"nurturing good human beings, not only good soccer players."

BUDAPEST, Hungary, 3 June 2008 (BWNS)
All the soccer players were young - between 10 and 14 years of age......................Gabor Karagich, the 31-year-old Black Stars coach, was pleased with his boys' behavior but said it is what he expected of them. His goal, he says, is "nurturing good human beings, not only good soccer players."That he is serious about this is reflected in the dual nature of his program - football practice twice a week, a Saturday class twice a month.The boys - there are about 20 of them - have named the class the Forro Csoki Klub (Hot Chocolate Club), and while there they do talk about football. But that's not all."We evaluate how the training went," the coach says of the class. "We look at what made it possible that we played more unitedly or what happened if we were not so attentive towards each other. We also discuss topics related to our behavior, what it means to be good, one's responsibility towards others and society...."Mr. Karagich receives financial support for the project from a Baha'i-inspired nonprofit organization in Hungary called the Unity in Diversity Foundation.The director of the foundation, Mrs. Furugh Switzer, said the boys in the soccer program are from disadvantaged families who normally cannot afford this type of sports training. The program, she said, is provided free of charge to participants and not only offers quality instruction but also helps keep the youngsters away from things like drugs and alcohol.Coach Karagich, who is a Baha'i,...... The atmosphere of the training is so good.""For the six years that I've been a trainer I have never had this type of support from the parents," the coach said. "At first it was weird to get so many telephone calls, but now I know their support really helps the work we're doing." Mr. Karagich said part of his motivation comes from his own background."When I was a child I had some real trouble," he said. "I started this club to help these boys avoid some of the mistakes I made."He works to create a collaborative rather than a competitive spirit among the team members."We had a child who thought this was a team like all the others where you had to be the best player," the coach said. "In the beginning it was hard for him to make friends with the other boys because he was in competition with them. But now he understands the way the team works. He is getting along with everyone and has a good time."Another of the boys used to spend all his time alone in his room on the computer. Now he likes to go to football practice and the Hot Chocolate Club to spend time with his friends, the coach said. Mrs. Switzer of the Unity in Diversity Foundation says the program is helping the boys develop a social perspective."Gabor organized for them to go to play a football team at the orphanage," she said. "Afterwards, the children at the orphanage took them around the place, and now all the boys have become friends. After their visit they discussed the importance of being kind to others and being of service to them."