This Is American Soccer, US Soccer, MNT, WNT, and MLS - Tackling the subject of Soccer in the US, and worldwide.

Say what you will about the holiday season - the materialism, the overlooked history, the trampling of that little old lady so that you could get that last Xbox 360 - there’s still something left to be said in the defense of kindness.

Remember Andrea, our new friend stationed in the Persian Gulf (check the archives for ‘a few good men’ if you missed it)? Well, I recently heard from him again. He wanted to pass along some thankyou’s from his team.

When Andrea first sent me some photographs, I saw something I hadn’t seen in years. They were still using one of those old indoor balls that looks like a giant tennis ball and has the touch of a rubber playground ball made for dodgeball or four square, not soccer. Being that I hadn’t seen one of those furry green behemoths in more than a decade, I thought i’d try to my way into freebies from Nike. I thought it made perfect sense to send some swag over to the Air Force guys. Nike threw in some Don’t Tread On Me t-shirts that they could use as their team jerseys - Andrea said they were using pennies. My thinking was that I wanted to thank Dre for taking the time to help me out, they had to put the tennis ball to sleep, and really, who else can relate to Don’t Tread On Me better than someone in the military? It was a perfect fit.

My free swag became theirs, but it meant much more to them, and as I came to realize it, not the t-shirts and balls but give and take, also came to mean more to me, never having communicated with troops abroad before. I don’t hide the fact that I think this country is heading into dangerous political waters (and to hell in a bucket), but that has nothing to do with the respect I have for those braver than I, who stand up amid the madness.

I was uneasy about publishing their remarks because I didn’t want it to look like I was trying to pat myself (or Nike) on the back, but Andrea really wanted me to use them. After the last piece I did with Andrea, he and the guys heard from a lot of people who read the piece and wanted to send their support. So I decided a follow-up piece may only encourage more of that outpouring. And during the end of the year when families tend to gather, what a better time to remember those separated from their loved-ones, letting them know they are not forgotten and more importantly dearly missed.

So, in the name of something I dare say is worth more than t-shirts and soccer balls (like an old lady’s clavicle is to an Xbox), here’s what the boys had to say…

“I want to start out by saying thank you for being interested in our team and our cause. I have gotten many emails from people through this website, and I would like to thank all of them for the continued support. At this point in our season we are 4-1 and have a very bright outlook for the remainder of the season. The players on my team have worked very hard and made tremendous strides in their skills and playing ability. While I enjoy playing more than most things while I am out here, watching my teammates succeed is the honestly the best feeling. Every game we play, I can see us playing better and better together, and the chemistry is flowing. We are shooting for the top and hoping to win the rest of our games and hopefully be league champs when it is all said and done. Wish us luck in all our endeavors while we are here, and I hope to hear from everyone that supports us soon, thank all of you.”
-Andrea

I want to give a special thank you to Nike for providing us w/ the T-shirts. We wear them as our team jerseys and can definitely look good and play tough at the same time. Thanks again.
-Zach

It’s nice to receive some recognition from the home front. I know the team and I appreciate the t-shirts and the support. Thanks Nike and Adam.
-Thomas

Thank You
-Mike

I would like to give my thanks to Nike for giving us these great gifts to us out here in the desert so that we can continue to play soccer out here on our time off. Thank you for the balls and the shirts that we use for our jerseys. They are greatly appreciated. Thank you!
-Timothy

Thank you so much for the shirts and the footballs you recently sent us. As service members in the United States Air Force, we are firm believers in “the team concept.” With uniform soccer shirts, we can play like a team and win like one too. We will wear them proudly! Thank you again.
-George

Thanks much for the support; your gifts were greatly appreciated.
-Michael

This is just a quick note to let you know that I appreciate the items you sent to us out here. It’s good to know that there are people/organizations out there who care and want to do something good that is not for personal gain. It just makes things a little bit easier out here for us. On behalf of the other guys, thanks for your support.
-Carlos