#Ubuntu10Year: 2016
From L to R: Alex, Jesse, Wade, Lutho, Coach Casey, Sinethemba, Tristan.
For six of the older Ubuntu boys at the time, 2016 was a year to remember! After five years of existence, Ubuntu Football looked beyond the borders of South Africa for opportunities for its players. Coach Casey arranged for Jesse, Sinethemba, Lutho, Alex, Tristan, and Wade to accompany him to the States and attend several college soccer I.D. camps during the month of June. Needless to say, the experience was an eye-opening and memorable one for these six Ubuntu boys! We recently connected with Jesse and asked him to share his thoughts and memories of this fun-filled trip.
For Jesse looking back, the overwhelming emotion towards the I.D. camp trip was excitement. Most of the boys had been with Ubuntu since they were eleven or twelve years old and playing local football, and some of them had never been on a plane or left South Africa before. The chance to travel all the way to America was met with lots of happy anticipation. For Jesse in particular, studying and playing football in the States was something he’d been thinking about as a serious option for the future; it was just a question of how to bridge the gap between there and South Africa. Now that the opportunity was there, Jesse and his brothers were eager to go and prove themselves, though of course there were nerves involved too. As the first group to make the trip overseas, there was uncertainty over what to expect and an expectation to set a good precedent for Ubuntu boys in the future.
The six boys selected to go on this first trip represented Ubuntu well. For one thing, they were a racially diverse group that included black, white, and coloured boys who regarded each other as family. However, one of the major deciding factors for who would be going to America was academics according to Jesse. He stated confidently that any Ubuntu player could have attended the I.D. camps and held their own on the football field, but they had to be academically strong as well. If an opportunity arose for one of the boys to play in the States, studying would be part of the deal, so they had to be prepared to cope with college school work. The other part of choosing the members of the group was the boys’ desires to go to the States. Was studying and playing in America something they wanted to seriously pursue? If not, then it would be better to allow someone else to have the opportunity to go instead.
Lutho, Jesse, Tristan, Themba, Alex, and Wade in NY with the State of Liberty in the distance.
The six boys landed in NY and road-tripped to 2 different I.D. camps in Pennsylvania and Indiana (as well as attending training with Columbus Crew in Ohio) and 6 or 7 states along the way. Jesse said that the camps and playing football was a great experience and mentioned in particular the opportunity to meet players of many different nationalities: “it was cool to experience and compare ourselves to players from other parts of the world.” He added that on top of the general football and interactions, the I.D. camps provided a confidence boost for him and the rest of the group. “Even though we knew we were good footballers and could compete wherever we went, it was nice to get that affirmation from others you know,” Jesse commented.
The boys at training with Columbus Crew in Ohio.
In terms of culture shock, the boys were awed and impressed with the amount of money and resources that seem to be available and pumped into everything. Jesse reflected that it was amazing to see what resources and infrastructure can do in terms of fields, stadiums, and overall sports facilities. For him and his Ubuntu brothers, it was eye-opening to see the difference in lifestyle between American and South Africa. To explain, Jesse shared how he and the others were shocked when they attended training with Columbus Crew and someone was there to fill their water bottles for them. At home, they had to fill their own water and there was always a fight over who had to fetch and fill all the bottles at training.
Other than the football side of being in the States, Jesse fondly recounted the fun he had simply being with his Ubuntu brothers whether that be in the car for multiple hours a day, shopping at the outlet malls, or eating out. Overall, the I.D. camp trip experience was one that he and his peers will never forget, opening their eyes to a bigger world and great possibilities!
*Following the trip, four out of the six boys ended up back in the States for school and football (Wade, Tristan, Alex, and Lutho) while Jesse and Sinethemba seized other opportunities (professional football in South Africa and starting his own business respectively).
