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VALPARAISO, CHILE, DÍA SÉPTIMO

6/20/2016

Today, we woke up to the beautiful sounds of port city life with the sounds of water crashing against the rocky shore and distant fog horns. Valparaiso is a beautiful town, similar to San Francisco in two iconic ways, its proximity to the ocean and its famous hills. We had the chance to ride to the top of one, taking an acensor to the top where we found cute artisan shops, stunning views of the city, and beautiful street art. We even found a public area with a colorful slide, giving us a glimpse of our inner child, as we each rode down the slide.

We had lunch atop the hill seated on the outdoor balcony, which along with giving us a beautiful view of the houses below, left us exposed to the bitting coastal winds. Lety led us down the hill, down narrow steps and painted alleyways. We made many canine friends during our time in Valparaiso, from loyal Juan Carlos, to loving Carlita, and best buddies Stuart and Willis, kind strays characteristic of Chilean cities.

Once we reached the bottom of the hill, we joined a walking tour guide, who took us all around Valparaiso, while explaining to us some of the history of the city. Around the end of the tour we stopped by Don Sergio's bakery, where we ate his delicious empanadas and alfajores. After the tour we walked back to our hotel and from there took the van back to Santiago.

Tomorrow we will wake up very early and fly out to Medellin. Although we are sad to leave Chile, we cannot wait for what is to come in Colombia.

-the girls

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SANTIAGO, SEXTO DÍA

6/20/2016

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We began the day by working once again with Fútbol Más. Our team attended their INAUGURAL SEASON tournament, where teams from many different neighborhoods came together to play friendly games. The event was so important that even the mayor came out to support the kids. All the kids were very excited to play together, and their enthusiasm was reflected by the parents who carried flags, played drums, and blew horns. The tournament was kicked off by an Olympic-like procession, each team having created their own unique cheer. During the tournament, we had the opportunity to play with different teams and be a part of their matches and neighborhood bonding. The best part about playing with them was every time a goal was scored, their whole team would come onto the court and perform a fabulous cheer.

On the way to Vaparaiso, we stopped at Leti's farm where we met her cousins, aunts, uncles, and eight dogs, and ate a fantastic dinner cooked by her parents. While showing us around her farm, we jumped on the trampoline and climbed the trees. Many of us also attempted to do pull ups on the tree branches, but unless you were Edan, you failed. After eating a delicious homemade chicken dinner, we then watched the first half of the Argentina vs. Venezuela copa americana match. After Argentina was up 2-0 at half-time, we left for our hotel, attempting to take the dogs with us.

We are very excited to tour Valparaiso tomorrow, and are very thankful for the hospitality of Leti's parents and Fútbol Más.

Day 6 over. we out.

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SANTIAGO, QUINTO DIA

6/19/2016

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We started our Friday (a littler earlier than usual) by heading over to the main base of the foundation "Ganamos Todos", which works to bring sports and physical education to special-needs children in elementary through high school. We travelled to three different schools in the area so we could help out during their recess. The first school we visited was for the blind and visually impaired. The kids dove right in the various sport activities offered the foundation, such as soccer tennis and basketball. It was inspiring to see the creativity and perseverance in their play. They didn't let their disability interfere with having fun. The second school we went to was for kids with physical disabilities. Many were in wheel chairs, which presented a wholly different challenge for athletic engagement. The kids were surprisingly adept at maneuvering around their physical issues and likewise were very excited to participate in the various sports. The last school we went to was for kids with cognitive disabilities. The diversity in age and severity of disorder was greater than in either of the previous schools. This school aims to prepare students for the real world by teaching skills that are applicable to certain jobs and everyday life. Although the time with each school was limited to the short recess period, the shared enthusiasm and determination of the students we met will continue to inspire us in immeasurable ways.

Next we went on a walking tour of Santiago, which allowed us to explore the historical side of the city. Although we had to leave early, the in depth explanations for city landmarks left us enriched and educated.

Finally, we attended our final training at the Universidad Católica. We were very sad to go, but luckily we were invited back by our new friends there.

We finished the day by watching the game between Columbia and Peru.

day 5 over. we out.

