by Coach Dan.
Last week we unveiled our new LIV United under 7 playing kit.
It was presented to the boys (and one girl) by kit sponsors Dion, Sarvash and Cale Guness of DC Cars. Needless to say, the little champions were amazed and filled with enthusiasm.
They hurriedly donned their new jerseys and immediately there was a chorus of ‘wows’ from the supporters.
They looked sharp.
Brand new. Professional. Like a million dollars.
For me, there was something very special about the boys changing out of their loose fitting, second hand playing kit into their unique, striking, perfectly fitting uniform.
It was symbolic of how LIV Village helps transform these precious, broken, vulnerable children into bright, special leaders and stars of the future.
LIV Village provides a new life for children, staff and volunteers. A life filled with hope, resources and opportunities, underpinned by the abundant, uplifting love of Jesus.
For the under 6s, 7s, & 8s soccer has been a tool LIV has used to achieve a bit of this transformation over the course of the last eight months. The donning of the new kit was, poetically, an outward expression of the noticeable internal and physical change.
In the beginning…
As the year went on, some of the boys, moms and teachers started telling me of the changes they were seeing. They told me how before the soccer started in February the boys found it difficult to focus, had problems with discipline and some serious behavioral issues.
As one mom put it;
‘’we haven’t had any more house break-ins since soccer started this year.’’
I still remember our first training session back in February; the boys were all over the place. They were eager yet unsure. I could see a lot of work ahead.
Training begins
(Queue Rocky theme song music).
Prayer, rules, sit-ups, push-ups, sprints, ball skills, passing, games, shooting, fun, encouragement, tears, laughter, sweat, discipline, birthday cakes, love, pain, dancing, singing and mentoring.
Repeat.
And repeat.
And repeat.
Over and over,
Three times a week for eight months and wow, did they improve!
Through the year, the boys developed so much. Teams we play against are always amazed at the speed of improvement and in particular, the hunger and courage of the boys. For me, I’m just so proud of my boys. They have given me so much joy and fulfillment and I can’t wait to see how they do next year.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the boy’s mums, teachers, mentors, LIV leadership, and my wife for their unwavering support and prayer.
Last but not least, special thanks go out to our generous sponsors:
- Guness family & DC cars for the kit.
- Weaverbird Marketing for kit designs & fundraising.
- Juventus Football Club moms & dads for numerous donations.
- Leon, Cynthia & Joshua Sent for, among many donations, their sponsorship & construction of goals and balls.
- My in-laws Malcolm and Clare Joshua for sideline support and match food and drinks for the team.
- Our LIV neighbours who gave their time to attend matches and support the boys; Justine, Sanjet and Mum Zuki.
- Corogains Sports for their excellent work on the manufacturing of the kit at a discounted rate.
- My friends and family who made generous financial donations: Anna, Evan, Harry, Phyllis, Peter and Stephen Skaftouros. Nadia, Michael and Lucas O’Toole, Lillian Corda, Graziella Chamoun, John Smith, Andy & Sarona Wolter and Andy Mills.
Our vision for the future.
We have big dreams, not only for this team, but also for the children of different age groups and the children of our surrounding communities.
Specifically, we are looking to raise a salary for a full time coach.
If you’d like to know more or get involved, contact Dan on 072 152 3958 or email daniel@weaverbird.co.za
