Futbolito

As you all probably know, soccer (futbol) is a religion in almost all of Latin America.  And the flame burns strong here in Honduras, particularly after the national team qualified for and competed honorably in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.  If only I had been living here during that tournament...  That said, I was lucky enough to follow along as the Honduran national team did the country proud a couple weeks back in this year's Gold Cup soccer tournament played in the USA.  My town went nuts when they made the semifinals, and are still talking about their efforts in pushing Mexico to OT.

Once I received the invitation to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras, the first items I set aside to be packed were my rugby cleats.  No, nobody plays rugby here, but I knew they'd be put to good use in soccer games for the next 2 years.  Another pro of having 3 months of training with other Americans is that you have plenty of time to knock the rust off the old soccer skills before throwing yourself into a real match against actual soccer players...

As flat land is at a premium in hilly Honduras, a popular offshoot of soccer has developed that requires less space and fewer people.  I introduce to you the wonder that is futbolito.  For those familiar with indoor soccer, it's practically the same thing (rules, field dimensions, walls/nets to keep the ball from leaving the field of play), but played outdoors.  Many towns have a designated artificial turf cancha with lights and seating for onlookers.  Those that don't make due with what they've got.  In Yuscaran, we played on a fenced-in basketball court.  The ball is smaller than a regulation soccer ball and is made of plastic.  The game is fast-paced and can be rough, frequent body checks into the fences remind me of ice hockey.  Due to the conditions and small ball, the game demands ball control, deft touch, and fitness, something that this guy right here has never had much of.  But, no better time or place to learn, right??

Brayton, 23, is pinned in the corner by Diego, 9

Tiffany is a force in goal

Not going to let that 12 yr old by too easily
But he did probably get by

I was happy to learn that many of my fellow Business volunteers had played soccer before, and of those that hadn't, some recognized the value of learning as a way to integrate into the community.  When we weren't in the classroom, we were on the cancha.  Half of the time, we would play games with and against some of the local kids, ranging in age from 8-18.  These were good humor, chances for us to try things without a real fear of getting injured, although there was always a strong possibility that we'd clumsily hurt one of the smaller kids.  

The other half of the time, the adults would mix in with us and show us how the game is supposed to be played.  I was incredibly impressed by how a few of the guys played as if the ball was an extension of their body, they could do whatever they wanted with it.  Some of the games got pretty intense, with big body checks, cuts, scrapes, and bruises showing up; one guy got tripped up running full speed and ran into the wall face first, lucky not to break his cheek bone.  But in reality, the locals took it easy on us and were really good about passing the ball and helping us improve.  Just another piece of the cross-cultural puzzle and good training for the real test to come on the soccer field.

Quick clip of a standard afternoon in Yuscaran