A group of aspiring soccer stars from Cape Town had the opportunity to experience Sweden for the first time during an educational cultural sports tour made possible by Life Zone Soccer International (LSI).
The Factreton-based non-profit organisation that has been transforming the lives of dozens of children from disadvantaged backgrounds through the sport, through which life skills are also acquired.
The tour, organised by LSI, saw the group of 18 players fly the South African flag high from Thursday 19 June to Wednesday 9 July.
Jeremy Wyngaard, founder and director of LSI, said: “The purpose is to help children, their parents and guardians to understand that, with God, all things are possible.
“Through this we try to assist children in navigating life with God in their hearts. Football is merely one medium through which we can share this concept.”
Riley Sickle (13) from Factreton said the trip was a dream come true.
She desperately needed funds to make this dream a reality and thanks to generous donors she made it to Sweden.
“The experience was amazing, I really enjoyed it. I’m very happy I got this opportunity. The best part of the trip was playing soccer and playing with my teammates.”
The teen said the trip was a learning experience. “I’ve learnt the Swedes love to recycle and they make paper for everyone in the world.”
To her mother, Asheurita, the opportunity was a special source of pride. “I would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed to Riley’s trip to Sweden.”
According to Wyngaard this was the organisation’s ninth “DreamPossible!” tour to Sweden since 2009.
This year included a group of girls for the first time since 2012.
“Besides the cultural exchange success we were also very successful on the field of play,” Wyngaard said.
“Our girls collaborated with four clubs across two tournaments and made it to the B-Finals quarter finals of Piteå Summer Games and the Last 16 of Storsjöcupen.
“Before the tournaments the boys and girls also enjoyed a fantastic four-day life-skills adventure camp in Sävar near Umeå. They made many new friends.”
He added they are already planning for their trip next year. “We will take boys and girls u-12 teams to the northern Piteå Summer Games and Storsjöcupen again, while also taking a boys u-18 team to Gothia Cup in the South of Sweden.
“We will also be taking an over-60s Walking Football team to play at two or three seniors’ tournaments. I am also consulting with a group of golfers to get four kids and their coach to join our footballers.”
According to Wyngaard Life Zone is always in need of funds, if anything to make good on its broader aims.
“We are very blessed that our programme has shown longevity and sustainability. We are grateful that we can still serve thousands of children, albeit with minimal resources.”
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