An overflow Trinity University stadium watches the Haitian National team

SAPS’s Managing Partners, Dr. Edward Sakiewicz (a/k/a Dr. Soccer) and Chris Campasano, will be traveling to Port-au-Prince, Haiti on a mission trip with Dr Fred Sorrells, and the International Institute of Sport on August 12th to help organize and select the first-ever Haitian National Amputee Football Team. The team will be assembled in Haiti in preparation for their participation in the Amputee Football World Cup being held in Crespo, Argentina, from October 16th-27th, 2007.

Once the selection process is completed and the team is formed, Sakiewicz and Campasano will be working to bring the team to the US and the San Antonio area in mid-September for their pre-tournament training before the World Cup begins. They will provide the players, who have been affected by the severe earthquake that hit the Caribbean nation on January 12th, 2010 and killed an estimated 230,000 people, an opportunity to prepare in the right fashion for their upcoming competition. Work with Wounded Warriors will also be integrated with this effort.

They are looking for donations and assistance to provide not only the needed equipment, supplies and necessities for their trip, but also to help fund the Haitian Amputee Football Team’s travels to the US. If you are able to help monetarily, please click here http://sakiewiczsoccercharity.chipin.com/haiti-amputee-soccer-mission-trip to make your donation.

If you know corporate sponsors willing to help, or can donate needed soccer equipment or even travel miles to their efforts, please e-mail Dr. Sakiewicz to let him know how you can help. Ed and Chris will continue to update The Crocketteers on all developments during their trip to Haiti and once the Haitian Team’s schedule to travel to San Antonio is solidified. Lets show these courageous athletes all the support we can.

This interview is the second time in a matter of days he has mentioned San Antonio. Speaking to the British newspaper the Telegraph Garber talks about the massive demand in cities like Atlanta, Detroit, San Antonio, and San Diego.

Is this just talk Garber is placing out to get a feel for what cities are prospective expansion cities or is it in response to the rapid growth of the Crocketteers and our grassroots effort to bring a franchise to San Antonio?

As the largest soccer supporters group in the country without a team were are sure Garber and MLS have been keeping tabs on the growth of our group but having a large supporters group is only one piece of the puzzle.

A franchise needs a solid investment group and a plan for a soccer specific stadium. All three of these components are necessary for a successful franchise. San Antonio has shown that a fanbase is here.

The successful Texas Pro Soccer festival in 2008 drew over 10,000 fans for its three exhibition matches. The Crocketteers had sell out crowds for the US World Cup games at the Alamo Drafthouse and nearly 900 soccer fans showed up with the Crocketteers for the World Cup final down at the AT&T Center.

So the final two pieces of the puzzle must be brought together to make a successful pitch to MLS for a expansion franchise. Is there an investment group speaking with MLS? Are their plans for a MLS stadium to be built or is their plans to refurbish an existing Stadium?

We as the Crocketteers will continue to do our part in growing the fanbase here in San Antonio. Now are their some investors out there willing to step onto the pitch to bring us a pro soccer franchise? The fans are waiting.

Links:http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/2010-07-24-commissioner-don-garber-chat_N.htm San Antonio mentioned at the 11:26 minute.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/news/7908343/Thierry-Henry-just-the-latest-step-on-MLS-chief-Don-Garbers-path-to-world-domination.html

If you would like to contribute something to the tailgating i.e more BEER, a special dish, soda, chips, dips, etc. the thought would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. The more food and drink the merrier.

Wear your Crocketteers shirt if you have one. If not we will have few for sale for $10 in sizes L, XL and 2XL.

See everyone in Houston on Wednesday.
Still need tickets? Here is a link to ticketmaster.  Tickets as low as $35 bucks when you buy 4.  http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0C004493A55E67C6?artistid=875665&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=11

Red Bull Battle Del Toro is a spirited, fiercely competitive homage to the Battle of the Alamo – soccer style. Throughout this three-day tournament, four U16 teams from Texas featuring some of the state’s biggest phenoms will clash cleats with four U16 teams from Mexico boasting some of the country’s top emerging stars.

What’s on the line? Tournament bragging rights. Personal triumph. National pride. Plus a trip to New York to face off against The U16 Academy Team of the NY Red Bulls in the new state-of-the-art Red Bull Arena.

