THE FOOTNOTES

After I spent all my money buying souvenirs from the little girls on the street, I suddenly had an idea: I counted heads and realized that I was being badgered by enough children to field a soccer team. I proposed that they take all those baskets off their heads and start playing soccer instead. They were only 7 or 8-years-old...they should have *some* fun! So, I bought a soccer ball and divided up the girls into 2 teams. These girls were wearing skirts, traditional "huipiles" and flimsy sandals -- you should have seen them kick the crap out of that ball! They were better than most of the girls I coach here in Atlanta. One of them got a bloody nose and just kept playing. She never cried. She never complained. They were such industrious, hard-working little girls. They live hard and play soccer hard. They had so much fun they made me come back the next morning for another game. It was nice to see them acting like children.