Volunteer blog: Day two at Project Playground by Caroline Winberg

Day 2

“I started my day at Project Playground with a meeting with the teachers. We were planning my lessons I’m having next week for the girls at project Playground. I’m gonna teach them that beauty comes from within and that’s it’s way more important to be beautiful on the inside and be a strong girl and woman and just not a pretty face.

Then I went on to the soccer practice. I helped the coach get the boys ready. It’s amazing how a lot of swedish football clubs and international clubs have donated soccer clothes, cleats, balls and cones so the boys get a chance to play and use the real equipment. We ran over to the soccer field, the young boys do get a little naughty but have great respect for their trainer. The ones that doesn’t listen in class are the ones that have to collect the cones in the end of practice.

We started with the warm up and the little boys were both amazed and giggled a bit at the same time that I joined them warming up. They hadn’t seen a girl play soccer before and they couldn’t believe that I actually knew how to play. We practiced passing the ball with both feet and heading it. One little 8 year old reminded me that I have to learn to control my headers cause I was suppose to head them straight back to his feet and my ones were a bit to high. Happy I got some practice as well.

Then we went on to play 5 aside in 3 different teams were the winners got to stay on the field. My team won so we got to play 2 games. The boys are truly talented athletes and it makes me so happy to see that they get to come to Project Playground every day and to be part of a team. As a soccer player myself I know it doesn’t only teach you the sport, it’s also important cause they learn structure, to be better as a person and to look out for your teamplayers and not to be selfish.

After soccer all the kids help to clean up the field and one of them brought all the water bottles back to PPG. I went with them to have their dinner and they sit very politely waiting for their turn and eat like they have never seen such good food before once they get their plate. For most of them its probably their most nutritious meal they get a day. They help to clean up and after that we head back to change out of our soccer gear to regular clothes. The soccer teacher are nice to them but very strict and make sure they put all the cleats back in one bag and the shirts and shorts in separate bags. I would like to see little 8 year olds from Sweden doing the same thing without complaining.

Loved my 2nd day at Project Playground and since I have played soccer for 10 years myself I really know how it helps to play a sport when you’re young to understand teamspirit, structure and rules. The kids will bring this with them for the rest of their lives.”