During my time in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I've spent my Monday afternoons at Casa del Niño Padre José Kentenich, a community day care center for kids ages three to thirteen. It's located in Florencio Varela, a humble city south of Buenos Aires. The Casa del Niño is a place for kids to go during the day while their parents are unavailable to take care of them. The Casa serves to help keep the children active and involved in school.
Scott teaching football to Argentine children
With two other students from the United States, I've worked to introduce the Argentine children to different games and sports. Our goals are to have fun, share a little American culture, and to get girls to participate more in athletic activity. Although females here in Argentina do play soccer and other sports occasionally, it is far from the norm. At Casa del Niño, it's clear the girls are typically shut out of the sporting activities, and can often be seen playing marbles, coloring in books, or just chatting while the boys play soccer. Coming from the United States where participation by females in sports is a strong and normal part of our culture, seeing this lack of female participation was surprising to us. With soccer being so strongly male dominated, we've tried to level the playing field with new games for both sexes, getting the girls involved in such American classics as kickball, dodgeball, and wiffle ball.
Look at that form!
Argentina is a country where there is no doubt, soccer is the national game. It dominates the sporting scene on all levels, and the Casa del Niño is no different. American football is essentially unheard of. I wanted to introduce it to the kids at the Casa, so I brought two footballs one Monday. It was their first introduction to American football, and some had to be reminded that they were playing with footballs, and not rugby balls. Despite its novelty, the game was a hit. Much like I've done at kids football camps at Grinnell College, I helped the Argentines run routes, learn to hold and throw a football, and even hit a mat. It was fascinating to watch the kids playing football for the first time, some were naturals, while others struggled with the new game. The best part was seeing the girls playing along with the guys, having just as much fun, and at a times, a little more success.
