Unifying Force

Sports can be a great unifying force for good. The Olympics show that every four years. The world football cup is such a force. Rarely is one event that important but soccer football is such an international game that nearly every country has a soccer presence. Canada for years lagged behind the world in promoting this game. All you need is a space and a soccer ball. Pictures coming out of Africa show third world children playing soccer in every imaginable place with a smile on every face.

People who travel to remote areas of the world report the condition of this game and it appears to be played everywhere with passion. Because the world cup lasts for a month the publicity is enormous and feelings run high. Here in Oakville, which is a soccer crazy city cars drive by with their country's flag flying in the wind. Oakville has the largest soccer population for its size in all of Canada. Because of the costs involved many children were excluded from playing our national game hockey. Soccer was a good alternative. Here in Oakville we have one of the few indoor soccer pitches and it is used all year long.

School soccer is catching on every where in Canada. Even in Canada's far north soccer is played by the Inuit all year and outside as well in temperatures well below freezing. Schools like the game as both boys and girls have the same opportunity to play. Although soccer has been given a black eye by the professionals in Europe and South America because of the riots, international soccer has not been tared with the same brush. Friendlies are played on a regular basis and breed good feelings among nations of the world.

Africa is been given an opportunity to show the world who they are and my wish is that we as wealthy nations see the spirit and resolve of the African nations in putting their best foot forward.