Hector and Randy’s faces light up when they think about a vacant lot on West Hastings between Abbott and Carrall Streets.
It doesn’t look like much. It’ just a few logs and gnarled concrete from the former building that used to sit on top of the space.But to the two members of the Downtown Eastside Homeless Soccer team, it’s their new home field.
“It’s beautiful,” says Hector dressed in fluorescent work clothes. “It’s going to be very helpful.” “It’s fun. It’s cold. But we gotta do what we gotta do,” says Randy who believes this field will mean more opportunities to recruit more people in the community to play the game.
A few years ago, the men would have never thought they would be spending their days levelling the ground to get ready to install a soccer pitch.
Randy found himself on the streets after getting addicted to crystal meth. He ended up getting a spot in New Fountain Shelter and then a spot on Canada’s team for the Homeless World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2010.
Meanwhile, Hector heard about the program through a friend living in the Downtown Eastside. He had lost his job and found himself living on the streets. His involvement has taken him to the Homeless World Cup in Paris, France, last year. It’s also inspired him to work out 5 hours a day to in the hopes he will one day play for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
“I got to get my cardio back,” says Hector who is preparing for an open tryout. “They are looking for a lot of talent right now, but before I go for my trial I have to be ready. Beating all those players is not going to be so easy.”
Both men credit the program for helping to turn their lives around. They say it’s helped them get clean and now get a job. “I have a baby coming,” says Randy. “ I just want to straighten my life up ... I want to raise my lifestyle up in a good way.”
As they work behind a construction fence, people stop to chat about the space. Urban farm space will be at one end of the lot next to a carving circle and amphitheatre along with the soccer field the size of a large tennis court.
“We’ve got good feedback, like ‘good job’ and ‘keep it up’. We tell them that we are just volunteers and they say you are working hard for that,” says Randy as he beams with pride.
“We just want to get it done. Even cops stop by and say we’re doing a great job then ask us when we are going to play again. “
More people are getting on board with the Vancouver Street Soccer League in a neighborhood that communicates through word or mouth. Currently there are eight different teams within the Downtown Eastside.
Kailin See helps organize the program. She says the teams practice twice a week, and she says finding space has been a challenge. “It always comes down to dollars and we can’t afford playing space anywhere,” says See.
“Outside in the warmer months it’s not so bad,” says See. “But In the winter... You can’t in good conscience be asking people to play in the rain if they don’t have a change of clothes and gym space has been impossible full stop.“
Once the field is complete and homeless soccer players get a home, See says the group has new goal in mind. They want to raise $5 million dollars so they can host the Homeless World Cup in 2015.
“We are not even sure how or why it works the way that it does but this beautiful community has been created and these same players were totally in pretty desperate circumstances,” explains See. “Now the vast majority are housed very well, many of them are in stable healthy partnerships, many of them are working, their substance abuse issues are for the most part under control.
“And now they are building a soccer pitch for the upcoming generations of players that are going to come through this program. It’s totally remarkable in every way.”
Although there are more pressing matters ahead for the street soccer group. The pitch is set to open this week still need to find a name.
