Soccer Stars

Soccer star number 1:
Liz Collins, junior at HC studying in Mallorca, also one of the best soccer players on the island, played in a select game today as the American ringer. Other players on that team were trying to get her to play on other teams during the regular season. Our coach thinks he has some contract with her and won't let her play for anyone else, because she will not perform as well on his team-, but occasionally he cuts deals with other teams at his disposal- she gets told to bring I.D. photos and copies of her passport with her to whichever field they send her to on the island and throws on a jersey not knowing any of the other players.Soccer star number 2:
Bryana Knight, junior at HC studying in Mallorca and runner up in soccer beauty pageant. Today we attended a trophy presentation for the end of our season, which was on a soccer field with speakers and a dj who played music from South America, little kids in Halloween costumes running around and people eating foods they packed as picnics- ideal latino set up. Each team (both the men's and women's) selected a girl (player/daughter/girlfriend) to model like a beauty pageant barbie and lead the teams onto the field in an organized formation. The announcer would announce the team and the ethnicities of the players. Bryana was our queen and she looked like she was going to a quinciñera. She is half Honduran so it was a good thing we picked her and played the cultural card. After listening to the national anthems of every country in the league (which was every one in South America), everyone was standing in a large ring with the beauty pageant contestants in front of every team and they played the U.S. anthem while the crowd stared at the three obvious American girls in the league to see if we would sing or something. Bryana had to come forward as a finalist and everyone snapped photos and she won second place with a sash to prove it. The competition was hilarious and little girls dressed up in ball gowns just for fun to pretend that they were competing.

And finally- me, who has no skills, but the team wanted to showcase the Americanas and asked the blondie to accept the team's trophy

I could not be happier with my new South American soccer friends that look all wear gold caps and jewles on their teeth, are really catholic, and laugh at everything I say. The captain invited me to come see her kids in a Carnaval costume parade this week and I can't wait to go to the latino neighborhood and stand out like black sheep.