Update: L.C.F.L.

Update with the L.C.F.L.

LINK TO PICTURES:

https://picasaweb.google.com/107996151971191519896/Apr92011?feat=email#

Hi guys! On my last post I gave you the schedule for when the league was starting, league meetings, advertisements for the league, etc. Things have changed ( as they always do..), but here is an update on what has been accomplished:

-Trash Clean-up (last Sunday March 27th)

About one hundred kids showed up. We had trash bags, gloves, and a mcoco teni ( big wooden cart). We worked from 10 AM to 3 PM, and at the end of the day I felt like we got NOTHING accomplished.

-The fields are surrounded by trash. My primary concern was to clean up the trash on the fields. The trash will continue to be cleaned up throughout the month.

- One corner of one of the fields is a trash dump (which I did not realize). Meaning when you clean up the trash..there is just another layer of trash underneath it. We ARE NOT going to be using this field. There is an additional field in another area, which does not have ANY trash on it, that will be used.

- We bought two second hand goal nets at a great price! ( Monday, March 28th)

-These nets are fish nets, that will be cut into goal nets. The coaches explained to me that the fish nets last much longer compare to regular goal nets.

-We still need two more goal nets!

-Random meetings with coaches throughout the week to discuss future plans..and a hospital visit to make sure I did not have malaria ( I did not have malaria) . I was sick for about six days.

-Meeting with five referees (last thursday March 31st)

The referees that will be a part of the league all live in and are from Likoni. It is called the Likoni Community Football League, so I decided we should try to keep everything in the community :). I think the meeting went pretty well. The referees : Salim, Bindo, Martin, Boaz, and Hassan all seemed to be very interested and gave me the impression that they wanted to take part in the L.C.F.L. However, referees come with a cost, and we made an agreement that they would be paid 200 shillings a game ( 600 shillings a day..remember: three matches on each field). What I am HOPING is that each team will bring 100 shillings per game…HOPEFULLY IT WILL WORK!

So, I gave the referees six days to decide whether they would want to work with us. This week, the referees who want to be a part of the Likoni Community Football League will come Wedsnday night, April 6th, and sign an agreement with the L.C.F.L.

- "Vetting of players" ( Sunday April 3rd)

Teams in this area have been known to cheat. If there is an Under-14 tournament in the area, teams will allow older boys to play. This will not happen in the L.C.F.L. We are making team rosters, and creating player cards for each player. So, the coaches wanted to have a day to bring all teams together to look at all the players for each team, from each age group, and decide which players were of age and which players were not. The Likoni coaches call this process : vetting.

You may be thinking why don't all the players just bring their birth certificates to prove their age. Here in Likoni, some kids do not have birth certificates, and many of the coaches have explained to me that if they do, the documents may be forged..please don't ask me why..Sijui (I don't know)

We had a great turn out, and things ran smoothly. Pictures were taken ( 4 kids at a time to save money for developing photos..we are going to cut out the faces and place them on each player card ) and team rosters were filled out. Every club showed up except for two, and I was told one of the clubs was playing in a tournament.

-A total of 252 kids "vetted", had their pictures taken, and their names and ages were recorded. Yes, we need all the kids, but I was very happy with the turnout.

Based on what has been accomplished, I have decided that there needs to be a change in the schedule. What the L.C.F.L. is going to do, is have the games on April 10th, 17th, and 24th be played as friendly matches ( a test for the league). We will take pictures of the clubs that did not show, and the kids that were not able to make it from other teams. Also, we will be able to see what problems we may be facing with organization, possible money issues with transportation and referees, and other possible issues.

-Possible future to deal with cost of transportation: Create different zones for each area of Likoni. There would be four to six clubs in each zone, with one to two fields. Each zone would have group play for two-three months. At the end of play group play, the top two teams from each zone would play in a champions league.

( Idea from Coach Swaleh)

So, the games on April 10th, 17th, and 24th will be played as friendly matches. The plan is by April 24th all issues will be worked out, and the league will officially start the following week (HOPEFULLY!). What I don't want, is try to start a league that is not ready to start. I do not want to put up banners, give out brochures, and advertise on local radio stations about a league that may initially have problems.

This week.:

-I already checked up on the goal posts. One set is already finished and the other set will be finished by tomorrow. The plan is to put the goal posts in on Weds or Thursday..depending on which day I have the most manpower.

-Need to buy the oil to mark the fields..coaches here say oil is the best and lasts the longest…I will let you know more once this is bought.

- Find or buy two more goal nets.

- Clean up fields..take out plants that are growing on the field and around the field (possibly hire labor workers to do this). This will be a continuous process through the month.

- MAKE PLAYER CARDS…buy cards (10 shillings per card..~350 cards, 3500 shillings, about $46 dollars) , develop pictures, cut faces out, and place on cards.

-I am hoping these cards will last for 2 years….

- Coaches already know game schedule for this coming Sunday..However, I will call and confirm with all coaches.

- Meeting with referees to sign agreement. (Wedsnday night)

-PARENTS COME IN THURSDAY NIGHT!

All the money that has been donated is going straight into the league. It is going toward the clean up and betterment of the four fields we are using. Player cards are being made, oil is being used for markings, goal nets are being bought, labor workers for the fields may be hired in the next two days. The workers will work for one or two days (four or five workers for ~300 shillings/day) ….Just, want to make sure you know where the money is going!! Thank you guys!!!