Major League Soccer might be based in the United States but Jerome Rankine will take his love for the game to Africa. Rankine, who is an account executive and in charge of fan development for MLS, will be leaving for Botswana on Friday with a group of high school and college coaches as part of the Football for Life program designed to teach soccer and life skills to kids.
"The idea behind the program is to teach self-respect, a healthy lifestyle and environment on and off the soccer field," Rankine said.
Rankine will bring along a group of about 12 high school and college coaches with him to help teach kids ages 6-14 from eight different schools in Botswana. This is the fifth year the program will be taking place, and when it started in 2003 there were just four schools involved.
It's Rankine's first year with the program, however, and he is excited for the opportunities it will bring to the league and for himself.
"We have a lot of players from all over the world in our league and a lot who come from Africa," he said. "It's a good opportunity for our league to reach out to that region and gain a larger interest in soccer and helping areas that don't have the same privileges."
Rankine will be in Africa for 12 days, spending the first week working with the kids in the camp program and the second spending time to sample some of the environment himself.
"I have never been to Africa so I am getting excited to get to know the country and meeting the people," Rankine said. "I've always been interested in having the opportunity to witness how soccer impacts other countries.
"It will be great to see the impact it has on people who don't have the comforts we have here and how soccer can be a powerful impact to them in their lives," he added.
Rankine will be keeping a journal on MLSnet.com of his experiences in Africa, so be sure to check back often to get all the details.
Ben Masur is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
