MOSUL, Iraq (Army News Service, July 13, 2004) – A civil affairs officer in northern Iraq is providing young people there with the equipment they need to pursue the popular sport of soccer.

Capt. Alex Fyfe, the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment civil affairs officer, said soccer has given him the opportunity to touch the lives of many local Iraqi children.

The project started in March while Fyfe was at a meeting with local mayors of villages surrounding Mosul. When asked about what his village needed, one mayor said his village could use sports equipment. Fyfe had often seen children playing soccer on dirt fields with bare feet and improvised balls. Seeing an opportunity to help, Fyfe talked to his high school soccer coaches and friends back in Rocky Point, N.Y., to see if they could donate some used soccer equipment.

The response was overwhelming. What began as an inquiry to a few friends, spread through word of mouth until people he didn’t even know were sending boxes filled with uniforms, balls, shoes and school supplies for the children. After the story appeared in local newspapers and on television networks like FOX, the donations poured in.

“I’ve received so many donations from people I don’t know,” said Fyfe. “Some packages have come from as far as Japan.”

When the boxes come in, they are divided into sports and school supplies so the Soldiers of the 1-37th can take them on missions to hand out to the children. The equipment may be taken to meetings and given to local leaders or it may be given to a boy who runs next to the vehicle or a group of children the Soldiers come in contact with.

Fyfe hopes he is setting an example for his Soldiers and teaching them to help others.

“When the Soldiers go out and give the equipment to the children, they see first- hand the effect we can have on the local population and how we can make things better for the people of Iraq,” said Fyfe.

The children love getting these gifts, Fyfe said, and the looks on their faces prove that the message is getting through. Though U.S. Soldiers may not speak the same language as the children in Iraq, things like smiles and laughter are universally understood.

“Even though we don’t speak the same language, everybody recognizes a soccer ball,” said Fyfe.

Children under 18 make up over half of the population of Iraq. They have lived through many years of violence and seen many wars. The transfer of sovereignty June 28 gave the Iraqi children the first taste of freedom many of them have had. Fyfe believes that influencing these children will have a great impact on the future of this democratic nation.

Though soccer may not feed the Iraqi children, or give them a place to live, it may help to inspire young Iraqis as they rebuild their country, Fyfe said, giving them an opportunity to try new things and to better themselves.