Haiti. What can you say about Haiti? A lot of people still see Haiti as a broken country. A lot of people still have an image of tent villages, crying children and lost people. I’m here to tell you I’ve personally seen so much more from this country.
Are there still tent villages? Yes. Are there still young people struggling? Yes. But broken? Definitely not. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know a piece of Haiti. I did not grow up knowing very much about Haiti. My grandmother wanted her kids to be American, which is common when people flee a country. And in a way I’m glad. I’m glad I got to know Haiti through the experiences with these girls. Tonight, we sweated together, fought together, and played for each other. Sometimes soccer is funny and the better team walks away with a loss. It’s not always fair, but that’s a part of the game. It’s a part of the game that’s always baffled me, but it’s not to say that I haven’t benefitted from it too.
It’s funny how life can be like that sometimes. It’s not always like the movies where the man wearing white wins and the one in black loses out of principle alone. Just like in everyday life, I guess in soccer we are left with a choice. Get out of the game or learn from those losses and strive for something better. For something that can inspire someone else. I hope that’s what this team has done for anyone who watched. I know they’ve done it for me. So, what’s next for Haiti? More. All I can say is more. Because every turn that doesn’t go our way makes us stronger and we will come back stronger than ever against Cuba. Can’t wait.