Most people say there are four seasons, but for soccer players, there’s two.
Soccer season. And everything else.
This change in seasons isn’t evident in the breeze or seen on the trees, but it’s felt in the heart. A sense of pure exhilaration begins to occupy every thought and then moves swiftly throughout the body until it reaches the tips of the toes, ready to burst onto freshly cut grass at the first possible moment.
For Darfur United, these feelings are growing stronger every day. On October 20, our season will begin with the 2016 Darfur United Team Training Camp in Ostersund, Sweden. This week-long camp will bring new and familiar faces to our men’s program, each player eager to represent and provide hope for the over three million people displaced by the atrocities committed in Darfur, Sudan. Led by coaches Mark Hodson and Rudy Sanchez, the team aims to build upon the foundations set in the 2012 Viva World Cup and the 2014 CONIFA World Football Cup. In addition to strengthening the message of hope for those afflicted by the conflict in Darfur, goals for the camp include forming consistent and challenging training for each member of Darfur United, forming the base of our campaign to qualify for the next World Cup in 2018.
Darfur United’s commitment to quality soccer reaches farther than the play between the lines. Head Athletic Trainer Alex Nuttall-Smith will be present at camp to help create a holistic environment in which our men are provided with the resources necessary for the specific needs of soccer players and refugee athletes.
Also joining the training camp for this exciting week are team members Gabriel Stauring, Felicia Lee, Pauline Lendrich, and iACT’s Sports Specialist Amy Gilmore.
Funds are still needed! Please support the Darfur United Men’s Team’s Training Camp in Sweden here.