Today I accompanied Walter to football practice. He is a member of
the local Gimletroll football organization, which runs kind of a
little league for soccer and handball in Kristiansand. Having never watched a
complete soccer game on television or been to a pro soccer match, I'm
not the best judge of these things, but the other students appeared to
be quite good. Walter participated gamely in the scrimmages, and I
think held his own, despite not knowing the language, which probably
makes the whole enterprise a bit more intimidating for him.
Afterwards, I talked briefly with the coach, who appeared both
energetic and dedicated, and, while Walter was standing there, another
child began chanting the line "born in the USA" several times.
During the practice, I talked with two parents, both of whom I believe
noted that the presence of an American child might help the Norwegian
children learn to speak English.
What I do like about soccer is that it seems to encourage a
cooperative approach, as players frequently have to set aside their
own ambitions of scoring a goal themselves and instead pass the ball
to a teammate who is in a better position to score. Also, the players
get a lot more exercise than in baseball.
Kristiansand is home to the Start football team, which is part of the
Norwegian professional soccer league. I get the impression that being
a member of Start is somewhat equivalent to being a Cardinal in St.
Louis.
Walter still retains his love of baseball, and after school typically
asks if he can visit the Major League Baseball website, where he can
watch highlights of recent games.
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