Seeing a cause worth pursuing
From Scripps Howard News Service
by Rhiannon Potkey
VENTURA, Calif. - Casey Schmidt has two passions in life - soccer and international affairs. So when a teammate introduced him to Grassroot Soccer, an organization that combines his interests, he knew he’d found a worthy cause to invest his time and energy.
The goal of Grassroot Soccer is to reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS by training professional soccer players to educate at-risk youth about the dangers of HIV infection and about the most effective ways to protect themselves.
A pilot study is under way in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, that has professional players meeting twice a week with children at schools for two-week sessions. The players also visit various hospitals, clinics and homes to conduct AIDS education programs.
“It is really using soccer to break the barrier and be able to translate the message to kids,” said the 22-year-old Schmidt. “Soccer is huge in that country, and for a pro soccer player to go in there, the organization feels it is easier to break down those barriers.”
Schmidt, who played for the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer last season, is trying to raise money for the organization before returning to the East Coast to attend graduate school. He hopes to get enough funds to eventually travel to Africa and teach soccer and AIDS awareness.
Grassroot soccer was the brainchild of Dr. Tommy Clark, a native of Scotland who moved to Zimbabwe at age 14 when his father coached the Highlanders FC professional soccer team.
Clark attended Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Medical School and spent several years playing soccer professionally in Africa and New Zealand.
“When he was in medical school, he did his dissertation on trying to use the power of soccer to influence kids and the healing of AIDS in Africa,” said Schmidt. “He got connected with a good friend of mine from Zimbabwe and tried to put this project together.”
The good friend was Methembe Ndlovu, with whom Schmidt played soccer on the Cape Cod Crusaders for two summers while Schmidt attended Boston College. Schmidt was an All-Big East standout at BC, becoming the Eagles’ all-time leading goal scorer. Schmidt was a standout All-Marmonte League striker at Newbury Park.
“He had a general understanding about what was going on with AIDS in Africa, and turned me on to it,” said Schmidt. “Once I was an MLS player, I felt I was in the position to create some awareness and help the program.”
The United Nations estimates about 40 million people are now living with HIV/AIDS. Sub-Saharan Africa was the worst affected region, according to the UN figures, with about 3.2 million new infections and 2.3 million deaths in 2003.
The program gained some steam and needed publicity when Survivor Africa champion Ethan Zohn, a former professional soccer player, used a portion of his $1 million earnings and fame to champion the cause.
But Schmidt knows there is still much more that needs to be done. His compelling drive to aid humanity convinced him to give up his professional soccer aspirations and focus on a degree in international affairs and development.
“The experience of playing pro soccer was tremendous, and a total childhood dream of mine accomplished. But there are just bigger and better things I want to do with my life in terms of helping people,” said Schmidt. “I want to get involved in international development, and I am already involved in improving the standards of living around the world.”
- For information on Grassroot Soccer, visit the organization’s Web site at www.grassrootsoccer.org.