The following summary of the Villa Olympics was provided by Douglas, the youth pastoral teacher at the Villa.
This winter in Bolivia (summer in North America), Villa Amistad experienced one of the most memorable community events. For the fifth year, the annual Villa Olympics brought joy and triumph to children and adults alike. With great enthusiasm and competitive spirits, our boys and girls celebrated a day of fun and fellowship amongst a group of visitors from Saint Martin’s Church in Houston, Texas.
The preparation for the Olympics began during a two-week registration period, during which time children selected and trained in their respective sports. Some children delighted in the opportunity to try their hands at tire rolling, while others practiced soccer, basketball, and got in shape for the mini-marathon. As this was to be the fifth Olympics, many children chose events in which they previously had been successful. An air of anticipation and merriment circulated through the Villa in the days leading up to the Olympics, as children braved the piercing Cochabamba sun to hone their skills on the courts or green spaces.
On Saturday, we began early in the morning with elimination matches of basketball, soccer, dodge ball, and tire rolling. As we set up for these qualifiers, the children already were anxious to begin the competitions. This year, we held basketball and soccer matches for some of the younger children, and they thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to participate with their smaller peers ahead of the Sunday showdowns between the older children.
As in years past, the most intense and entertaining qualifiers came during the Casa vs. Casa dodge ball games. Mamás, tías, and children from each Villa house vied for a spot in the Sunday final. After several thrilling qualifiers, reigning champion Casa Esperanza advanced to face Casa Kantuta the following day. And after all of the excitement of the qualifiers, the children happily went back to rest and prepare for the next day’s events.
On Sunday, the most anticipated day arrived, and the children awoke especially early to tend to their chores and find a few moments to train. Around 9:30, all of the preparations had been finalized and each Villa house, youth houses, and invited guests lined up to kick off the Opening Ceremonies. As in years past, each house donned matching t-shirts with their house’s color and marched in with banners held high. The friends from Saint Martin’s Church followed and energized the children with their enthusiastic shouts and excitement. Finally, the Amistad staff marched to the flagpole, and everyone was gathered in single file lines.
Standing together, the children sang the Bolivian national anthem and Carla read the oath of “Fair Play” to be accepted by all of the athletes. The leader of the group from Saint Martin’s Church gave words of encouragement to all and initiated the day’s events by proclaiming, “Let the games begin.” The Olympic torch was lit, and two of the older children, representing all of the participants, ran around the Villa, as we all applauded them. When they circled around and lit the cauldron, a loud cheer went up, and it was off to begin the events.
Many other events followed, and perhaps one of the most precious was watching the youngest children and Montessori students participating in their creative games that left all with big smiles. The final of tire racing was also a joy, as the rubber tubes spiraled out of control and had children chasing all around to get back on course. It was an event few could miss.
Around noon, we played our classic game of dodge ball between the Villa staff and the friends from St. Martin’s. With a gym full of barefoot adults sliding around to avoid being plunked by the red sphere, everyone had a wonderful time. It was a very close match, but in the end, the “amigos” pulled out the victory. Following this matchup, Casa Esperanza defended its title against Casa Kantuta. It was also a very close match, and it seemed at several moments that the champions would be dethroned. However, they kept their cool and managed to battle back for a victory. Casa Kantuta put up a great fight, and no one could hang their head.
Lunch followed, and the menu embodied the friendship between two distinct countries who share the same heart. We shared ham and cheese pizza and drank mok’onchinchi, a peace juice with cinnamon that is traditional in Bolivia. We all filled ourselves and took a few moments to relax and find some shade. Several events were yet to come.
For the second part of the Olympics, we welcomed children from Ciudad de los Niños and Aldeas SOS, two institutions in close proximity to the Villa that share the same goal of raising disadvantaged children in a loving family. They joined in soccer and basketball matches against children from the Villa, and for many, these were some of the most entertaining of the day. The visitors showed their prowess and teamwork on the soccer “cancha” (court) and split two games with the boys of Casa San Martín. On the basketball court, the girls of Casa San Miguel won against Ciudad de los Niños before dropping a 64-63 thriller to a local Cochabamba girls basketball team. Vladimir, the Villa chauffeur, was a great coach, and the girls rewarded him by giving him their runner-up trophy.
The final event of the day and the “icing on the cake” was a soccer match between the mamás/tías and the Villa staff. It was a delightful sight for the children to see eight competitors using any and all methods to get the ball into the goal. Several goals were disallowed from handballs, and the children loved giving advice to spur on the teams. It was a great opportunity for the children to see these wonderful women participating in activities outside of the routine, and although the mamás and tías ultimately won, no one felt defeated.
At the end of the long and fun-filled day, all participants were awarded with prizes and certificates, and the winners from the afternoon’s events were announced. The children enjoyed playing with their new knickknacks, and we applauded the wonderful support and work that went into planning and carrying out this year’s Olympics. Now, with this memorable event gone by, we look forward to next year and another opportunity to enjoy sports, friendship, and respect for others.
