US forward Jozy Altidore is of Haitian decent and has been especially affected by the disaster. Here is a link to Jozy discussing the tragedy with CNN.

Altidore on a goodwill trip he made to Haiti a few years ago.

What can we in Huntsville do to help?

Huntsville resident and native of Haiti, Simeon Nerelus, is the founder of he Haiti Emergency Relief Organization. HERO is collecting food, medications, and other supplies. Here's more info about HERO.

WHO?
This food and fund raising drive to benefit the people of Haiti. Food is being donated to Food For The Poor (501c3) and Money is being donated to Trinity United Methodist Church and with the note of "Haiti Relief". 100% of these donations will go to direct relief in Haiti.

WHAT?
FOOD: rice, beans, powdered milk
MEDS: over the counter, vitamins

WHEN?
NOW!

WHERE?
HudsonAlpha Institute
6900 Moquin Drive
Huntsville, AL, 35806

Trinity United Methodist
607 Airport Road
Huntsville, AL 35802

WHAT TIME?
10am - 4pm Daily

HOW TO CONTACT?
haitifooddrive@gmail.com

Haitian Football Federation Crest

Also, Haiti is a football mad nation. So, this is the time for you in the Huntsville soccer community to go dig into your closet for your old soccer gear and donate whatever you can in an attempt to help bring a bit of normalcy back to a country that is suffering so badly. I've got a ton of old cleats, balls and replica jerseys that I'm planning on taking down to Trinity United Methodist Church to the help the cause. I suggest you do the same.