After a long day of traveling, we arrived at our hotel near the base of Table Mountain. Once we checked in, we headed across the street to get in a quick training session before sunset. Afterwards, we had a fantastic team meal at the hotel then headed off to bed. In the morning we went to Robben Island, home of the prison where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. We took a very informative and thought-provoking tour of the island. We spent the rest of the day exploring the Waterfront, a central hub for food, shopping, and tourism, and finally wrapped up the day with another training session.

Update 2 - Max Wiley '25

We started the fourth day of the trip bright and early at a port where the group took two boats out into open waters for shark diving. After anchoring, the guys changed into wetsuits and entered the cage in groups of six while the others watched on with excitement. It took no time for the crew to lure some sharks into the area. One after another they came within feet of the cage, even crashing into it a few times. It was quite an adrenaline rush and an unforgettable experience to be so intimate with these deadly creatures. Once finished, the guys took in the sunshine and surreal scenery as we cruised back to shore. 

That afternoon, the team traveled to the Cape Town Spurs Academy facility where we had our second match. Upon arrival, we were given a quick tour of the offices, training rooms, and fields. It was evident that the club operates with a high level of professionalism and attention to detail, which explains their great success in developing local talent. The match itself was incredibly intense and high-level. Cape Town Spurs played with fluidity and elegance; however, Wooster was up to the challenge. The guys put in a great defensive effort and created several chances, including a clean strike from sophomore Evan Amend which rattled the crossbar. The game ended in a 1-0 defeat, but the team gained important experience that will benefit us in the fall. 

Update 3 - Luca Napora '25

My reflection about hiking Table Mountain:

After spending the majority of the trip under the shadow of table mountain, we were given the opportunity to hike up steep slopes. The trail, which took around two hours to complete, was comprised mostly of rocky terrain that slowly wandered up to the top. The ascent was challenging, but we were spurred on by the site of Coach Zidron's youngest kid running up the entire trail ahead of us. Once at the peak, we enjoyed an unbelievable view of cape town and the surrounding ocean. The sprawling landscape below, the city bustling in the distance, and the endless expanse of ocean painted a vivid picture that etched itself into our memories.

Update 4 - Zach Napora '25

Here is my reflection on Table Mountain as well:

Hiking Table Mountain offered a truly immersive experience that allowed me to engage with nature in a unique way. The journey began with a challenging ascent, navigating through rocky paths and steep inclines that demanded a steady pace and focused determination. As I moved higher, the surroundings began to shift, revealing breathtaking vistas of the city below and the vast ocean beyond the horizon. The diversity of the landscape was striking, transitioning from lush vegetation to exposed rock formations that seemed to touch the sky. Reaching the summit was a moment of pure accomplishment, a chance to pause and reflect on the journey while soaking in the panoramic views. Descending offered a different perspective, a chance to appreciate the terrain from a new angle. The entire experience was a reminder of the beauty and power of the natural world, and how small we can feel in its presence.

Update 5 - Gabriel Thomas '25

Running a Youth Clinic while we were in South Africa was a really valuable experience for all of us on the team. It served to not only present us with an opportunity to experience the kids' unbridled love of the game in a place with rich cultural and stylistic differences with respect to soccer, but the clinic also provided us some needed perspective. In this sense, the clinic furnished us with a moment to reflect on things we often take for granted, things like new cleats whenever ours rip or fields with grass. I remember, early in the clinic, how one of the younger kid's cleats pretty much fell apart - he went to pass a ball and the entire bottom part of the cleat just came off. Our coach asked if we could grab the kid a new pair from the cleats we brought to donate, but the travel liaisons said we couldn't get him a new pair. If we got him new cleats, the liaisons explained, everyone else would wonder why he got new cleats and they didn't, which could lead to bickering and such.

While I know that things like this happen in the States, not very many of us on the team had experienced it in such a personal and direct way, nor had we often found ourselves in a situation where helping would create a bigger problem than it solved. This gave us reason to step back and pause and really examine the differences between our experience and theirs, and I think this was a really important moment. It allowed us to pull together our understanding of the impact of apartheid from places like Robben Island and the District 6 museum in a way that really hit home for a lot of us. 

The kids themselves were absolutely amazing - clearly engaged and really happy to be there. They gave everyone on the team a good laugh when, after Coach Z asked them to share something we should try before we headed back home, the near unanimous answer was a rather excited "McDonald's!" followed by a round of laughter. That was one thing that really stood out about the kids: they did everything with a smile and a laugh, getting the most out of, well, everything. And on top of their stellar attitude, they played quality soccer at a very high level. I bear no shame in admitting that most of the kids were more technically skilled than I am, clear masters of the ball with excellent vision to match. 

There was one moment from the clinic that really stuck with me, happening outside of a drill or game. I was walking with one of the little kids to gather some of the scattered balls, and he asked me with a huge smile on his face if we would be back next Saturday. I tell him that unfortunately we won't be back because we have to go back home and it's a long flight and all, but he says that we should really just come back. It was a very bittersweet moment for me - here we were, sharing our love for the game with these wonderful kids who are clearly having a great time. But we won't and they won't be able to come back and kick a ball around and share some laughs every week. 

On the whole, the clinic really demonstrated to me how important sports are in the global culture. Even when a group of guys comes in from halfway around the world, we can still laugh and bond over something that is bigger than all of us. 

Garlandale Game
Our game against Garlandale was a great exercise in building confidence and enjoying our style of soccer. For most of the game, we were dominating possession: combining really well through the midfield to work the ball into dangerous areas on the wing. Having played for both teams due to an unfortunate injury to Garlandale's keeper, I felt like I was uniquely situated to understand both team's approaches to the game. Our side was very fluid in our formation, giving the midfielders and front line ample opportunity for interchange, which in turn opened up the Garlandale defense. Garlandale, on the other hand, was very disciplined and regimented in their positioning, with each player holding the space assigned to their position. While this would result in defensive fortitude against a team lacking the ability to interchange frequently, our team was certainly able to interchange and create overloads in the wide area, allowing us to pick out quality crosses. The Garlandale players were quite determined, however, and put in a number of expertly timed challenges to block shots and through balls. Even with all their individual excellence, our ability to create overloads and crash the goal mouth led us to win the day 5-1.