The Homeless World Cup arrives in Sacramento
California’s homelessness crisis is no secret.
Tens of thousands of Californians are living on the streets, in cars and in tent camps – an unmissable tragedy that has only gotten worse in recent years. California, with 12 percent of the national population, has 30 percent of his homeless.
That background makes a soccer tournament known as the homeless world cup particularly poignant. Starting tomorrow, Sacramento will play host to the remarkable week-long competition among athletes who have been homeless for the past two years, the first time the annual event has been held in the US since it began 20 years ago.
The tournament, which will be held in Mexico City, Paris, Cape Town and Copenhagen, aims to rehabilitate people who have been homeless by encouraging them to learn how to play football and work towards a goal. Training with a team helps them build relationships and develop confidence, which can help them secure work and housing, said James McMeekin, the chief operating officer of the Homeless World Cup Foundation, based in Edinburgh.
“A lot of our contestants — it sounds cheesy — but they win by getting on the field in the first place,” McMeekin told me.
Countries taking part in this year’s games, the first since 2019 due to pandemic disruptions, include Ukraine, Pakistan, Brazil, Indonesia and dozens more. Five hundred athletes will participate this month at California State University, Sacramento, selected from approximately 100,000 players participating in member training programs in their states.
The games are not typical football games, but fast-paced four-on-four games in areas slightly smaller than basketball courts. Men’s, women’s and coed teams all compete against each other.
Lisa Wrightsman, a coach for the US women’s national team, said she was transformed by her own experience playing the 2010 Homeless World Cup in Rio de Janeiro. She was able to find focus and community again, she said, after her life got off track and she turned to drugs and alcohol.
“For all of us, playing gave us so much joy, to feel happy again, to see other people happy,” Wrightsman told me. “We didn’t have to pretend we didn’t have our history. Everyone at that tournament had that history – that’s why you’re there.
Wrightsman added that the competition provided “a safe space to acknowledge that, as well as celebrate the commitment we make to a better version of ourselves and our lives.” She said she was especially moved that the games were now coming to her hometown.
According to federal data, the number of homeless people in Sacramento County increased last year from about 5,570 in 2019 to 9,278. The games are being held in Sacramento because of the interest and participation of business leaders, regional officials and the state of Sacramento, McMeekin said.
“In our collective frustration with homelessness, people without shelter are too often robbed of their humanity,” said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, who called hosting the games “a tremendous honor.” He added: “The World Cup shows a different side. Anyone can be part of a team. Everyone can participate. Everyone can work hard to overcome and strive for a better life.”
Lawrence Cann, the founder of Street Soccer USA, a nonprofit that organizes soccer leagues for the homeless and trains them for the Homeless World Cup, said that for former homeless people, practicing with a team, and if they’re lucky, playing on a grand stage , show them in a new light by the public, and even by themselves.
When spectators see these teams excel at football, Cann said, “it really does a lot to reframe the issue.” He added that people often think, “These guys can’t be homeless.”
If you are near Sacramento you can watch from the stands, free. Or you can watch a live stream here.
Where we travel
Today’s tip comes from Bob Powell, who lives in Davis. Bob recommends stopping by the Arboretum Waterway near his home:
“The waterway is what remains of Putah Creek’s original path. In the late 1800s, farmers diverted the creek away from what was then Davisville. What remains is a lake surrounded by an arboretum.
Over the last two and a half decades, the plant collections and the waterway itself have been continuously improved. Water is now flowing into the lake. The collections are enlarged and well maintained. I especially like a visit in late January. The sprouts of spring are emerging. A few weeks later, the acacias are in full bloom and cannot be missed. Each season naturally brings its own special attractions.”
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We will share more in upcoming editions of the newsletter.
And before you go, good news
At several colleges in North America, South Asian students perform elaborately planned fake weddings with the trappings of real marriages.
Why? For the atmosphere.
“I look to my left and I see my desi friends having fun and listening to this music, which is what I expect; then I look to the right and I see all my white friends from school who don’t understand this music, but they have the same fun,” said Bilal Nasir, who was the groom at a fake Columbia University wedding. “It’s kind of a euphoric moment.”
Devanshi Mehta, a student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has attended a mock mehndi event at UCLA for the past two years.
“When you’re pushed into this new environment in college, you want to bring bits of familiarity with you, and a lot of that can sometimes come from culture,” said Mehta, 22. “It’s the chance to just be seen and heard and in to be around people who feel at home.”
Read more in De Tijd.