The All Nations Cup is back in the Seattle area this summer and kicking off a festival of soccer, ethnic communities, food, flags and fun at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila starting at 9:00 AM on Saturday July 17th.
Match schedules here. Tickets $5.00 at the gate. See previous years photos here.
I spoke with Cup organizer Sam Hassan of Sister Communities about the 2010 Cup and what makes the ANC so special to our area. See our Q & A below.
What makes the ANC so unique?
Sam: There are a few World Cup-like tournaments in the USA and Canada. The biggest differences in between us and all the tournaments out there are:
- It's put together by us and American soccer guys and our communities, on a non-profit basis. Our Board is made up of either soccer people, community leaders or both.
- Our rules are created to make sure the teams are true representatives of their countries/communities, like the Oromo and the Kurdish, they're not countries but they're still nations and "co-habit" with the Ethiopians, Turks and Iranians without any animosity. We are a true local World Cup, not a mock one. Also, because teams are made up of fellow countrymen, including the coaches, the diversity in soccer style is amazing. The only important style not represented at ANC is the Dutch, since their community is too small to have a team with us.
What this combination does is to create a very exciting tournament, with very high level of competition and the passion that we carry on in us since a very tender age.
What is new for this year?
The best improvement this is year is on the first round. We limited the number of open teams to 32 and could come up with a FIFA format tournament from the beginning. 32 teams in 8 groups of 4, with 1st and 2nd going to the next stage.
On the other hand we only got Washington State Soccer Association to sponsor us this year. We had to cut the cultural events, the opening ceremony... we'll only have the Championship Ceremony.
It's very hard for us to get sponsorship during recession. We could benefit soccer in Seattle immensely, since almost everybody involved is passionate about the game. Kids could learn a lot culturally and soccer wise by attending our tournament, and seeing so many different styles. The Sounders also could benefit from having whole families used to having home teams and longing to be able to support their local team here.
How many people does it take to run the ANC? Describe the process of running the tournament.
The tournament itself is put together by me, with a great hand from Sean Snyder, who is a member of our Rules Committee, our Board and the manager of England. A lot is done on the day by volunteers, (which we don't get even close to how many we need.) Plus the managers and coaches of the teams, all volunteers, totaling about 120.
How does the soccer tournament help the overall outreach of Sister Communities?
The tournament brings pride to our members/players, and a goal to pursue along the year. Several teams train the whole year to prepare for All Nations Cup. It's the highlight of the year for them. It also brings our communities together and helps them integrate and respect each other. We're about educating quite a lot of our communities and helping them integrate in American society without losing their own identity. It also helps our work with the children that are not allowed to play soccer at a high youth level because they either have the "wrong" style or, in most cases, can't afford it.
For soccer fans that have never gone to the tournament, what are some details they should know so they can come out this year?
All Nations Cup is with no doubt the most important tournament of the Northwest, but it's more than that. It's a place where you can truly see the diversity in our area, where more than 30 languages are spoken, where you see people from everywhere in the world together. And it's great soccer to watch. Quite a lot o the teams are very skillful, we have several ex-pros in our tournament. It's specially good for kids that don't know how truly diverse this area is.
Tickets are $5.00 for an entire day of matches, available at the gate.
Want to contact Sam? sam@sistercommunities.org
Comments
One of the highlights to the local soccer calendar each year!
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!