Schwan Cup, Day One, Evening....

This was a busy time, and I took lots of photos. Other parents did as well, and so we will have way too many photos for the blog. I am uploading the extra pictures to my Flickr account. If you look in the left sidebar of this blog, you will see a Flickr badge, titled “More Photos.” Click on one of the pictures you see there, and it will take you to my Flickr account, where that photo is stored in sets. You can click on the sets and watch them as a slide show. Please email me if you need help with this, because there are lots of great photos, and I want everyone want be able to see them! So, on to the details…

After a relaxing afternoon, almost all boys napped. (Even though they swore they could never fall asleep…wink, wink.) We met in the lobby to head out for dinner and the Opening Ceremonies. The team was happy to learn that the Olive Garden was our dinner destination. We enjoyed good company and delicious food. The guys were gentlemen and we had a great time.





Opening Ceremonies began at 7:45 PM. It was an exciting and amazing event. The Schwan Cup is in its 23rd year, and is the largest sports tournament in the Western Hemisphere. This year, 1006 teams are competing, with about 16,000 participants. There are 21 countries represented…

My camera was kept busy during this exciting event. It seemed that I had a “photo opp” everywhere I turned. Things got started with a parade of teams. Alaska was well represented and cheered for, and each country or state clearly showed its pride. Hats, flags, costumes, and chants filled the arena as each team was introduced. (Be sure to check out that link of "More Photos" on the side; I got pictures of many of the teams as they entered the stadium, including the Brazilians, and the Scots in their kilts!)


Once the teams had positioned themselves on the field, skydivers parachuted in with the game ball and a banner. One skydiver wore a helmet cam; the video can be found here. (Scroll down almost to the bottom of that page.)




The Italian National Coach, Roberto Donadoni, was the guest of honor, and he wished all the teams well, telling them to play hard, play fair, and have fun. Local teams presented the Italian and US flags, and a soccer player from a girls’ Wisconsin team sang the national anthem so beautifully that it brought tears to my eyes. There was a lot of pride in that stadium…


After the national anthem, the very first team from England to play in the Schwan Cup presented the torch and lit the flame in the center of the stadium. Then came the fireworks and a live band/concert.





The teams dispersed and roamed the field, eating free ice cream and pizza. It was fun to wander the field and watch all these young people from so many places and cultures sharing their love of football and life. Teams were trading pins, shirts, souvenirs, and anything they could.

Brazil was very popular; they had Brazil/Ronaldinho shirts to trade!

Here, the Mexican boys were trading souvenirs for a peck on the cheek:

As space opened up at one end of the field, our boys found a ball, took off their shoes, and played. When they kicked us out of the stadium, they moved across the parking lot to another field and played ball under the street light, until 10:30 PM. Then we loaded up the dripping, exhausted boys and hustled them to bed. It had been a very satisfying, exciting day. They slept well…and were getting pumped up to take on Cruz Azul in their first game tomorrow.




Our next day will be pretty mellow and relaxed, with light meals, rest, team meetings, and mental preparation. Our next entry will be following our first game!