Soccer Grannies

The South African Women Who Inspire the World

Jean Duffy (Autor)

Buch | Hardcover

264 Seiten

2023
Rowman & Littlefield (Verlag)
978-1-5381-7017-5 (ISBN)

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The inspirational story of an amazing group of soccer-playing South African “grannies” and their journey to the U.S. These women play together despite resistance from their communities in order to improve their health and socialize—and for a brief respite from the injustices and struggles they face on a daily basis.

The inspirational story of an amazing group of soccer-playing South African “grannies”.

In rural South African, beloved humanitarian “Mama Beka” defied social convention and started a soccer team for the women in her community. The Soccer Grannies, as they came to be known, won over their families and villages who at first rejected the idea of older women playing soccer, and that single team quickly grew into dozens. Soon, the strength, tenacity, and pure joy of the Soccer Grannies had captured the attention of the world.

In Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the World, Jean Duffy, a soccer-playing mom herself, recounts how she and her team set to work to bring the Soccer Grannies to the U.S. after hearing their incredible story. Despite many obstacles that stand in their way, the Soccer Grannies finally arrive, and Jean describes the wonderful friendships and cultural exchanges that follow. But Soccer Grannies tells more than just the physical journey of the South African women; it also details the Grannies’ personal journeys, sharing poignant insights into the realities of women living in South Africa.

Life beyond the pitch has not been easy for the Grannies. They have persevered through apartheid, rampant poverty and unemployment, the loss of children to AIDS, domestic abuse, and more. But with the friendship and support of their fellow Soccer Grannies, these women face life’s challenges with dignity, humor, and hope. Their stories show to the world the power of sport and its unique ability to bring people and cultures together.

Jean Duffy is a nonfiction writer who has published with the Boston Globe, the Concord Monitor, the Packingtown Review, the Somerville Journal, the Stamford Advocate, and WBUR Cognoscenti. Jean worked for twenty-six years as an engineer and manager before retiring and can now be found consulting with nonprofits. Follow her online at https://jeanduffy.com.

Contents

Foreword, Rebecca “Beka” Ntsanwsi

Author’s Note

Prologue: A People United

Part I The Dream

1 Vakhegula Vakhegula FC

2 Mama, We Can Try This

3 We’re Not Bimbos

4 A Little Bit of Good

5 Vusiwana I Vuloyi

Mama Beka: The Mother Teresa of Limpopo

6 The Grannies Are Coming! The Grannies Are Coming!

Part II The Game

7 A More Perfect (Re)union

Granny Rossina: What Happens in the Bush . . .

8 Five Is a Lot

Granny Khune: We Danced like Crazy

9 R-E-S-P-E-C-T

10 Ukuleles and Vuvuzelas

Granny Bull: The Fierce Fighter

11 Rain Falling on Parched Land

Granny Norah: The Hard Way

12 May You Score Many Goals

Part III The Goal

13 Mopane Worms and Sequined Gowns

Granny Omo: Like Two Hands that Wash Each Other

14 Thunder

Granny Gaisa: God Is My Protector

15 You Strike a Woman, You Strike a Rock

16 The Baobab Tree

Epilogue: Sisters in Soccer

Acknowledgments

Notes

Bibliography

Index

About the Author

Erscheinungsdatum	12.04.2023
Verlagsort	Lanham, MD
Sprache	englisch
Maße	161 x 231 mm
Gewicht	508 g
Themenwelt	Sport ► Ballsport ► Fußball
	Sozialwissenschaften ► Soziologie ► Gender Studies
	Weitere Fachgebiete ► Sportwissenschaft
ISBN-10	1-5381-7017-5 / 1538170175
ISBN-13	978-1-5381-7017-5 / 9781538170175
Zustand	Neuware