PLAY-IT!

My name is Oltjon, I have just four days that I am staying in Altamura and I feel like I have been living here for ages. I am from Albania and I thought that here it would be much different; I was not expecting to find what I actually discovered here. I was surprised to see that all the people that I met are great, hospitable, funny, generous, they made me feel like home. And this amazed me, since I was thinking that I am just going to stay with them for 1 month, they don’t necessarily need to be kind with me, and I would just be an EVS volunteer. But this is the beauty of being an EVS, u break your stereotypes and u see that there are so many nice people and things to discover, it’s just about the will to take over these experience and once you try it, trust me, you are gonna love it and remember it forever.

Yesterday we went outside the city, we played different games, we had couple of beers and some wine but the most special were 2 bottles of Padre Peppe. It was a very special day, just like the first night that I had just arrived and guys decided to go to the Circus. Today we go to a local radio, we will have one hour to discus about different things and play some good music. Being on Radio Regio is special for me because it is something I never experienced before, talking about Italian music, about the role that has got into me and the youngsters of the same age as me in Albania. This was just great! That evening we also went to a bar to watch the football match Barca-Arsenal.  This was also a learning thing for me, since Italians are sometimes associated to the football, in the meaning of a positive stereotype.  I liked to be there among them and see the emotions the match gives.

Me and the kids, we PLAYED-IT!

First day playing football with kids, reminds me myself a few years ago. I can’t get out my mind all those happy faces running all over the place, just like we used to do. I felt like I want to turn back the time, to be like them, to feel like them, to run like them. But actually the time I spent with them, I felt I was one of them, and this gave me such a pleasure. I just hope they also enjoyed time with me, I was trying to do my best for this.

My on-arrival then was on the way… so I spent 8 days to Verbania. The first thing that impressed me was the Lago Magiore (the Great Lake), a very special place that gives you a special feeling just by looking at it. On the on arrival I met 30 participants from several countries and I can say we really had a good time together and I learned so many things from the training and from each of them. Intercultural learning was one of the main things we were exploring in the training and I really liked it a lot. The different workshops and sessions we had were so good constructed to teach to us what does it means to be living and exploring a new culture, meeting new people, sharing with them, experiencing diversity.

One of the days there we went to the Resistance House and I got to know how soldiers used to fight against nazi-fashists. The wall with all the names of the dead soldiers is something I will never forget, it’s just stuck in my mind. I don’t know how to express it but reading so many names of man and women on that wall, it just made me start thinking on how much people can do to have their freedom! They died for it!

Thank you LINK, I had a nice time, a great experience that I would suggest to everyone.

Hello again you active blog reader! This is Sari again writing to you about a female football team called Pellegrino Five – A – Side Female. I did the interview on a bus on our way home from a match. I have also played football with this team and I think the players are very good compared to me. But without further ado here is the interview.

What do you like most in training football?

“We like to run and exercise. We also like to play in the final tournament.”

For who is the organization ment for, who can play football in the organization?

“Everybody who is over 15 years old women can play in the organization. At the beginning we had a selection for women. But anyway, anyone who wants to play can play.”

Do you like to play in tournaments?

“Competition is fun. It is exciting to confront the other team and see how they play. It is interesting to see what is their technique. When you play in tournaments you will also get feedback of how you play and you see in what level you are playing in the moment.”

How important is the competition for you?

“Competition is important, it is stimulating.”

How do you prepare for the tournament?

“Beginning of the season there are a 20 days of an intensive training period. After the 20 days we will train two times a week and we play one match a week.”

Are you nervous before the match?

“Yes, before the match we are very nervous and tense.”

Do you have some rituals before the match?

“We have a cheer that is suppose to make us feel brave and confident. Also our player Rosa wears the certain type of underwear and socks.”

How long have you played together?

“A long time, three years.”

What is your age?

“From 14 to 39.”

Do you do any other sports?

“No not right now, but before playing football we did.”

Is there any female teams playing football professionaly in Italy?

“In Puglia no, in Italy yes, but we are not sure if they earn any money of playing.”

Why do you play football?

“To stay fit. We get to meet people and make friends. We support each other in the team and the playing releases stress. Football is a very social game.”

Is the training place good or would you like some better premises?

“The parquet is rotten, it is anyway better to play in grass. It is good to play inside, although the premises are not in prime conditions. During the winter it is very cold to play outside.”

What are the background methods that you use in training?

“B-series training methods, running, stretching, we play with the ball and without the ball. But all the training methods are very user friendly methods.”

Is there anything that you would like to change off the training?

“The players should only listen the coach and not pay too much attention to the other players. The president of the club should be more present, that way the players would respect him more.”

What things are different compared to the men football?

“The men are more competitive, girls and women just want to have fun.”

Is the female football known in your city?

“Yes it is, but more publicity is needed, because when we get more publicity we also get more new young players.”

How can you get publicity for the female team and general for the female sport activities?

“Radio and tv would be the best way to get publicity, but for now only the men teams get time on air in radio and tv.”

What are the positive things of playing in a team instead of doing individual sports?

“Playing in a team is very social, you make new friends very easily. You give and get respect. In a team you have to be on the same level. It is like rowing a boat, you all have to have the same goal and you get there by rowing in the same rhythm. You need to get your own space but at the same time you have to give space for your team mates.”

That’s all folks!

With regards

Sari