A Long Trip Comes To An End

Well, I'll be the first to admit that I didn't exactly keep a religious devotion to updating this blog - but thanks to those of you who were checking for the various updates from my last 6 weeks on the road.

I'm now back in the US after some incredible encounters with Woza partners, both current and (hopefully) future.

There are some really exciting possibilities for us in Ghana and Zambia, and I look forward to exploring partnerships in those countries as Woza heads into 2015.

I'll leave you with a great photo of Woza's original partner - the one and only Mtuba Football Academy in Mtubatuba, South Africa.  It's a special place and a really special soccer program.

Exciting times ahead!

VIDEO: Sunset training in Livingstone

Here's a quick video I made after strapping the Woza GoPro to the head of a 9-year old at Faagros Academy.  Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KCnyqqIqSQ

2 weeks with Mtuba Football Academy in South Africa!

Hi everyone!

In Zambia now, but wanted to write a quick update about the last few weeks of my trip:

After two weeks living with Sheldon Hughes and his family I'm even more excited about Woza and inspired by the incredible primary trip partner we've found in Mtuba Football Academy, or MFA, (where Sheldon is the director).  Sheldon welcomed me into his family's guest room and it was a great experience to actually live with this man and his family.  If there's one thing the Hughes family specializes in other than soccer it's curries, and they didn't disappoint over my couple of weeks with them.

Sheldon and I spent most days discussing plans for the upcoming Woza trip to South Africa and confirming logistics for all the different elements that come together to make a successful trip (transportation, lodging, food, activities, etc.).  After working with Sheldon for a few weeks on all the details, I'm even more excited for all of our Woza 2014 players who get to come be a part of this little slice of "soccer paradise" in rural South Africa.  Everyone at the academy and in town are so excited about our upcoming visit.  The big goal of our 2014 partnership with Sheldon is to build a beautiful designated soccer field for MFA and it was great to see the actual plot of land (see photo below of Sheldon pointing to it), meet with land developers and construction experts, and just begin to really see this project taking shape. Our Woza players will help prepare the field and will most likely play in the inaugural match!

Also got to spend a few days at MFA training sessions.  It's crazy to see how much the (former) little guys I coached back in 2009-2010 have grown and developed as soccer players.  The now U-14s and U-15s will probably be some of the players our Americans coach, and it's cool to imagine these worlds coming together with my Woza kids coaching my old MFA kids.

Very excited for the coming week in Livingstone, Zambia with Faagros Soccer Academy, which seems like a great potential Woza partner for the future.  Livingstone is home to Victoria Falls (one of the 7 Wonders of the Natural World) and I'm really very pumped to see it.

Some photos:

Team benches of one of the high school fields we'll be cleaning up during our trip: 

Sheldon points to the plot of land that Woza will be helping him develop into MFA's first ever designated soccer facility. Field 1 to be built in 2014 with the help of Woza players! 

Sheldon and his garage full of soccer gear:

MFA Saturday morning training: 

Two of the U-11 players mugging for the camera: 

Coach Martin with the U-11s:

Young Lions FC - a team outside of Mtubatuba that will be a secondary partner on our trip:

"Amawundlu" means "Little Lions" in isiZulu, the local language: 

A couple of fans at the Young Lions match: 

Young Lions coaches with their senior team at half time:

Sunset over a Mtubatuba soccer field: 

Mtubatuba aka Soccer Paradise: 

VIDEO: Sunday Football in Kumasi

Here's a link to a cool little video I made after an EPIC soccer game a few Sundays ago when I was in Kumasi, Ghana.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SAvgxPKAdw

Leaving Ghana...

Hello!

10 amazing days in Ghana and now I'm heading down to South Africa on a redeye tonight.  Just posting a few quick photos now to give you a sense for my time in Ghana over the last few weeks: the beauty, the poor/rich extremes, cool soccer partners and the first photo is me with Daniel (callsign: Annihilator), my incredible travel companion, guide, bodyguard, translator and expert in all things Ghana.  He looks like he's 12 but he's actually 25 with a master's degree in construction management!  

I'll be in Mtubatuba - home to Woza's original partner Mtuba Football Academy - by noon tomorrow, and I'll be working with our partners in South Africa for a few weeks as they prepare to host this summer's Woza trip.  

Hope everyone is well!

Chris

Ghana!

Hi everyone!

Internet access has been much dicier than originally forecast, so I'm sorry I haven't been able to post anything yet.

And even now I only really have time/bandwidth/electricity for a quick post, so here goes with some Ghana Woza Partner Scouting Highlights:

• Business Class upgrade from good samaritan South African Airways employee on the way down to Johannesburg...ridiculous / it took me over 2 hours to figure out all the functions of the seat. 
• Accra is a hot, congested, crazy African capital - but it definitely felt good to be back in an environment like that.
• Eating an average of 7 mangoes per day.  Med school friends...healthy?
• Not too many soccer academies in Accra that will work for Woza but that's okay because it's a little hectic there...
• 12 hour trotro ride from hell to get to Kumasi included a 4-hour river crossing because the bridge has been disabled for 2 years
• Discovered an incredible resort in the mountainous eastern region called Mountain Paradise...great, refreshing break from all the craziness of the first few days in the country.  The soccer fields up there are all hollowed out "U" shapes because of the terrain. 
• Some really cool and inspiring academies in Kumasi doing great work for local kids
• Played in an wild 7am soccer match on a dirt field this morning - epic GoPro footage will be posted once I get a bead on some reliable internet. 

Lots of soccer, meeting cool partners and destroying the country's emergency mango reserves.  

Chris

To Ghana!

Hopping a South African Air flight to Accra, Ghana this morning, and then I'm off for the next month or so - including some time back in South Africa and then out in Zambia.

Here's a photo of my packed bag - notice what's most accessible!

Very excited for the coming adventure, and will do my best to post stories and updates here!

Best,

Chris