Real obstacles and invisible opposition in Tunisia

TUNISIA – Everything had been set up for the workout: cones laid out, bibs ready to be worn and balls ready to be kicked.

Moreover, twenty eager boys and girls in Nerazzurri shirts were chomping at the bit to get going. Unfortunately, we hadn’t accounted for the weather and all of a sudden an ice-cold wind whipped up the sand into little vortexes. The storm got more severe as time went on until a point when the wind was so strong and visibility was so limited that training had to be called off for the day.

We had to make good use of the time, so we quickly gathered the kids in the classroom and organised a quiz on football and 108 years of Nerazzurri history.

The wind hadn’t let up the following day but at least the sand coming from the Sahara Desert had ceased, revealing a brilliantly blue sky.

Our local Inter Campus representative Federico Uncini gave the nod and the first group of young girls stepped out onto the pitch for training on ball-work. The wind was still extremely strong, so the young footballers had to be very careful when moving the ball because at times it seemed as if it would fly off the pitch. In a sense, however, the presence of this invisible opponent increased the girls’ concentration, ensuring their execution of the technique became more and more efficient.

The rain followed the wind but the training sessions continued regardless. The weather would have to be pretty extreme to get in the way of the desire of these kids to play football.

06.05.2016