A World of Fun Scheduled for the Copa Esperanza Soccer Tournament

Charity tournament scheduled for April 2 starting at 9 a.m. at the Onion Creek Soccer Complex;
Proceeds to benefit Villa Esperanza and Posada Esperanza

Players competing in the 2010 Copa Esperanza soccer tournament

Soccer: the most popular sport in the world. Even though it may not be the most popular in the U.S., it is gaining ground. And it is a uniting force for the various immigrant groups here who find that no matter how far away from their country they may be, a soccer field is always home.

Fasil, an Eritrean immigrant, who for nine years lived in and traveled through dozens of countries across three continents before finally settling in Austin, is one of the returning participants in the upcoming Copa Esperanza. Copa Esperanza is a soccer tournament fundraiser for two Austin non-profits, Villa Esperanza and Posada Esperanza that will take place Saturday, April 2.

Fasil left the African country of Eritrea as a teenager fleeing mandatory military service for young men aged 16 in an unstable country known for human rights violations and violent border disputes with Ethiopia. Since then he has lived in various countries in Africa, traveled across the Atlantic to South America, spent time in Central America and then came to the U.S. He first found help at Casa Marianella, a men’s shelter in Austin that provides immigrant men with food, clothing, English classes, and assistance in finding work. Now living with a roommate and working at an Austin hotel, Fasil is settling down after his years on the road.

One thing that remained constant for Fasil during his time of moving from place to place, traveling from country to country, across oceans and continents, was soccer. He says he played in all the countries where he lived. Fasil likes playing soccer to spend time with friends, meet new people, and learn more English. He first played soccer in the U.S. when he was staying at Casa Marianella, where volunteers come once a week to get a game going at a nearby school. Even though he doesn’t play as often here in the U.S. these days because he is busy working, he is looking forward to Copa Esperanza, a soccer tournament to raise money for Casa Marianella’s sister house, Posada Esperanza, a shelter for immigrant women and children. The tournament also benefits Villa Esperanza, a non- profit organization that aims to provide college scholarships to first generation immigrant students.

Soccer is the great unifier, bringing people together across language and cultural differences, and Copa Esperanza is a good example of how it does so. Playing soccer in the Copa Esperanza tournament not only gives players from all over the world a chance to join together in an exciting competition, but also helps two organizations aiming to improve the lives of immigrants in Austin who are trying to become independent and build new lives.

Please join Fasil and the team from Casa Marianella and sign up your team for Copa Esperanza by visiting http://villa-esperanza.org/copa-esperanza-2011/. Copa Esperanza will be held Saturday, April 2 at the Onion Creek Soccer Complex, starting at 9 a.m. The cost is $25 per person per person. Or bring your vuvuzela and cheer on all the teams! Donations always welcome.

To learn more about the organizations benefiting from this tournament, please visit: http://villa-esperanza.org/ and http://www.casamarianella.org/posada-facility.asp
To sponsor the Casa Marianella team, please go to this website: http://www.razoo.com/team/copaesperanza2011

Written by Jill Sokness, Villa Esperanza volunteer