By Jeremy Deiter, "Fun Boss"
Yesterday a big group of us from Comfort spent the day playing sports with the Antiguan Defense Force. It was great! We played a friendly soccer game as well as cricket. The soccer game, which took place first, was the definition of a "pick-up" game. I consider the game a huge success. The Comfort team played very well and more importantly we enjoyed ourselves. The informal structure of the game with the pristine ocean as a backdrop made for an amazing combination. After playing two 30 minute halves, the game was tied 2-2. We decided to play a classic overtime with two 5 minute halves. When the final whistle was blown, the score remained 2-2. I always like to look beyond the score and structure in these situations. I enjoyed playing a completely different style of soccer than any of us are used to. Our team consisted of everyone from Helo pilots to Project Hope volunteers. The game is a great way to build camaraderie between the ships different departments and personnel. Soccer presents the opportunity learn a lot about the people you are playing with and against. While the Caribbean style is something that I am not quite used to, it was fun to take part in something that was so laid back and relaxed. Soccer is a sport that is known around the world. Even though we may not be able to understand what they say on the field (the Antiguans speak English, but their island dialect can be very different from the English we speak at home!), we are able to understand the joy of competition and the companionship that sports create. After the soccer game, the Antiguan military offered to teach some of us how to play cricket. Cricket isn't really known in the US, but it's very popular here. The Antiguan Military taught us how to play the game before taking us on in a test. The friendly match created an atmosphere that promoted positive relations as well as fun. As I watched the test, I commented with my soccer teammates and opponents on our cricket performance. Needless to say, we all shared a couple good laughs. The Antiguans that participated in the soccer match were able to explain the game to the rest of us so we were able to follow what was going on. After all the athletic action finished, all four teams shared pizza and sodas. I have had the opportunity to play soccer in countries all over the world. Every time my opponents become my friends and I come away with amazing memories and this experience was no different. With the added cricket match, I felt that the two countries shared something that only sports can create.
Yesterday a big group of us from Comfort spent the day playing sports with the Antiguan Defense Force. It was great! We played a friendly soccer game as well as cricket. The soccer game, which took place first, was the definition of a "pick-up" game. I consider the game a huge success. The Comfort team played very well and more importantly we enjoyed ourselves. The informal structure of the game with the pristine ocean as a backdrop made for an amazing combination. After playing two 30 minute halves, the game was tied 2-2. We decided to play a classic overtime with two 5 minute halves. When the final whistle was blown, the score remained 2-2. I always like to look beyond the score and structure in these situations. I enjoyed playing a completely different style of soccer than any of us are used to. Our team consisted of everyone from Helo pilots to Project Hope volunteers. The game is a great way to build camaraderie between the ships different departments and personnel. Soccer presents the opportunity learn a lot about the people you are playing with and against. While the Caribbean style is something that I am not quite used to, it was fun to take part in something that was so laid back and relaxed. Soccer is a sport that is known around the world. Even though we may not be able to understand what they say on the field (the Antiguans speak English, but their island dialect can be very different from the English we speak at home!), we are able to understand the joy of competition and the companionship that sports create. After the soccer game, the Antiguan military offered to teach some of us how to play cricket. Cricket isn't really known in the US, but it's very popular here. The Antiguan Military taught us how to play the game before taking us on in a test. The friendly match created an atmosphere that promoted positive relations as well as fun. As I watched the test, I commented with my soccer teammates and opponents on our cricket performance. Needless to say, we all shared a couple good laughs. The Antiguans that participated in the soccer match were able to explain the game to the rest of us so we were able to follow what was going on. After all the athletic action finished, all four teams shared pizza and sodas. I have had the opportunity to play soccer in countries all over the world. Every time my opponents become my friends and I come away with amazing memories and this experience was no different. With the added cricket match, I felt that the two countries shared something that only sports can create.
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