Aggie Women's Soccer Team Sends Smiles To Children in Afghanistan Through Operation Soccer Smiles

Aggie Women's Soccer Team Sends Smiles To Children in Afghanistan Through Operation Soccer Smiles

Operation Soccer Smiles is a project developed to get soccer balls into the hands of children in Zabul Province, Afghanstan.  Susie Junek, who lives in Caldwell and graduated from A&M in 1979, met LTC James Overbye when she sent he and his men a care package to Afghanistan. When he thanked her via email she asked if there was anything else she could do to help, and Overbye mentioned a desire to obtain soccer balls for the children in his area of Afghanistan. As they talked, they decided that his endeavor needed a name, and Operation Soccer Smiles was born.


Junek volunteered to contact the University to see if they would be willing to donate soccer balls. After hearing about Operation Soccer Smiles, Coach G Guerrieri, the Aggie Women's Soccer Coach, immediately wanted to help. He arranged for a donation, and the Aggie soccer team's 50 soccer balls arrived in Afghanistan last week. Overbye's team has begun distribution of the A&M soccer balls, so Coach Guerrieri and his soccer team's generosity is already having an impact and putting smiles on the faces of children who rarely have a reason to smile.

In a country wracked with poverty, most of the families in Afghanistan struggle daily.The children there often have nothing, and receiving something as small as a pair of socks or gloves, or even a piece of candy from a soldier brings a smile to their faces and forges a bond. The soccer balls being collected and distributed through Operation Soccer Smiles have the potential to make a big difference in numerous ways.

LTC Overbye is part of an Embedded Training Team (ETT) serving with the Afghan National Army in Zabul Province, Afghanistan. One of the officers of the ETT here in Zabul received some soccer balls from someone back in the States. On patrol the Afghan National Army soldiers passed the balls out to the children they encountered in the villages. The soccer balls were a great success with the kids and they really enjoyed them. An Afghan National Army officer mentioned that it is "better to have the children learning to play soccer than learning to fight."

That's where LTC Overbye came up with the idea of collecting soccer balls to distribute. Overbye believes that soccer balls are a great thing to provide the young people for a couple of reasons; first, they are something that kids can play with collectively, secondly, they provide the young people with something to do and a distraction from the normal occurrences of their day-to-day lives. Lastly, when they are given to them by fellow Afghans serving in the Afghan National Army, the children see the balls as coming from the legitimate government of Afghanistan, helping to promote the government in the eyes of the young people.


More balls are needed, as well as funds for shipping, and Junek is hoping to work with local organizations to get more community involvement. Thanks to the help of a local high school student, Chelsea Tatge, one of the area high schools is going to donate some soccer balls after the season ends. Individual efforts such as Chelsea's are welcomed and appreciated.


Every ball can make a difference. Every ball can bring a smile. If you would like to donate to Operation Soccer Smiles, or for more information, contact Susie Junek at 272-3403, or email at susie@3403.com. More information can be found, along with more photos of the smiling results that a simple soccer ball can bring, at www.OperationSoccerSmiles.org.