In the Spotlight: IISTL Afghan Refugee Soccer Saturdays

By Marisa Tesoro

IISTL teamed up with Fútbol Club STL to host the first of many Afghan Soccer Saturdays

Kids and volunteers streamed through the front doors. Volunteers waved them over and did their best to signal everyone to gather around for instruction. After a minute of apprehension, a message was translated and conveyed in Dari and Pashto to the refugee youth who had just arrived: These fields are ours! Go play!

Jose Trujillo, owner of Fútbol Club STL, extended a warm welcome to everyone and lead the group of kids onto two fields. Coats were quickly piled on top of nearby goals as the kids eagerly shed their winter layers and followed him through the nets lining the fields.

They couldn’t hand out soccer balls and pennies fast enough. Shoes were both put on and taken off for maximum comfort and control while playing. Scrimmages were quickly organized on one field among older, teenage boys, and the second field was divided in half for younger, less experienced players to practice different skills.

The space was overflowing with universal sounds of joy; laughter and playful competition spilled off the fields as curious onlookers asked about the event.

Soon enough, inquiries about donating various soccer jerseys, cleats, socks, and more overflowed, as well as questions like, “How can we sign up and volunteer?!”

And it became very clear very quickly that Soccer Saturdays had support and would be a success.

In January, IISTL announced the launch of their program to welcome more Afghan refugees to the St. Louis region. This multi-organization, multi-prong effort between the private sector, faith organizations, and community organizations will include, among other initiatives, establishing an Afghan Chamber of Commerce, creating an Afghan newspaper, and regular free use of indoor soccer fields for refugee youth.

On Saturday, February 12, they hosted the first of many “Soccer Saturdays” where IISTL teamed up with Fútbol Club STL to host Afghan refugee kids and provide a space for them to run around, play soccer and have fun.

With the permission of their parents, children were shuttled to the indoor soccer facility from hotels where they’re being temporarily housed. The initiative started with the getting these kids these out of the hotels and providing them a larger space to play, but it will eventually expand to include Afghan refugee youth resettled across the city.

Jerry Schlichter, founder of the nonprofit Arch Grants; IISTL president Arrey Obenson; members of IISTL’s command center; and numerous volunteers and IISTL staff pitched in to make the first session of indoor soccer a success.

Leading the charge was Kelly Moore, External Relations Manager at IISTL. Equipped with snacks, oranges, juice and water, she set up an area near the fields for kids to hang out, watch others play, and enjoy coloring books and stickers while also coordinating with volunteers, directing folks to sign waivers in order to play, and making sure everyone had what they needed.

With about 30 kids of various ages and speaking both Dari and Pashto, there was plenty to keep track of during this trial run of the event. Still, it went off without a hitch.

Kids on the fields gleefully chasing one another; younger girls packed in and sitting at a picnic table, coloring and putting stickers on one other; kids practicing headers and dribbling; others observing and cheering people on.

There was something for everyone.

In the blink of an eye, two hours was up, and it was time to head home with each player, participant, volunteer, translator, coordinator, and staff member hopeful and ready for more days just like this one.