The Beginning
Garrett, Kyle and Kira Weiss grew up in a family that loved soccer. As soon as they could walk, they were kicking a soccer ball. Shortly after, their father Greg became their first coach. Soccer practice during the week and games on the weekend was the normal cycle of events at the Weiss home. When they weren't playing soccer, they were watching it on tv or driving to San Jose to cheer on the San Jose Earthquakes. They stayed after most games to get player autographs, game after game, year after year. Calling them passionate soccer players would be an understatement.
In 2006, Kyle and Garrett Weiss were 13 and 15 years old respectively and Kira was 8. The family traveled to Germany to attend the 2006 FIFA WORLD CUP. Their experience in Germany was the spark that created FUNDaFIELD.
The World Cup
. . . At the 2006 World Cup games in Germany we walked to our seats at the Leipzig Stadium and were immediately struck by the passion for soccer that was shared throughout the stadium. Everywhere we looked, fans were going crazy, banging their drums and blowing their horns.
My family and I were extremely fortunate to attend this World Cup game featuring Angola and Iran. The atmosphere of the game was more than exciting, it was breath-taking. As we began our descent to our seats, you could not help but notice the massive sea of Iranian fans, green and red flooding the stadium. And then, way over in the corner we saw a very small section of red shirts and Angolan flags.
It was Angola’s first year ever playing in the World Cup and they knew that they were not nearly as competitive as the other teams in the World Cup. However, the Angola fans shared a greater passion for being at the games than any of the other team’s fans we had seen. The passion the Angolans displayed was contagious, and this passion is what sparked the desire to FUNDaFIELD.
We discovered that just earning the right to make it to the World Cup was a major achievement for this impoverished country. Organized sports are a luxury that most cannot afford. Daily life for many African children consists of little or no education, near starvation, and fear for many that their parents have been infected with HIV. Short of the basic necessities needed to survive, luxuries such as sports, are a very low priority in their lives.
My siblings and I have been extremely fortunate to have grown up with playable fields, sufficient equipment, and organized teams to play soccer, the sport we love so much. When our cleats were too small, our parents bought us new ones. If we played on turf, we had turf shoes as well. We took a soccer ball to practice and our teams always had uniforms that matched. We didn’t think much of it, it was just how it was.
Meeting the fans from Angola was an eye opener. Seeing the excitement in their eyes and hearing the passion in their voice, for a sport they loved as much as we do, motivated us to create FUNDaFIELD. We hoped to bring to African children, the same enjoyment my brother and I experienced growing up on a soccer field.
Our objective is to earn thousands of dollars for soccer fields and equipment. Please look through our site and learn how your contribution can help us to FUNDaFIELD.
Thank you in advance,
Garrett & Kyle Weiss
Co-Founders - 2007
PS And Kira!