If you were to ask anybody outside of the United States what the number one sport in the world is, they would most likely answer you with only one word.
Football.
But it wouldn̢۪t be the football that some of you are thinking about right now. It is the football that Americans like to call soccer.
In countries all over the world, soccer is more than just a sport. Soccer is an entire culture unto itself. It̢۪s a way of life. And in Brazil, England, Spain, Italy and most other countries in the world, soccer isn̢۪t just a sport among many other sports. It̢۪s the only sport.
It is a slice of this culture that Fresno International Soccer Association president Sunny Bal is trying to bring to the campus at Fresno State.
FISA is comprised of about 90 Fresno State students who get together periodically to enjoy the worldwide phenomenon that is soccer. Whether it is getting together at one of the fields on campus to play a pick-up game of soccer or going to “The Bucket” to watch one of the many worldwide events, its main intent is to form bonds with like minded students and promote an appreciation for a sport largely ignored in this country.
The group was started by little more than a bunch of guys in the dorms who would go out occasionally to kick the soccer ball around.
“We just started to play in the dorms and that’s how I met all of these guys,” said Bal.
It then became an actual on- campus club when Associated Students President Juan Pablo Moncayo urged Bal to further pursue the matter.
Bal said many of the initial members of the group were foreign exchange students who spoke the universal language of soccer.
“Transfer students from other countries don’t initially socialize very easily, but they all seemed to want to play soccer. And it’s been great getting to know people from all over the world.”
Among its many social activities, FISA is a loud and vocal contingent at the Fresno State women’s soccer matches. And as club vice president Allison Souza said, “The girls love them because they are out there supporting them.”
But as a soccer fan and player, an obvious goal was to start a club team.
“I wanted to try to find out if there was a league in California that we could get involved in,” said Bal of the prospects of starting a club team. “We already had a social club established and I thought it would be nice if we could form a team.”
Indeed, FISA has proven so successful that it has formed a club team and is set to travel this weekend to UC Irvine, where they will participate in a tournament that features teams from CSU and UC schools from all over California.
Outside of the team aspect, FISA offers many benefits for the casual soccer fan. The group usually meets once weekly to get a game together for players of all skill levels.
And for those who prefer to watch rather than participate, FISA members congregate on campus at “The Bucket” where they watch some of the world’s biggest soccer tournaments and enjoy reduced priced food on game days.
On the schedule this week, the group will be at “The Bucket” on Tuesday afternoon for the Manchester United vs. AC Milan match in the semi-final of the UEFA cup; easily one of the most popular soccer tournaments in the world.
