Sicilian Soccer: The Magic and the Terror

A Story by Abishai100

Vignette of an Asian-American who moves to Sicily to remember his charming love of soccer.

Since I've written quite a bit about soccer on Writer's Café, I've gotten questions as to my rationale, so I thought I'd have to return to now my favorite writing forum to offer up an 'explanatory' or revealing vignette about my spiritual bond with the sport of soccer, which I hope people will like reading since it's close to Christmas and EA Sports' FIFA Soccer video-games are so popular among American youngsters (and make for desirable presents under the tree!).

Well, I was born in India and moved to America as a young boy and began learning/playing soccer in a youth-league in New Jersey where I stood out with my junior-team the Fury, grabbing the Bronze Trophy (3rd Place) despite starting out in the season ranked #8. I then played amateur street-soccer with friends after passing on the opportunity to play with the New Jersey Traveling Team (advanced junior-league). I also played with friends in college and then again in my neighborhood where my mom lives. I've also written quite a few short-stories about the general flair of the magical sport of soccer.

Soccer requires attention to elegance, teamwork, swiftness, confidence, sure-footedness, and aim! It's a great sport and very popular on the world stage (i.e., World Cup) despite not being too too popular in America (despite its growing popularity at the collegiate level and the successes of the US women's national team in the Women's World Cup!).

The Summer Olympics offers soccer as one of its competitive events, and the iconic Argentina men's team grabbed with symbolic Gold Medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004. The Olympics has been an event with terrorism-intrigue dialogue and contemplation since Munich '72, explored in the recent film Munich. Since sports (and soccer!) represent global peace and unity, I like thinking about how this rich game (which has been a stimulating feature in my life!) reminds me of a very human interest in teamwork (and peace!).

Ever since I saw videos of the extraordinary and unusual 1982 World Cup during which the underdog-darling Italy men's team (led by wizard Paolo Rossi) shocked heavyweights Brazil and West Germany. Since then, I've always liked playing Italian national teams for FIFA soccer videogames. Even though I mostly watch college soccer on TV (especially Seton Hall's women's team), I now follow Italian national soccer (as well as Valencia club-soccer in Spain). So, I had this 'fantasy' of someday moving to Sicily and enjoying Sicilian pizza and playing 'Sicilian soccer' in the streets.

That's what this Sicilian short-story/vignette is all about, so I hope it answers all those 'personal' pesky questions people have asked.

Merry Christmas!!

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"After the US women's national soccer team grabbed its 4th World Cup title, everyone was wondering if the Americans would take a more active role in the development of soccer as a popular international sport. The game of soccer evolved from ancient street ball-kicking casual/fun games and developed into a highly-marketable world sport, culminating in the World Cup tournament which takes place every four years. The World Cup has produced world superstars such as Diego Maradona (Argentina), Roberto Baggio (Italy), and Pele (Brazil). I'd played soccer as a youngster and covered the FIFA Women's World Cup Germany (2011) as a photojournalist!"

"I decided to move to Sicily the next year and play soccer in the streets and met my beautiful wife, a stunning Sicilian woman named Gianna. She loved the way I played soccer with kids in Sicily (I often wore a colorful 'clown' mask). I stayed in Sicily and began coaching my son's team (Magic), and my wife watches this team as they compete, along with her Sicilian girlfriends! Soccer has once again become an 'ingenious' part of my life."

"Street-soccer in Sicily (Italy) is such a beautiful pastime, and it makes the round ball which we use for various games an item of great human magic! Sicily itself is so full of cultural uniqueness, and I compare it to the place I was born in India (Patna, Bihar), since there's a general street and community 'flair' for social spirit and simple magic. Plus, the food is likewise comparably quite colorful and magical. I don't think it's ironic therefore I found myself in Sicily, now being paid to coach soccer!"

"I show my soccer kids/students videos of the 1982 Italian World Cup team, led by the wizarding Paolo Rossi, a man who captained Italy past real contenders such as Brazil. These Italian-soccer videos remind my Sicilian youth-soccer team (Magic) the value of elegance teamwork combined with confident passing and scoring. Italian soccer is a lot like Indian cricket, and since I've played Indian cricket (in streets in India and on video-games in America!), I can tell my Sicilian soccer-youth team (Magic) about the human splendor of understanding/appreciating the 'dioramic' signature of sports itself!"

"Ever since 9/11, when anti-globalization terrorists destroyed the commerce-symbolic World Trade Center in NYC, everyone's been paranoid about sentiments counter-productive to culture-exchange and tourism in this new era (21st Century) of great international traffic. We don't want concerns about civil or international/global conflicts to sully our appreciation of what makes modern human social activity (such as Sicilian youth-league soccer!) feel safe and secure from the general human vices of mistrust and chauvinism. Sports remind us of humanity, right?"

"When I put on my soccer-clown mask sometimes still for pre-game coaching sessions for my Sicilian youth-soccer team, the Magic, I tell my kids/athletes the value of human imagination in creating beautiful and intelligent team strategies and movements that make the game symbolic of human skill and human ingenuity! In fact, when my team (Magic) faced their two rivals, the Cloud and the Damage, and overcame them by scores of 4-3 and 3-1 (respectively) thanks to the wizardry of our young midfielder (Paolo), defender (Francesco), and striker (my son, Damion), I congratulated the Magic and told them soccer was outstanding because of their play. Soccer is so darn unifying, right?"

"My wife Gianna then prepared rounds of her extraordinary Sicilian pizza for our Magic team after their excellent victories (over the Clouds and Damage!). It was a terrific moment for me, my team, and for youth-league soccer in Sicily (Italy). I thought about all the human optimism behind social hospitality that reminds us as a species why sports counters the 'shadowy forces' that give rise to the non-negotiable darkness of anti-global terrorism!"

"This is the T-shirt I had my son and his Magic team wear after we grabbed the 1st Place trophy at the end of the youth-league soccer season in Sicily. Damion's mother Gianna (my wife!) was so proud/happy, and I promised I'd take us all on a mind-freshening trip/vacation to Switzerland (to ski on snow!). I'm so glad I moved to Sicily and began coaching soccer and remembered what drew me to this bright sport when I was young and living in New Jersey (USA). I still follow Seton Hall University's soccer team (I was a fan while in college) and US women's national soccer team on cable-TV."

"Who says soccer and sports can't be 'golden' even in the Age of Terrorism? I'm excited to see my son Damion develop his love of the sport, and I'm thrilled when my beautiful Sicilian wife Gianna prepares her signature pizza for us! My Magic team will continue to excel, and I'll be proud of the decisions that led me to 'soccer in Sicily.' I continue to follow global politics on CNN.com, now that the world is 'advanced' and I can't just live in idyllic Sicily (Italy) without an 'excellent' laptop/computer."

"My wife Gianna reminds me that sports helps us rise above the malady of terrorism. We're proud of our son Damion, and I'm happy to continue coaching the Magic. I will stay in Sicily forever, and perhaps I'll write an Internet-blog about why tourists to Sicily might want to get a glimpse of Sicilian youth-league soccer and my ambitious Magic team. My wife Gianna will be there cheering alongside as I do my seasoned coaching. Come to Italy!"