International agricultural workers passionate for soccer

International agricultural workers playing in the fourth Farms of Norfolk Football Association (FNFA) soccer tournament Sunday enjoyed the camaraderie and the food, but most of all the soccer.

John Green, from Jamaica, was competing in his second FNFA tournament.

“It’s a nice game to keep all the farmworkers together,” said Green. “See each other and play with each other. The food is good and the soccer game is really good.”

Some players are just learning the sport, he said, some have played since they were young children, and everyone loves to compete – all teams are ‘playing to win.’

“Everybody wants a win, nobody wants a loss,” he smiled, noting his Vamos Bros. Farms team (Brantford) was eliminated in a shootout in their fourth game.

Odayne Brown, also from Jamaica, agreed the tournament is a lot of fun for players and supporters.

“A lot of enjoyment,” said Brown, playing for the Langton-area EZ Grow Farms team. “Everybody gets to come together as one, unite, and everybody gets along. It’s a really good one-day tournament. Everyone looks forward to this tournament, every year. It’s always an amazing tournament – ​​lose or win.”

Brown has been competing in the FNFA tournament since its inception in 2018, and made it to the semifinals two years in a row.

“It’s a wonderful event. Every team has a little bit of a mixture. My team has a couple guys with experience, a couple guys learning to play, can play, want to play… like that.”

The original FNFA tournament was inspired by the FIFA Men’s World Cup and feedback from offshore workers, as an opportunity for community engagement organized by non-profit Community Legal Clinic – Brant Haldimand Norfolk. There were three ‘original’ farm teams and three year-round Norfolk County resident teams, bringing communities together.

The fourth tournament, held Sunday on three fields at the Norfolk County Youth Soccer Park, had 12 teams coming from Norfolk, Haldimand, Brant, and Elgin counties, and from the Dundas area.

Each competing farm sponsors its own team, which covers the cost of jerseys and offsets the cost of referees and insurance, and is responsible for making up its roster. One team consisted of year-round residents and individual international workers from farms that did not have enough players to form a team.

“Some farms just come and watch,” said Carrie Sinkowski, Community Legal Clinic community developer. “People come and go all day.

“From the feedback we get, I think the food is a huge thing. But it’s about the soccer – people are so passionate about soccer. I think the opportunity to play a full day of soccer is pretty amazing.”

Face painting was added to the kids section, and next year they have more ideas to make it bigger.

“We’re just trying to grow it as we get our feedback,” said Sinkowski. “It’s a lot of work but it’s definitely worth it.”

Community Legal Clinic – Brant Haldimand Norfolk’s office is in Brantford, but their catchment area includes Brantford, Brant County, Six Nations of the Grand River, Mississaugas of the Credit, and Haldimand and Norfolk counties.

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