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SANTIAGO, BLOG CUARTO DIA

6/16/2016

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This morning, after an unexpected long bus drive, we arrived in the town of Santa Maria, an hour and a half from Santiago. Once steeping off the bus at the local K through 8 school, we were greeted by the town's mayor who led us to their indoor soccer courts. We were met by little boys and girls eager to practice the little English they knew with us. They had been preparing for our visit, teaching a unit on inclusion and working to highlight the global development of women's status. We led the kids in soccer drills for a short time and then scrimmaged 5v5 with their girls soccer team. Many of the kids had never met anyone from the United States and were overjoyed to see us. It was a great opportunity for us to not only take on leadership roles running drills for these kids, but also for us to realize the excitement and hope we can bring to people just by what we do every day. Unlike the US, most Latin American countries haven't developed young girls soccer and many girls find it difficult to find somewhere to play, despite their passion for the game. Great programs are in the works to increase girl participation in soccer and offer them equal opportunity, but that still lies far on the horizon for many. By just being there with these kids and talking to them about our soccer experience, we are able to inspire them and give them hope for the future. We are also inspired by these children, who look up to us, to appreciate the opportunities we were given and to play not only to win but for the love of the game, something shared across the world.

After lunch, we went to practice with universidad catolica's adult team. Unlike the past few days, during which we had been practicing with both the u17 and adult teams, today we only practiced with the adult team. This was a super cool experience and we learned a lot.

WITH LOVE,

THE GIRLS

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SANTIAGO BLOG DíA TRES

6/15/2016

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Today we started our day playing a pickup game of soccer with members of the Deportelibre foundation that we worked with yesterday. Afterwards, we had the chance to climb the lower sections of the structure we painted the day before. While we were climbing, some of us were interviewed for a promo video they were making that included our experience with them. When we were finished, we had a snack and exchanged our lions emblem for one of their foundations t shirts.

We then went to an artisanal market and spent an hour and half walking around the shops that held a variety of merchandise that included hand crafted wood instruments, soaps and spices, leather, ponchos, hedgehogs and lapis lazuli goods and jewelry. It was interesting to see many of the artists making their goods in their shops.

Afterwards we went to go eat a early dinner at an authentic Chilean restaurant before heading to a cold two hour soccer session with the U17 girls we worked with yesterday as well as girls from a local soccer school and an American school that Leti went to when she was a student here. We had the chance to scrimmage all three groups and continued to learn more about their style of play. We look forward to continuing to work with them as the week progresses.
day 3 over. we out.

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SANTIAGO BLOG DAY 1

6/14/2016

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We landed safely in Santiago around 9am this morning. We had a little bit of trouble filling out the immigration/customs form at first, (some of us couldn't figure if we were children or if we were carrying children in our baggage), but it all turned out okay.
From there we took a van to the hotel and checked into our rooms. Soon after that went to the top of the tallest tower in Latin America. From there you could see a panoramic view of the entire city. It was absolutely beautiful.
After lunch we met with the founders of Futbol Mas, which is a foundation dedicated to bringing soccer to underprivileged youth. The program utilizes soccer to teach at risk children social values and the importance of community.
After the debrief we drove to a neighborhood park in La Farfauna, where we were greeted by a group of smiling girls who were truly eager and excited to have the opportunity to play with us.
After arriving, we bonded with the girls through a series of team building activities. Although the language barrier did impose difficulties to both sides, the girls' genuine enthusiasm made it well worth the effort.
Shortly after arriving, we were quickly inducted into the Chilean culture through the customary greeting of hugs and kisses on the cheeks.
Overall, everyone we met today was very welcoming, many even took the time to offer their condolences for the Orlando shootings.
We look forward to the next few days in Santiago, and hope to meet more amazing people.
With Love,
The Girls

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BLOG DAY DOS, SANTIAGO

6/14/2016

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\We began volunteering at Fundación Deporte Libre, a nonprofit organization that transforms abandoned buildings into public, urban and free sporting facilities. The building we worked on was an old abandoned silo, surrounded by trash and stray dogs. The building is now covered in artsy graffiti and a rock climbing wall. Our job was to paint stairs and window frames.
We ended our work drenched in paint and happiness. We're excited to keep working with this group tomorrow and try out their rock climbing wall.

Later in the day, we got the opportunity to visit the Club Deportivo de Universidad Católica as well as train with the club's highly selective U17 girls team and their adult team, many of who play on the national team. During the tour of the stadium, each of us got to hold the club's trophy from the championship game of the Chilean national tournament. Despite our initial anxieties about playing with such an elite group, the experience was inspiring and gratifying. The girls were welcoming and fun, and we managed to keep up rather well. It was also super interesting to scrimmage the younger teams, because it gave us insight into the competitive process of girls soccer in Chile.
day 2 over. we out.

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Forward>>

VALPARAISO, CHILE, DÍA SÉPTIMO

SANTIAGO, SEXTO DÍA

SANTIAGO, QUINTO DIA

SANTIAGO, BLOG CUARTO DIA

SANTIAGO BLOG DíA TRES

SANTIAGO BLOG DAY 1

BLOG DAY DOS, SANTIAGO

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