Thanks to the support of 107IST members, one of last year’s scholarship recipients and his teammates had an unforgettable experience: Issa Hassan and two friends got to stand in the Timbers Army for the season opener on March 12th.
Through 107IST financial support for community outreach, we were able to donate four TA season opener tickets to the Portland non-profit organization 4 Worlds United Soccer Alliance, or 4WUSA (on Facebook). The 107IST is committed to supporting the work of groups like 4WUSA, whose mission is “to enhance the lives of fourth world children by providing opportunities that improve their soccer skills, build confidence, support their education, and unite communities and cultures.” 4WUSA has worked with fourth world children at Kateri Park, giving them both financial and volunteer support for youth soccer, and the 107IST has worked with the group in a variety of ways, offering assistance in the past.
This year, thanks to the support of the 107IST and the work of 4WUSA, three young men got the chance to attend the Timbers home opener on 3/12/12. One of the youth is well known to the 107IST: Gisele Currier Memorial Scholarship Fund recipient Issa Hassan attended the match, along with his friends "Mudy" Mohamud Abdikadir and Nick Osborn. Here's a bit about the boys who attended the match, courtesy of Mark Verna with 4WUSA and the 107IST (from L to right, they are Nick, Mudy, and Issa):
Issa Hassan was awarded the first scholarship from the Gisele Currier Memorial Fund in order to help facilitate his participation in the Olympic Development Program. Issa’s mother had 11 children, six of whom survived the exodus from war torn Somalia and the subsequent 8 years in a refugee camp in Kenya and immigration to the United States. Issa is now the oldest sibling in a single parent home; he is essentially the man of the house in addition to his studies at Cleveland High School. As a result of the monetary assistance from the 107IST, Issa was able to afford travel and registration for the ODP Regional Holdover Camp in California, which is essentially a tryout zone for the US National Team program.
“Mudy” is officially Mohamud Abdikadir. Mudy was born in northern Kenya and came to the country about 8 years ago at the age of 8. He was the first player to be on an official team roster from the Bantu community and the community that is now the core of the 4WUSA service area. He was on a U10 team at Southeast Soccer Club with Mark Verna. Mark says that Mudy is a great kid and a fantastic ballplayer. He has been hit with bad luck injuries (concussions) so he hasn't had the chance to keep up with Issa's meteoric rise but he recently started to show his talents at the Cleveland HS Varsity level and according to Mark his skills are increasing with every session on his club team with ESUFC. Mudy is a starter on that squad and they play at a very high level. In fact that team, with the talents of Issa and Mudy along, went all the way to National semi finals last year at the U16 level.
Nick Osborne is a longtime teammate and friend of Issa and Mudy. Nick has been playing soccer with both boys at East Side United since their U12 year (4 years now), and his family has been constantly at the forefront of providing all sorts of support for the boys from rides to training, games and tournaments to helping out with homework at school. The boys have all become very close friends over the years. Nick was on the roster as a CHS Varsity alternate last fall and plays on the ESUFC Pumas with Issa and Mudy.
All three boys were chaperoned by 4WUSA secretary Jim Whyte, who wanted everyone to know how much the boys enjoyed the match. Jim writes: “We all had a great time and what a stellar way to start the season, with a good strong win. The boys' eyes lit up many times as the chants rolled out…. One of the most interesting things for them was listening to the Timbers Army and listening to the stadium chant, cheer and support our Timbers. Some of the chants had Mudy and Issa looking at me to validate the vocabulary they heard. It's a big person's world there. No high school chants. But it also got them listening to the chants. I got them moving left and right with the Army, though they were a bit hesitant and shy, as teenagers. Funny how an old man has to teach these young whippersnappers how to lighten up.”
The experience of being in the Timbers Army with the constant singing made quite an impression. Says Jim: “The feel of the game, the sounds of the stands and the constant support for the Timbers was a big treat for them. It was fun to be with them and watch them watch the game, watch them watch the fans and take in the experience. They were quiet, but their eyes would light up, smiles rolled across their mouth many times just because of the Army, not to mention the game. It was funny to see Issa point out ‘See that guy down there? He's teaching them to sing.’ I had to point out that (A) there were many guys standing all along the railing and (B) everyone knew the songs, these guys were coordinating the songs.”
Jim noted that, as much as the TA made an impression, the boys definitely enjoyed the play on the pitch as well: “As for the game, they were quite impressed by Kalif Alhassan's play. There was a lot of discussion about whether his goal was intentional or accidental, but the move he put on after Jewsbury gave him the ball was quite a discussion point too. They joked about which one had the same moves to upstage Alhassan. Typical kids, trying to top the pros. Alhassan was the most talked about player at the game and on the way home. Funny how he was Player of the Week.”
Jim and the boys wanted to be sure to express their thanks for the chance to attend the match: it was a blast for them all.
If you’d like to know more about 4 Worlds United Soccer Alliance, visit their Facebook page here. And we wish Nick, Mudy, and Issa all the best as they continue to develop as soccer players, currently with East Side United, a Portland Timbers Elite Youth Club. Who knows? If you were near them in the stands that night, you just might have been sitting next to a future homegrown Timbers player.
