Soccer Saves Lives in Afghanistan

We all know that soccer has the power to do a lot of things. It can exhilarate us. Aggravate us. Makeus euphoric. Drive us insane. But did you know it can also save lives?

DynCorp International, a company that supervises ordnance disposal in Afghanistan, was up against a common problem. TheY needed to find and dispose of unexploded ordnance left over from previous wars, but the locals didn’t trust them. They were just one group of foreigners among many. How could they get past this resistance?

With soccer balls, of course.

After a regular presentation to villagers about explosive ordnance disposal, Steve asked the children in attendance to raise their hands if they knew the location of any unexploded ordnance. Not one hand was raised.

Steve then produced two soccer balls. He asked the children if they wanted to learn how to earn a ball, and was answered with a resounding yes. It was simple, he said. Lead his team to unexploded ordnance and earn a soccer ball. Four hands immediately went up.

“The villages and children have been talked to by many other organizations and, as far as they were concerned, we were just another one on the long list. So, I was thinking, what could we do to make us different and stand out to the kids to make an impact in their minds? If we don’t do anything different, then they will forget about us as soon as we leave,” he said.

The children led the EOD team to a nearby footbridge that was built using high-explosive rockets as supports. The following day, the children led the team to a village where they found and destroyed several Soviet-era sub munitions. …

“(The kids’) faces light up when they see the balls, and when we drive around we always see numerous kids playing in the fields with our soccer balls, where previously there were no children,” Steve said.

I believe that this is what they call a “win-win situation.”

Score one for soccer’s role in international relations.