Stars of Tomorrow

There is a new Soccer League in town - New York City, that is – and Todo Alemán was there to meet the players, the coaches and one very special guest.

Saturday morning in Brooklyn´s Tillary Park is busy. It´s all about sports. Kids chasing each other on the playground while next to them there´s a basketball game in full play. Aaron Clubb stands on the artificial turf and watches the soccer players. Around 70 boys and girls have come and are warming up for a couple of games - the first ones of the new “Tillary Park Soccer League”, who will train in this complex, sandwiched in between the Brooklyn-Queens-Expressway and the Brooklyn Bridge. They are all here, thanks to Aaron. The kids come from multi-ethnic backgrounds. Many are from Latin America, a good portion of them are girls. For instance Fadila (15) from Morocco and Gradjola (17) from Albania have played since their childhood and “love soccer” mainly because the girls on their team are also “very good friends”.

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Push-ups for cursing

Aaron is a gifted soccer player and the founder of “DreamLine Corps”, an after-school program for the Brooklyn youth. The weekly soccer practice is one essential part of his strategy to teach students how to develop sportsmanship, leadership, life skills, team work and the great feeling to be good at something. “I want them to succeed in life”, he says and tells one of the boys to do 10 push-ups because he just cursed on the field – a definite no-no.

Of course, in times like these it still isn´t easy to live the “American Dream”. In 2008 almost half of all public high school students in the US’ fifty largest cities failed to graduate. Although Aaron has a degree in finance he hasn´t found an occupation to use his skills, although he has already impressed a number of soccer coaches.

A former player of the German Major-League

All his time and effort he dedicates to DreamLine Corps. and in the two months since its inception, the project has made significant progress. “The students come here, learn to play soccer and get free everything”, he says pointing at a table of t-shirts, cases of water and snacks – donated by various organizations Aaron had contacted. Even slightly used soccer cleats have been sent by professional teams for the kids.

Undoubtedly, he has many friends who are supporting him. One he is talking to right now, watching the practice, is kind of a “celebrity” in soccer-circles. Tony Sanneh, a Major League Soccer player. He was on the national team and is also known in Germany where he played for Hertha BSC and 1. FC Nürnberg. Last season he signed with California´s “Los Angeles Galaxy”. Now, at 39 years old, he has not officially retired but focuses on the same passion that drives Aaron.

Tony also helps kids with his Sanneh Foundation: “In times of economic crisis and broken homes, we want to let the students know, that there´s somebody there for them to help with their upbringing”. Go to college, maximize your talents and find a mentor – these goals are attainable according to Joe Sullivan: “I have seen quite a few talented players here”, he says excitedly.

He is a coach for the Cosomopolitan Soccer League in New York City and talks about a few promising German players he currently has under his wing. By the way: his league was originally named the “German-American”-League when it was founded in the nineteen-twenties.

But soccer is not the only thing related to Germany many minds in the United States. For example, Tony Sanneh, often misses his favorite dish “Döner” (kebab) and is still looking for a proper translation for his favorite German word “schade” (a “light version” of the expression “what a shame”). So, soccer does connect cultures - and for the ones in Tillary Park the goal is not only to score on the field - but in life.