The Homeless World Cup

While the NEW YORK GIANTS SUPER BOWL VICTORY may have changed a few fans’ outlook on the world for one shining moment, the fact of the matter remains that most of the world doesn't really care. They like the other kind of football, or as we here in the U.S. call it, Soccer. And while the mass appeal of Soccer is something everyone on the earth can relate to, so too is the plight of the homeless, evidenced by the fact that there are over one billion homeless people in the world today. Maybe that's why the Homeless World Cup makes so much sense. This past summer in Copenhagen at the 5th Homeless World Cup, 500 homeless athletes from 48 countries competed in the name of national pride, but the more significant impact was how the competition changed their lives. Since the inception of the tournament in 2003, Seventy-three percent of the players have since changed their lives for the better, coming off drugs and alcohol, getting jobs, homes and reuniting with their families. Some have even gone on to play or coach in pro or semi-pro leagues. Now that's certainly a change for the better.