“All the signatures blend into one, and that’s the beauty of it.”
That’s what Christian Wach said of Alive & Kicking’s 250,000th ball. Wach is one of three men who comprise a group called “The Spirit of Football” who kicked, headed, and otherwise conveyed The Ball from Battersea Park, England, to Soccer City, South Africa. This is their third World Cup-related trek; they endured the relatively short journey to Germany in 2006 and the more arduous expedition to Japan in for 2002’s WC.
This year, they left January 24 and arrived in Soccer City June 12, ending a 138-day trip. The symmetry involved in this endeavour is unique: 32 panels on The Ball, 32 countries in the WC. The next number is staggering: more than 17,000 people signed The Ball. Presidents and Kings, people on the street, Special Olympics athletes, pretty much any group of people you can name have played with or signed The Ball.
Their specific purpose this year was to use an Alive & Kicking ball (a ball made in Africa, by Africa, for Africa) to unite all kinds of people regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, and especially regardless of intellectual disability. Indeed, that was the most emphasized aim of the 10,000 mile hike. The Spirit of Football partnered with Special Olympics Africa, and during their travels the gents involved as many intellectually inhibited people as possible.
In this light I present a lovely little anecdote, one experienced in a Nairobi slum. A bystander watched a game being played on a pitch littered with glass (some of the information these guys shared was quite eye-opening and often depressing) and asked Christian why was happening. Christian explained that people with and without intellectually disabilities play on the same team. To this, the bystander asked, “Which ones are disabled?” Christian replied with a smile, and after a second the man understood and thanked Christian.
I could read off much more information about this amazing travel, but that is a job better served by The Spirit of Football’s blog and the blog of The Ball itself. What truly struck me, and what has struck me throughout the WC, is the global love lavished upon soccer. I went to Amsterdam this past weekend, and if there was a game on at the time it could be watched at any bar, pub, or coffee shop. Even my friends back in the States have WC fever, and yesterday’s thrilling win over Algeria has only cemented this affliction.
But I digress. The story here is one of a strenuous effort to unite people by harnessing the unique energy of this WC, particularly in Africa. The joy these guys described when children were able to enjoy The Ball is touching, and the emphasis on Special Olympics athletes was moving as well. In fact, here is what Kay Naido, a volunteer with Special Olympics South Africa, had to say about The Spirit of Football.
On behalf of Special Olympics. On behalf of South Africa as a whole. We want to say thank you to Spirit of Football for doing what they’ve done. Clearly you guys need to be given the highest accolade in the world in terms of your commitment to the love of the game, for bringing The Ball all the way from the UK down through Africa. For the simple reason that this World Cup belongs to Africa. If I was in FIFA or in SAFA you guys would have front row seats at the Opening Ceremony. It is one world, one football and one World Cup and it is but one humanity, one love in the world that’s all. Thank you.
But by June 12, the journey had come to an end. A tiring mission of unification and raising awareness could now be considered complete. I believe the moment that best summarizes The Spirit of Football and this trip in particular is an encounter related by their last blog entry. They describe standing outside the stadium and shouting “One ball” and having a crowd shout back “One world.” Then the chant was repeated in Spanish, in French, in German.
Looking ahead, The Spirit of Football’s planned route to Brazil excites me. They plan on bringing The Ball through the States, and I would like very much to cross paths with it. I am no soccer maestro, but playing a game and adding my signature to something so global and unifying is quite appealing. After all, how cool is it to have signed the same ball the President of Zambia has signed?
Cheers to these guys for bringing people together and touching so many lives via utilizing the one truly global sport.
(Click here if you’d like to see a short BBC interview with these guys.)
