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“There is no doubt football (soccer) is an international sport appreciated by all walks of life from around the world. Despite cultural and language differences, football brings communities together by connecting people with the sport that brings them joy. It breaks down barriers that divide us from one another and inspires peace – even in the unlikeliest of places.”
- Katelyn Krulek
Soccer, otherwise recognized in many countries as football, fosters a melting pot of sorts on the pitch. Just like the military, the sport brings people from all walks of life, cultures, and backgrounds together for a common cause. Combining soccer with the military, especially when stationed in a foreign country, can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Someone who takes this to heart is Chief Machinist’s Mate Sallyvidia “Izzy” Isiaho, the coach of the Yokosuka Youngsters onboard Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY).
The Yokosuka Youngsters Football Club is an unoffical team of players representing inclusion with a range of ages, nationalities, military status, cultures, and experiences. They one day hope to become the official football club of CFAY.
“Our team is diverse,” said Isiaho, “we come from all over and also from different commands than just CFAY. The special thing about this team is how diverse we actually are.”
The team consists of members from around the globe to include Togo, Kenya, Ghana, Japan, Mexico, Colombia, Trinidad, Haiti, Burundi, Barbados, Benin, and Senegal. In fact, the majority of the Youngsters are naturalized citizens and serve in the United States Navy.
Isiaho himself is a naturalized citizen and originally from Kenya.
“I myself am from Kenya,” said Isiaho. “I left my home and pregnant wife in 2005, during a civil war, to come to America with the help of my sister. I decided to join the military to see if I could better my life and, you know, help my family. At the time, I was doing three jobs. When I talked to the recruiter, they said that they’re going to give me American citizenship, and that would enable me to bring my family over state-side.”
Since 2007, Isiaho has had a successful career with the Navy but has never forgotten where he came from as well as his favorite past-time in Kenya, soccer.
“So, growing up, soccer was my main sport to get away from everything,” said Isiaho. “We could just play in the street, and that’s all we used to do. In my village, we had to take the cows out to the field in Kenya, and that’s where we would play soccer until it was time to come home."
Many on the team have similar stories, including a passion for soccer. Team sponsor, referee, and retired Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) agent, Sam Armahni, echoes Isiaho’s sentiment.
“Not everybody grew up playing softball, football, and all that,” said Armahni. “The Navy’s more diverse right now. Three out of every five Sailors are coming from another country, and one out of five Sailors plays soccer. It’s very much more universal, and it’s a game played around the world. So, I think equal attention needs to be given to all sports.”
Isiaho had started football clubs at his previous assignments, and after arriving onboard Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, he decided to continue his efforts. Initially, banding together as a small group of soccer enthusiasts playing pick-up games eventually grew into a structured team.
“Our team was created just by us getting together every weekend when people didn’t have anything to do,” said Isiaho. “We’d go to the field and scrimmage. From there, our numbers started to build, and before too long, I had up to fifteen players who were serious about playing. That was when I decided to step aside and coach.”
As the team developed, it went from playing matches internally to playing against Nile C. Kinnick High School and teams from ships coming into port. The team subsequently began to branch out and play against teams from other installations with the assistance of Morale, Welfare, and Recreation coordinator, Jermaine Weekes.
“Izzy had something going on before I got here,” said Weekes. “The team tried to have some games. They played the firehouse and the high school. So, I recommended they could make something efficient happen by reaching out to other bases.”
Weekes also helped by scheduling organized practices, including aspects of his physical training and conditioning experience. Every match strengthened and motivated the club mentally and physically, which developed into an impressive winning streak and a reputation amongst their opponents.
“After teams played against us,” said Isiaho, “word spread that the U.S. Navy had a good team down at Yokosuka. So now we’ve played other division one team, teams from other bases, and teams from Yokohama. They all have shown up thinking that we don’t know how to play soccer and that they are going to beat us. And then we win. Some of the top teams come here and lose against us.”
While creating a soccer club at his assignment was no longer a novel concept to Isiaho, initiating the team at CFAY was unique as it was his first in a foreign country. Naturally, Isiaho decided to reach out to some of his Japanese contacts to begin playing local off-base teams.
“We live here, and they are our hosts, but we don’t do any activities with them. It’s so strange,” said Isiaho. “How do we live in their land, do things in their land, and we live like strangers? So, for us as soccer players, we believe the ball, the round ball, brings everybody together. It doesn’t matter where you are from, the ball will bring the people together.”
A distinct opportunity to bring people together arose when the Youngsters engaged with the prestigious National Defense Academy of Japan (NDA). According to the NDA mission statement, the academy is the institution that develops generations of Japanese cadets “intellectually, physically, and mentally” to become leaders in the Japanese Self-Defense Force (JSDF). Like all military academies, the competition is stiff, especially in athletics, namely soccer for the NDA.
This rare juxtaposition came to fruition after a purely coincidental encounter with an NDA alumnus, Commander Kazuhiro “Gucci” Eguchi. Eguchi is the chief of development and education at the Anti-Submarine Warfare Center of Oceanography Anti-Submarine Warfare Support Command which is a JMSDF component attached to CFAY.
One day Eguchi, who was going to exercise at Purdy Gym and happened to park next to Isiaho.
“I parked next to Izzy and was getting ready to exercise and kick the ball around,” said Eguchi. “We started talking about soccer, and I asked if I could join their team, and he told me to come to play with them.”
Eguchi had been a footballer since the age of six and a former player for the NDA soccer team. So, he floated the idea that a series of matches between Yokosuka and the NDA would bolster relations on both sides.
“Cadets will go to train at the academy and eventually graduate,” said Eguchi. “Maybe five or ten years down the road, they meet up again for training or an exercise, then the U.S. Navy and JMSDF can build good relationships.”
The two teams agreed to two sets of games, the first took place at Yokosuka and the second was set at the academy campus. This marked the first time in history that the U.S. Navy had played soccer on the Japanese campus. Both teams competed fiercely but ended up as friends and fellow sportsmen.
As a result of the event, the NDA hopes to have more soccer events to continue the relationship with the U.S. military, including inviting members from other branches.
“Playing the NDA builds friendships as we get to know each other,” said Isiaho. “That is the most important thing. These kids are from college; they’re not even employed yet. This brings a good mentality for the future when they become active duty.”
The Yokosuka Youngsters define multiculturalism - a core value for both our military and the United States as a whole. The team uses soccer as a medium to promote values and relationships which transcend cultural differences, geopolitical borders, and language barriers. Isiaho hopes the team will still champion the vision even after he is gone.
“As long as CFAY is here,” said Isiaho, “I would love for the Yokosuka Youngsters FC to stay too.”
| Date Taken: | 07.15.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 01.09.2023 18:50 |
| Story ID: | 436486 |
| Location: | YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 126 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Sport that Unites the Globe, by Garrett Cole, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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