Croatian Futball

Just about to kick a goal

This is the story of how my son joined a Croatian boy's soccer league called Team Locomotiva, comprised of 6 to 10 year olds.

Our balcony overlooks a bit of soccer field, and we could see boys (no girls) playing throughout the day and night.  Several people had told us how difficult is was to register a child for team sports here.

One gorgeous morning, we went to the soccer field to run laps and kick the ball around.  I decided to go into the adjoining gym to attempt to get information about how to sign him up.  Adam had already gone, but had no luck.  I went in and found myself talking to a woman who was about to go in for a physical therapy appointment.  She said to follow her, and then I was talking to the physical therapist while she undressed.

The physical therapist walked me to another office, with a closed door, and a man with tar-stained fingers in a smoky dark room was sitting behind a desk.  The physical therapist explained what I was after, and then the man proceeded to make one short phone call after telling me there were four teams connected with this club.  The first phone call probably went something like:  "I have an 8 year old American boy who would like to join your team but he doesn't speak Croatian" (hang up) but the second phone call was more productive and I was told to come to the club that evening, specifically the Team Locomotiva office, with Jonah.   The director then walked me to the office so I would know where to go.

So later that night, at the appointed time, we introduced Jonah to two men sitting behind a large table, asked again if there was a spot for him (in broken Italian and a combination of Croatian and English), and they indicated he could be on the team.  Practices are three nights a week(!), plus games on Sunday.  We paid 200 kuna for the month, about $38.00, but I don't even think they ever recorded Jonah's last name.  Fifteen minutes later, Jonah walked into the locker room with his coach Rade, and in another 15 minutes, he was on the field warming up with about 10 other boys.

Two days later, he was playing his first game in a uniform, not only keeping up with the Croatians, but also scoring one of the team's two goals (and darn near scoring two other goals!).  We spoke to the parents,, Gordon and Tatiana of one of Jonah's teammates and learned that they actually live in one of the farther out suburbs and make the commute to this team four times a week.  When the game was over, after shaking hands, the opposing team gathered at one of the nets for pictures, then both teams merged together for another set of pictures, then our team posed.  I think this is a lovely tradition.

Team Locomotiva after their first game

View of the soccer field from our balcony

Team Locomotiva office, soccer field is just to the left

Jonah's first practice

Later that week, one of our contacts from the university who is trying to help us get involved with events like this, emailed Adam.  She said that she called the director (not knowing we had already arranged his spot on the team) and told him there was an American boy who would like to play on the league.  The director told her that that would be wonderful, and that an American boy just joined the league, and that this boy was giving the Croatian boys a run for their money, and that he scored a goal in the game.  Our university contact said, "Are you talking about a Jonah?"  And then they realized they were speaking about the same kid.