The soccer team at Granger High School seems like the typical high school soccer team, right? Well, not so much.
“This team’s different because we have so many nationalities on it,” Granger head coach Hyrum Okeson said.
To be exact, Granger has nine different nationalities on it.
The countries they represent include: Bosnia, Brazil, Burundi, Honduras, Mexico, Russia, Rwanda, Ukraine and the United States.
“It's hard sometimes but once you get the hang of hanging out with people who can't speak our language it's kind of easy. When we all play soccer we speak the same language,” junior Michael Argumedo said.
“We practice together. We know what we’re saying to each other even if we don’t understand it,” senior Chase Wilson added.
Senior Christian Alvarez, who speaks little English, had Argumedo translate for him when ABC 4 Sports asked him what it’s like trying to communicate with his teammates.
“Sometimes when I don’t understand what they’re saying, I try to use my hands to communicate,” Alvarez said.
“Soccer is the one thing they all love,” added Okeson. “They all love it and they have all played it their entire life so it's easy to come together and say let's go have fun and play soccer and leave our nationality differences behind us.”
It can’t be too bad for the guys because for the first time in nine years the Lancers are Region 2 champions.
“They've learned to get along and that differences are OK and it's good to have friends who are different,” said Okeson.
“The Hispanics have the Mexican League so we all go play with them,” junior Anel Dervisevic said. “Elias has an African United team and we go play with them. We've all went and played with the culture.”
“We all want to win and be at the top. In order to do that we got to get along and that's what we're doing,” said Argumedo.
“My goal is to win everything,” senior Eliaz Hatungimana said. “Every game. That is my goal.”
That of course isn’t a bad goal to have, no matter where u call home.
