By Stephanie Alexander
Entertainment Editor
Around the time of Easter every year, successful teen soccer teams worldwide come to play in the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup. A team from Dallas gets paired with a foreign team and two foreign players live with one Dallas player and their family.
This cultural experience serves as an opportunity to learn and connect with international peers.
Junior Jace Kennedy plays on the Dallas Texans U18 Academy and is housing a Brazilian team this year.
“I got really close with the Swedes last year. There wasn’t like a language barrier with them. With the Brazilians we have to have Google translate out all the time,” Kennedy said. “It is very hard to communicate and get like close with them but it is more amusing than it is frustrating. It is funny because I’ll try to speak Portuguese and then they’ll try to speak English, but it is easy like the basics like asking them what they want to eat.”
Even though the language barrier can complicate things, the Kennedy’s have been savoring each moment of the experience.
“My family loves housing, they are open to it every year,” Kennedy said. “Housing and Dallas Cup is a great experience and exposure to other cultures around the world.”
Senior midfielder Jack Burns has been in the Dallas cup for six consecutive years with his FC Dallas 96 Boys Premier team.
“The first time we housed, we got a team from England, and the guys and I are still very good friends,” Burns said. “We talk about once a week.”
The Burns family has housed foreign players every year but one, and this year, the team is paired up with Costa Rica.
“We basically take them in as our family,” Burns said. “It is amazing how one sport can bring people together so much.”
This is Burns’ last full Dallas Cup experience since he will be graduating. In Burns’ final year to compete high school soccer,the Cowboys are headed to their second consecutive state game while the Costa Ricans are in town.
“There has been games and stuff constantly going on; it is a bit stressful to be honest. But knowing it is my last year for club and high school, I am just trying to balance them out and enjoy the experience as much as I can.” Burns said. “I am just trying to enjoy everything while it is happening and taking it day by day.”
Burns’ life has consisted of soccer for the past six years, juggling varsity soccer and club. Coming this fall, it will all come to a close when he attends the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
“It has enhanced my work ethic. Knowing I have multiple teams to work for, I need to be able to help both as much as I can,” Burns said. “Even though I am not playing in college, I still want to become the best I can be. I know working hard and getting better at what I’m doing will help me in the long run even if soccer isn’t my future.
The experience of housing can serve as many things, but for Kennedy, he is getting the opportunities some soccer players can only dream about.
“Housing gives you connections,” Kennedy said. “The Swedes want me to go out to Sweden and play with them, and the Brazilians have already asked me to come live with them for a bit and go to the World Cup with them.”
Freshman Alex Haas plays on the Dallas Texans 99 Red team, and even though his team is not in the tournament this year, he and his family are no stranger to the Dallas Cup experience.
“Housing the Mexicans was very impactful on my life,” Haas said. “It really helps with your communication and social skills.”
The Haas family housed the Tigres UANL U15 team (Mexico) in last year’s Dallas Cup and Alex and the boys became very close knit.
“We have a very tight friendship. They are playing again at the tournament this year, and my family and I went to one of their games,” Haas said. “When I saw them their faces just lit up, we were all so excited to see each other again.”
The closing ceremony and finals are on Sunday at the Cotton Bowl.
For more information go to http://www.dallascup.com/index.html
Video By Marin Hulme and Capri Jordan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNVT7rm7m1M&feature=youtu.be