All matches will be played at the STAR Soccer Complex, the premier soccer facility in South Texas.
SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY MEXICAN FOOTBALL LEGEND JORGE CAMPOS

One of the most notable Mexican footballers, goalkeeper Jorge Campos, will make an exclusive one-day-only appearance at the STAR Soccer Complex Saturday, July 17.
Teams Competing

Mexico

* Club America – Mexico City
* Tigres UANL – Monterrey
* Atlas – Guadalajara
* Chivas de Guadalajara – Guadalajara

Texas

* Classics Elite – San Antonio
* Dallas Texans – Dallas
* FC Dallas – Dallas
* Albion Hurricanes – Houston

TICKETS

This is a three-day event, with qualifying games at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday and final round games at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. Admission each day is only $5.

Advance, pre-sale tickets can be purchased at STAR Monday-Wednesday 9:00-11:30 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.

Walk up, event-day tickets can be purchased starting at 4:00 p.m.

For more infomation, contact STAR at 210-495-8686

July 4, 2010

Happy Independence Day!! From, San Antonio!!!

This is my last post regarding the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and it comes exactly 2 weeks prior to the start of The 6 Yard Box’s Sunday Purple League!! The Sunday Purple League kicks off at 1pm on Sunday, July 18th at the Aztec Indoor Soccer Facility. You should check it out if you are in San Antonio this summer. Games will be held every Sunday until September 26th. You can keep up with this exciting league on our Facebook pages, Six Yard Box and The 6 Yard Box company page, and also at this site, www.6yardbox.org!

Now, back to the World Cup…

My flight back home to Chicago took me exactly 24 hours and it shouldn’t have, weather in Chicago on June 27th caused a 2.5 hour delay from our departure from Washington D.C. It was about 2pm when I finally got home, and home felt SO GOOD! Although I was going to miss South Africa, and all the great people I had met, I was looking forward to coming home to start the next stage of my life in San Antonio. I was in a car packed with a whole lot of clothes on June 30th, and drove 20 hours straight! I got to my new home at about 12.30a on July 1st and I couldn’t of been happier.

On Thursday I relived some of the moments that I experienced with my new roommates, Doug Alvarez and Crystal Alex. I showed them pictures of the South African jumbo jet that took us to Johannesburg, I showed them pictures of Arturo, Heather, Nate, Jason, Ray, Leba and the rest of our wonderful “Ke Nako” group. I showed them pictures of lions, up close and personal! I talked about stadiums filled to the brim with shouting fans from Boston, Johannesburg, Chicago, Alaska (yes, Alaska), Los Angeles, D.C., New York, Houston, Tampa, New Orleans, Slovenia, Algeria, London, Birmingham, Manchester and beyond! I told them about beer baths, Jozi Altidore jumping electronic boards, men crying, new family members, sour England fans, Brazilian and Portuguese fans, oh my!!!! ESPN, ABC and other TV crews from around the world, fan parks with 20,000 screaming South African fans, meeting Argentina soccer team players, Mario Bolatti and Clemente Rodríguez, meeting wonderful kids in a village that looked like the ones in District 9. Watching the US Soccer team win their group! Eating Crocodile! Meeting Miss Earth, the US Embassy being right across the street from our hotel, Vuvuzelas, 60 degree weather during the day, 40 degree weather at night, and the experience of all which was the experience of living the world’s greatest tournament with the World!!

I look forward to watching the Semis and Final of the World Cup with the Crocketteers in San Antonio! Stay tuned on where they are watching it at http://www.crocketteers.com

It has been a pleasure to write this blog! I look forward to reading your blog from the World Cup one day!

Until then…

Oh, I almost forgot, since the USA are back home, I’m rooting for the Netherlands to take it all!

DDTJR

June 24, 2010

9:15a in Johannesburg — 2:15a in Chicago/San Antonio

OLE, OLE OLE OLE, USA, USA!!!!!!!

WE WON THE GROUP! History was made last night ladies and gentlemen! Did you know, the US Men’s Soccer team has NEVER won the final group match at the World Cup until yesterday! What an incredible day yesterday! Every USA fan I talked to yesterday was confident in a win for our guys. Everyone was saying 2-0 to the US, and yet we found ourselves on the brink of elimination when the fourth official lifted his board that read four minuets of extra time. Im not going to lie to you; I always felt a US goal was going to happen. It was our destiny! Our seats this time were on the 20 yard line, 20 rows up, perfect, yet again. Our guys were shooting at our goal in the second half, so I knew a goal would give us a front row seat to the greatest US celebration since the Mexico win in ’02, and the Spain win last year.

Tick Tick Tick, BOOM!

