MAKE YOUR OWN BALL CREATES "MAKE YOUR OWN FIELD"

April 4, 2016 06:18 PM

Mark Spiegel’s Make Your Own Ball Day Team Builds Futsal Court for
Community in Nicaragua

In 2012, Mark Spiegel founded Make Your Own Ball Day, an initiative to help kids create, connect, give, appreciate and play through creating their own soccer ball and donating a soccer ball. Spiegel’s program has now been expanded to Make Your Own Field. Spiegel and the crew traveled to Nicaragua from March 22-27 to build a safe soccer field with their partner Hope Road Nicaragua.

Having a safe place to play is just as important as receiving the donated soccer balls to play, as a safe place to play is a rare commodity in too many places. The worlds game is played in the middle of busy streets, in alleys, and atop parking garages. It is played anywhere and everywhere and Make Your Own Field wants to make safe spots for kids in as many locations as they can.

They went with the mission to build a field, but before they left they heard kids in the community were not able to go to school because they didn't have shoes to walk the long way to get there and that the youngest kids did not have any materials to learn at home. Not wanting to just build a field and ignore the other problems, they asked for some help. With the help of Indiana Soccer, Butler University, and co workers and friends they were able to provide the kids with shoes and school curriculum and supplies- 27 bags worth of shoes and supplies.

After days of hard work in 90-degree weather, the court was open for business on March 26. They celebrated with a soccer tournament, gave out donated soccer equipment, medals, trophies and had a pig roast. Following the day, Mark Spiegel said it was “one of the greatest and most rewarding days of my life”.

To learn more about the trip and Make Your Own Ball Day, as well as see all the photos from the trip like Make Your Own Ball Day on Facebook and check out their website.

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