About the film
Soccer is the world's most popular game. It's also the most photogenic. Yet, 99% of the world's players never get their picture taken...It's their turn! Join American Terry Kegel as he embarks on a world-wide tour of pickup soccer. Unlike professional or amateur league games, pickup is an unofficial, public, and self-defined version of sport. Without a referee to enforce internationally standardized rules, players create their own structure and style, which are influenced by their cultural and physical environment. Discover the power of this informal play as both an honest reflection of our diversity and an inspiring force in community-building. A deeply personal journey, shot over four years on six continents, the film is a cultural and linguistic whirlwind, and a beautiful tribute to the true heroes of the game!
Runtime: 84 minutes
Languages: English, Portuguese, Thai, Yoruba, and Pidgin with English subtitles
| Writer/Editor/Director: | Terry Kegel |
| Sound/Online Editor: | David Fine |
| Color Correction: | Darren Lund |
| Music Editor: | Matt Swanson |
| Music by: | Jujuba Grupo Axe Capoeira Seattle Matt Swanson Ben Gown |
All profits from this film will be donated to: Right to Play.
Right To Play is an international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play programs to improve health, develop life skills, and foster peace for children and communities in the most disadvantaged areas of the world. www.righttoplay.com
About the filmmaker
Well, first of all, I'm not a filmmaker. Don't be fooled by the picture.
I'm actually an elementary school teacher. And like any teacher, I always
tell my students that we all have a story to tell. Not the kind of story you
have to go looking for, but rather the kind that finds you. Suddenly there's
a tap on your shoulder and you turn around to finally see the beauty and honesty
in the tracks you've walked.
As far back as I can see, my tracks have followed the ball. As soon as I could walk, I was kicking one. I come from a soccer family, a rare breed in 1980's America. While my neighbors' dads watched American football and played catch with their sons, mine taught me about the offside rule and showed me videotapes of Pele. My older brother and I spent hours practicing our moves at the soccer field across the street from our house. At the time I didn't notice we had the field to ourselves; I didn't care anyway. In the beginning it was simple: the ball and me. I just loved to play. But as a child's perspective broadens, the desire for teammates becomes stronger. It is perhaps in that transformation that the secret of this game was first revealed to me: it is not about the ball, but rather it is about the connection that the ball creates. And it is in one's search for these connections that the true adventure of life begins.
I was born a globetrotter. I took my first international flight at 9 months of age to visit my grandparents in South Africa. I have been fortunate enough to visit over 40 countries since then. I lived abroad for four and a half years in France, Thailand, Brazil, Nigeria, and Israel. As a traveler, I am fascinated by our interactions across diversity. How do we make a big world small? How can we know each other honestly? How do we negotiate a common language? How do we connect? For me, the answer is participation in our most genuine passion: play. Join the game.
My students know that the power of their stories is not in their hands, but in those of the listeners. It is no longer the simplicity of kicking the ball that excites me; it is having someone to receive my pass that makes me smile. A pass, like a word, like a story, is about connection: it is the construction of a shared experience. To all those who have shared a game with me, thank you. To you, who are listening to my story, thank you. Let's keep playing!
Terry Kegel can be reached at ispeaksoccer@gmail.com.
About the website
This site was designed by Howard Lopez, who has known Terry for a long time and always been impressed (and a little frightened) by the devotion he's shown to football. I Speak Soccer really has been a long time coming.
If you have any issues or problems with the site, Howard can be reached at howard@ispeaksoccer.com.