Around the 89th minute our section of US fans were almost mute. There was a buzz about the offside call on Dempsey in the first half. People were saying that replays showed that he was really onside. I personally saw the replay back at the hotel and he was a hair offside, sorry. Anyways, its the 89th minute, they’ve already shown the 1-0 England score on the big screen, and yes, nerves were as high as they can be. Then the breakaway. So remember, I’m thinking that the winning goal is going to come, its now the 91st minute and my brain begins to paint a picture of utter gloom and doom for the USA. Then there was the pass, to a wide open Altidore. I have played enough soccer to know that LATE counterattacks like the one Altidore has just started are the Soccer Gods way of letting a team rewrite the plans they have decided for the game. I knew that this was going to be it, there would be no more REAL chances at goal after this. I started to scream, GO GO GO, BUDDLE BUDDLE!! I could see Buddle screaming down the field, awaiting a pass that would put him in a position to clinch the game, and the group. Seconds later we saw the pass, moments later, we saw the block, then we saw, DESTINY! After Algeria’s goalkeeper stopped Dempsey’s shot I thought…SOMEONE GET IT!!! Then, like an angel out of the sky, Landon comes in to strike the low blow that sent us all on cloud nine! I stood on top of my chair and started to hug anyone I could. I eventually made it down two rows to hug new friends of mine, Nate, and his mom, Leba. Nate, a six foot tall football coach in Houston is one of those guys that is cool under pressure, but not in this moment. At one moment it looked like Nate was crying — but we’ll keep that between me and you. Leba grabbed me and hugged me like I was one of her own. For a moment, I couldnt hear anything, the moment was that amazing!

A minute and a half later…HISTORY!

USA 1 — Algeria 0.

We started to dance, and I could hear it all. I could hear fans singing above us in the second tier, just as happy as they could be. Nate, Leba and I found some other people from our group and started celebrating with them. The greatest celebratory moment was when the whole US Team came over and started jumping up and down with us. Jozy Altidore actually jumped the electronic advertising board and made his way into the crowd! Landon picked up a flag a fan threw at him and started celebrating with it. At that moment, every US fan was family! Everyone was high fiving each other, hugging each other, and just living the joys of life with each other, it was like New Years in Pretoria! We were in there almost until they shut that place down! I will never forget yesterday! I will never forget this trip! I want to write more but then again, I hope that one day you can experience a World Cup and live all that I have. I hope you can experience the new friendships, new family members, the sights, the sounds, the heartwarming moments, the once in a lifetimes. This trip was worth every penny! If I was given a death sentence by a doctor tomorrow I can say I would die in peace, because I have been so blessed!

On a sad note, my flight back home leaves three hours before our Round 16 match starts. I will be watching a recording when I get home, as soon as I get home. My only worry is that someone will leak the score during my almost 20 hours of traveling back to Chicago. Oh well.

Another post will come before I get on the jumbo on Saturday. Until then…

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO USAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

DDTJR

And here’s another post from South Africa…

The most heart warming day of the trip so far was on Wednesday, June 16. A group of five of us went on a tour of Jo-burg that included a stop in Soweto.

About an hour into the tour, we stopped on this bridge that overlooked the worst conditions I have ever seen. What we were looking at was a small village of homes that were made of scraps and boards. Our tour leader was the director of a community center in that village. He told us that he wanted to take us around that area so that we could meet some of his staff, and so we started the trek down the hill, into the village. Once we got to the village we started to see utter hell. Women were cleaning clothes in cold water, kids were running around, shoeless, on dirt that was littered with glass and garbage. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing; all I could do is shake my head.

Once we got to the community center we met the assistant director who took us to his house in that village! The house consisted of two rooms, a bedroom, and a kitchen, for 6 people! The assistant director told us that they just got electricity 3 weeks ago! Imagine for a second living in the cold, with no heat, in the dark. Even with all of this, the man was happy that he had what he had. I told a new found buddy of mine, Arturo, that even through all the pains everyone must be experiencing living here; they still found happiness and hope through the blessings that they had.

From the house we moved back to the center. The center was basically three small houses — a classroom, office and library. When we made it to the classroom we were surprised to see 20 kids standing in three lines. Once we all go seated, the director started shouting some chants, and then, magic! The three rows started to chant and dance! The choreographed performance was about 15 minuets long, and the whole thing almost brought tears to my eyes. I gave the kids a high five when the performance ended, and all of their faces lit up. Although 75% of the kids that live in that village of 40,000 people won’t be able to go to school, they still keep hope in themselves, and each other!

The 6 Yard Box will be keeping in touch with the Kliptown Youth Program, we are already looking at ways to help their cause from the US.

Another post will come after the game today. Hope all is well, and GO USA!

Until then…

DDTJR