Badara Dia, who goes by "Papa Dia", plays and coaches soccer here
in Arlington. He has also coached teams in his home in Mali, Africa.
Papa is the head coach for the boys and girls soccer teams at Kenmore
Middle School. He also coaches the Arlington Travel Soccer Club's U10
Arlington Strikers White team.
Papa returned home to his home in
Mali, West Africa, this summer and took leftover jerseys from the
Arlington Player Development Clinics. He writes,
"My soccer club is PDUSR (Papa Dia United Soccer Roots).
It's in West Africa, country Mali and the capital city of Bamako. It's
formed in the town of Quartier Mali where I was born and spent most of
my childhood.
These are children of my home town. They are from the age of 7 to 9
years old. They love soccer because as a child soccer is the one
and only sports these kids know! So it's their dream game of
life."
The
Northwest Lions Soccer Club is supporting Papa's soccer program in
Bamako. Here are Papa's photos. (Click photo for
full-size view.)
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