Written by: Evan Gaalswyk, Program Director ‘23-’24.
Growing up in Maryland, I played soccer until around middle school, when I realized I wasn’t all that good at it and that I was in love with basketball instead. Since then, I’ve been known to kick the occasional ball around, but I was pretty nervous when I was invited, along with my friend and fellow PD Patrick, to play for Once Valientes B (in English: eleven brave ones) in the Shandia soccer league. Somewhat surprisingly for being a town of 350, there are at least three teams in Shandia alone and a total of twelve in the league. I had no idea what to expect from this back at the beginning of January, but finally, armed with my painstakingly sourced size 45 cleats and a much-too-small uniform, I was ready to play.
The league is disorganized in a beautiful way. Games supposedly start at 8am Saturday and Sunday and run through the late afternoon. Pro tip: don’t show up for your 8am game at 8- you’ll be pretty lonely for a while. Groups of players show up bleary-eyed to the games, straight from a long night of partying. Any rain turns the fields into trench warfare and the sun feels like it’s sapping all of your energy. If you play, you have to pay the officials a dollar (it’s not bribery if everyone’s doing it) and if you earn a yellow card you’re hit with a $2 fine (don’t ask how I learned that one). Vendors sell everything from fish to watermelon to ice cream to shinguards, and it’s probably not an exaggeration to say that half of Shandia passes by or watches a game at some point in the day. The fans are loud and mostly good-natured, yelling at the officials and players on both sides of the field. Last week our game was interrupted by a drunk man who took particular exception to a ref’s whistle. It’s all in good fun- above all else, the games are an important social event and a way for communities to come together.
Our team isn’t very good- we really put the “B” in Once Valientes B. Nobody watching would compliment our tactics or ball movement, and we’ve dropped several games that we probably shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t care less- it’s some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time. The league has been an amazing outlet for me, both physically and mentally. I even scored a header! But much more importantly, the league is a community. Every weekend, the games are held at soccer fields in different towns, and every game is a time to make memories and spend time with Shandia, my adopted home. I feel lucky to have been invited to join the team- I can’t think of a better way to spend my weekends than playing soccer with my friends.
About the Author:
Evan Gaalswyk is a Program Director with MPI between July 2023 and July 2024. He is originally from Maryland and a recent graduate of the University of Maryland. He hopes to continue working in International Development post his fellowship with MPI. In his time with MPI, he has spearheaded the Nutrition and Chicken Project in Iliyaku as well as Teens English classes. He has also been an instrumental part in our Senior Citizens Programming.