Nicole Koretsky and Riley Narum, members of the College of Charleston women’s soccer team, spent part of their summer inspiring hope in Uganda on the trip of a lifetime.
Along with College of Hope, an operation spearheaded by College alumna Angela Mallen, Koretsky and Narum accepted the challenge of immersing themselves into a foreign culture, and the opportunity to aid those less privileged, all while reinforcing the culturally transcendental and unifying nature of “The Beautiful Game.”
RELATED: Watch a documentary of their trip.
Koretsky and Narum helped to provide long-term medical care, and when they had a break, they engaged the Ugandan children in the only way they knew how: through their shared love of soccer.
“We got a chance to play a sport that is extremely popular with the children for multiple hours of the day,” said Koretsky. “It was really rewarding knowing that we were helping and teaching young kids how to properly play the game of soccer. Through playing soccer alone, we are able to communicate with people who don’t even speak our language which is an awesome feeling! It’s amazing that a simple game can bring completely different cultures together.”
