Scotland and Brazil come together in virtual exchange
After a year like no other, the Denis Law Legacy Trust was hugely enthused to be offered the opportunity to take part in a virtual exchange to increase engagement and collaboration with participants and young volunteers across the globe.
With the help of streetfootballworld, the Trust’s Streetsport programme were partnered with Fundação EPROCAD, a network member with similar goals who are based in São Paulo, Brazil.
The exchange allowed for football related challenges to be battled against back and forth – some say it was the revenge Scotland have craved for since they played Brazil in World Cup ‘98!
Streetsport participants took part at Cruyff Court Neale Cooper in Tullos, Aberdeen, aiming to put in a good performance in crossbar challenge and ‘top bins’ games. Celebrations in Scotland were however muted with less than a handful of successful attempts.
Over in Brazil, some obvious rust was also showing and it was more Naemare than Neymar… Ana, the Team Lead for EPROCAD humorously summed up their showing by claiming “too much time’s been spent at home!”
After the challenge, participants and young volunteers from both EPROCAD and Streetsport got together online to discuss football, lockdown and the excitement of normality returning. Further discussions included North East slang and Brazilian hot-dogs which bizarrely contain mashed tatties…!?
Both sets of participants thoroughly enjoyed the experience and were glad to have gained different perspectives from young people their own age.
While no one would have chosen 2020 to go the way it did, the ability to engage virtually in a programme like this and link up with like-minded organisations as far afield as Brazil was something hugely satisfying and a great example of how work and support can be adapted for the benefit of young people everywhere, no matter distance.
Thanks to both streetfootballworld and Fundação EPROCAD for their time and partnership.