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For children in Haiti, gift of soccer balls is a kick

March 30, 2007

Michael Taliana grew up on soccer. He played in his native England and in South Africa, where he moved when he was 7 years old. Now he coaches soccer in North County and around San Diego.

He's got a lot of soccer photos, but there's one batch he loves to show. They tell the story of children in Haiti and their joy over a gift of soccer balls.

The story began with Carlsbad resident Tim Zlotnicki, whose mother was a missionary teaching English in Haiti. Zlotnicki heard from his mother that children there wanted to play soccer but needed equipment.

He sent four balls.

“The kids were so happy to get so little,” he said.

Zlotnicki told the story to Taliana, and the story spread to the North County United Soccer Club, where Taliana's daughter plays.

The club donated dozens of used soccer balls and surplus uniforms.

“Haiti is a long way from here, but it doesn't take a lot of effort to impact people in other parts of the world,” said Scott Phillips, president of SoCal Athletics, which runs the club. “Soccer is a universal language for outreach.”

To thank their donors in Southern California, the Haitian children sent photos and a handmade card.

“You can feel the energy when you look at the photos,” Taliana said.

In the card, Zlotnicki's mother wrote, “I wish you could see the expressions of happiness and joy on the faces of so many children.”

Taliana and Zlotnicki plan to continue to collect soccer equipment for children in Haiti.

“I see stuff in my garage, like my son's old cleats, and I know what it would mean to these kids,” Taliana said.

Taliana has been coaching youth recreational and competitive soccer for six years.

“It keeps kids out of gangs,” said the Carlsbad resident who teaches algebra at Lincoln Middle School in Oceanside. “It's an outlet. They come out of their shell on the field. It's something positive with all the negatives out there.

Zlotnicki traveled to Haiti and saw children playing soccer.

“What struck me is that they have so little. Their houses are made of sticks and there's no glass in the windows, but if they have a soccer ball to play with, they're happy,” he said.