‘Connected to the whole world’: Thrive hosts youth soccer camp for international children

Hart Field was a sea of neon jerseys as hundreds of kids from 28 countries took turns playing the game that transcends cultural barriers.

This week, Thrive International hosted its Thrive Nation Youth Soccer Camp, an annual event for refugee and immigrant youths in the Spokane community to connect through playing soccer.

Ten-year-old Emmanuel Kalumuna returned to this year’s soccer camp excited to meet new friends and play with experienced coaches. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kalumuna has lived in Spokane for seven years. His favorite part of the event was meeting players from the Spokane Velocity soccer club, who visited the children on Tuesday.

“We get to exercise and play around all day,” Kalumuna said. “There’s a lot of things we can do, we just have to ask the coaches”

For Milena Tsvietkova, an 18-year-old from Ukraine, the camp is an opportunity for her to improve at a sport she loves. She’s played for three years, practicing with her family and at school. This is her second year attending the soccer camp.

“I like it so much,” Tsvietkova said. “All the volunteers are just the best. They try to do the best for us, making us happy and everything.”

The main purpose of the camp is to create a safe space for international children of different backgrounds to have fun with each other, while also making connections with Thrive International staff and resources, according to Michael Harris, Thrive’s former youth program coordinator who has been involved with camp each year. The week culminates into a Friday filled with games and a final tournament between Thrive Tacoma and Thrive Spokane’s club soccer teams.

Youth Empowerment Director Jackson Lino knows firsthand the impact of soccer camp. After arriving in the U.S. as a refugee from Sudan, his participation in one showed him what was beyond his school and apartment.

“It made me feel like I was connected to the whole world,” he said.

As a director of the camp, his goal is to bring that experience to today’s generation of young immigrants and refugees.

“Soccer is a one-language game, and we can connect in many ways by just kicking the ball together,” Lino said.

Having worked at three previous soccer camps, Harris said he cherishes seeing friendships begin. Last year, he watched a child who speaks Swahili befriend a child who speaks Turkish. Though their languages were different, their experience playing sports with each other fanned the flames of their friendship.

To this day, they still play soccer together.

“They have become best friends,” Harris said. “They are learning to communicate as they learn English together.”

Thanks to the support of donors, the camp is free. Supplies like shin guards, jerseys and cleats – which can typically be a barrier of entry for interested soccer players – are provided by the organization.

The camp comes during a time when immigrants across the United States face threats of deportation, including in Spokane.

Some of the parents involved with the organization aren’t bringing their kids because they are worried, Lino said. The staff has prepared a plan in case ICE shows up to ensure the kids are in a safe place and the situation is handled appropriately.

“It is definitely a hard issue that kids don’t understand,” Lino said.

Representatives from the Spokane Police Department were also present at the event this week, coaching the kids and fostering positive relationships with the international community.

“It’s been great organizing all the coaches from different areas,” Spokane Police Officer Micah Prim said. “We really love providing a safe place for the kids to thrive, to enjoy the sport of football that brings everyone together.”