As the Pan Am games represent the best in international athleticism, another kind of tournament will be kicking off—no pun intended—in Hamilton.
Street Soccer Canada’s National Cup will take place in Hamilton July 18-19, where over a dozen teams from across Canada will compete to represent Canada at the upcoming
Homeless World Cup this September in Amsterdam.
Paul Gregory, who founded the tournament in 2004, says its impact reaches far beyond the field. “Some of it is about awareness and education, and changing people’s mindsets about who these people are. When you see these guys on the field, and you see their ambition and their want to win, it opens some lines of communication.”
Players also use their skills off the pitch: some men have gone on to become referees (earning up to $200 per game), while others work in Street Soccer Canada’s laundry service. “It can lead to a lot of different things for these guys.”
Soccer also allows players the opportunity for some much-needed recreation in their lives. “If I go for a run, I feel good for the rest of the day," Gregory explains. "In a shelter system, the guys are on a schedule and people tell them where to go and when to do it.”
The chance to play on a team—especially one that could be headed to play for world championship—is also a source of pride. “You get people to see that sports are a powerful motivator for us. Why are these guys any different?” Gregory asks.
This year, the Street Soccer National Championships will coincide with the Pan Am games, which Gregory aims to take advantage of. “It’s right downtown Hamilton, and the walk-through audience will be pretty intense. It’ll be an interesting atmosphere, with soccer going on everywhere and these guys being a part of it. It’s a wonderful festival feel to it.” Gregory says the winning team’s trip to Europe will be financed by an IndieGoGo campaign later in the summer, and they’re also in the market for a national corporate sponsor.
Until then, the championships will remind audiences that the homeless men out on the field are part of their communities. “It’s created not only a local sense of belonging, but also national sense. These guys are valuable and worthwhile, and they can think of themselves as something national.”