Most retirees would probably balk at the idea of driving a car full of Mexican kids from Ajijic to Guadalajara and back again every weekend, simply to spend an hour barking instructions at them from the touchline of a soccer field.
But British native Barry Crocker, 69, is no ordinary retiree. He and his Greek-Canadian wife Emily Crocker are soccer mad and they are using their passion to benefit the local community. Undeterred by the language barrier, they have united kids from both sides of the tracks and forged a strong team of plucky underdogs.
The couple moved to San Antonio Tlayacapan in July 2010, deliberately choosing a house a stone’s throw from the local soccer pitch. An experienced coach, Crocker began running training sessions for local kids aged 10 to 12 last year.
“They started moaning that they didn’t have anywhere to play,” says Crocker. He wanted to give the children the opportunity to play in a more competitive environment, so he entered the team in a league in Guadalajara.
There are around 650 youth teams in the metropolitan area. Crocker’s side, the Marineros, play in the third division. They train twice a week and play at weekends. Crocker believes “two or three have the potential to play professionally.”
“We had very little success to start with,” he admits, but now “I really feel that potentially we’re as good as anybody at this level.” Such a claim was vindicated last month when the Marineros tied against a team from the youth academy of local giants Atlas, only to lose in a penalty shootout.
The Marineros are comprised of children from the Lake Chapala area. Half of the team come from a poor background and would not have the opportunity to play at this level were it not for the efforts of Crocker and his wife. They believe soccer can make a real difference in the lives of these children.
*Restricted Article* - To view rest of this content, please login or register..
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
