Generous Action Makes Youth Soccer Team a Winner

April 11, 2002

Country: Afghanistan

Topics: Children, Sports

The Wild Green Bananas youth soccer team. Photo courtesy: B. Jay Roberts

The players on the Wild Green Bananas youth soccer team in West Linn, Oregon did not receive any trophies at the end of their most recent season, but don't tell this group of boys that they aren't winners.

The players, their parents and other members of the league donated the money normally spent on end of season trophies - $325.63 in total - to support Mercy Corps' relief efforts in Afghanistan.

"We were all disturbed by the events of September 11 and we wanted to do something," said B. Jay Roberts, a coach for the team of eight year-old boys. "Some of the adults came up with the idea of forgoing trophies and donating the money to a charity. The kids voted on it and they thought it was a great idea."

Roberts said that he talked with his players about the need to help people who were beyond the reach of most money that was donated after the Sept. 11 tragedy.

"We asked the kids what they would do if they were cold and they said 'Go inside.' We then asked what would they do if they had no home or no food. And so on," he said. "It helped to bring about the idea that not everyone is as fortunate as they are and the reasons why it is so important to help others if you can."

Roberts said that the idea to donate trophy money has spread to other teams in the West Linn/Wilsonville soccer league and it is exploring the possibility of making a league-wide charitable donation an annual tradition.