The international language of soccer
The international language of soccer
By: Brad Hurvitz
Posted: 5/28/10
There are said to be over 5,000 spoken languages on the planet in this day and age. In India alone, there are over 400 languages; it is said that every few miles, in some regions of the country, the language is completely different.
I have been to more than 40 countries, and most of them have a national language other than English. The one common language that every country communicates in, however, is soccer.
A ball can be used for so many different games and activities, yet, the entire world utilizes it for soccer more than any other purpose. In some countries, a round ball will be used for baseball, cricket, tennis, basketball, dodge ball, butts-up and many more sports, but without question, more people around the world play soccer than any other sport.
Regardless of what language you speak, you can go to almost any country and play soccer with the people living there. While heading north in Vietnam during a brief bus stop, I noticed a few kids kicking the ball through some old poles behind a bathroom.
I approached them with a smile, and we kicked it around for a few minutes, had a few laughs and high fives and waved goodbye, and I got back on the bus. It was a simple and fun interaction without words.
While in the military-dominated, Buddhist-driven country of Burma, my brother and I had an experience neither of us will ever forget.
After taking an old steamboat on an early morning seven-hour trip north from the once-capital of Rangoon to the ancient region of Bagan, we were filled with excitement from what we would soon see.
After checking into our rickety hostel, we hired a guide to take us through the area. Aaron and I sat on a flat wooden carriage behind our guide, who whipped his horse to take us through the dirt pathways. Comfort was not an issue when we realized the magnificent views we would soon witness.
A thousand years ago Burma had a strong economy. The king at that time decided to build 4,000 temples and pagodas scattered around the desolate desert of brown sand, green trees and brush.
Some of these temples are extravagant structures that you can only imagine in a dream or see in an “Indiana Jones” movie, but other temples are only 10 feet tall. However, all of them have a statue of Buddha inside that is sometimes gold-plated and up to 40 feet tall.
Only a handful of tourists were in the area, giving us an intimate and peaceful experience of the buildings in Bagan. We were even lucky enough to experience the tranquility of the temples that were comparable in size to the White House.
While sitting at the top of a tall brick temple, we were given an impressive view of the historical temples scattered from horizon to horizon, with the most outstanding structures catching our eyes like the silver speckles on the slopes of wet sand.
While standing next to my brother, both of us in awe, I noticed a small area between a few temples where some kids were playing soccer.
Aaron and I exchanged a single glance, and we knew we had to join them. We walked to the area while sporting our customary “longies” wrapped around our waists.
We watched them kick around the rubber ball on the bumpy dirt ground for a few brief moments and applauded when one of the Burmese kids scored a goal through the rusty metal poles.
It was an uncommon sight for the teenagers: a couple of white people wearing longies, watching their daily game. A few of them walked over to us and began speaking to us in their unfamiliar dialect.
Aaron and I responded in kind with our own odd English language. The two of us, and a few Burmese teens, laughed at our inability to communicate. But with a few smiles, raised eyebrows and gestures, we all understood it was game time.
Even though our words were unfamiliar, we found a way to understand each other. We passed the ball to each other, superseding cultural differences. We yelled out plays while pointing at open ground, mutually understanding our strategy without comprehending the actual meaning of the words.
When we scored a goal, we would run to one another and celebrate with hugs and cheers while not having a clue about each other’s history or how different we were.
The truth was, it didn’t matter; we were playing soccer together – a game that all of us knew how to play and love.
The sun was setting upon the barren brown fields of unimaginable beauty. The temples had a soft golden glow as the sun’s rays bounced off of the purple clouds and onto the brick façades surrounding us.
The fourteen of us had our arms around each other’s shoulders, laughing about the game and embracing our ephemeral, yet true friendships we had established through the international language of soccer. Aaron and I extended our stay in Bagan for an extra day to take in the exquisite splendor of the land, and of course to play another game of soccer with our new friends.
A few short weeks from now, the world’s best soccer players will face each other in a bout to see which country will be crowned the champion.
The World Cup has a global impact. It is about more than just kicking a ball into a net; it is about sharing a love for the game with people from all over the world.
Soccer is an international language that is played with the same rules all over the world, even if the teams have very different strategies and styles.
When the World Cup starts on June 11, observe how the players play the game against each other, how they yell at each other or exchange taunting looks, help each other off the ground and even argue with the foreign referees.
After the match is complete, watch as the players trade jerseys with their opposing team and give each other complimentary hugs. Soccer brings together people from countries that may not be at peace with each other, yet share the unifying language of soccer.
The game and its etiquette are not written down in 5,000 languages; it is not written at all, yet it is played by the entire world and understood by everybody.
As far as understanding goes, there is no question in my mind that everyone within a three-block radius of my location, regardless of what spoken language they understand, will know who I am cheering for when they hear three letters being yelled out loud and they see a USA jersey upon my back. Go USA!
