Gallaudet women’s soccer coach Sarah Gumina led group on Uganda trip to promote soccer and deaf education
WASHINGTON – It is not everyday one has the chance to promote a sport they love and deaf education but that was the opportunity Gallaudet University women's soccer head coach Sarah Gumina was presented this summer. Gumina led a group of 10 Bison student-athletes to Uganda from June 10 to July 1 to promote soccer and deaf education.
The Gallaudet contingent traveled throughout Uganda for three weeks to promote soccer and deaf education as they visited 10 deaf and mainstream schools. The group was able to connect with parents and teachers in the classroom and later with the children through soccer practices and training exercises.
"This was a great experience overall, learning about the culture and the people. It was an adjustment on everyone's part but I think it makes you appreciate what you have and where you come from," said Gumina, who will enter her seventh season as the head coach of the Gallaudet women's soccer program.
The Bison group made visits with various organizations including the Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD), Ministry of Elderly/Gender/Disability and NUDIPU on disability. They worked with the Federations of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) to hold a three-day camp with deaf adults. They also attended a World Cup qualifying match between Angola and the host country, Uganda.
"I am looking forward to the continued partnerships we have established and continuing the efforts of educating the hearing people about the importance of deaf culture and deaf education in Uganda," added Gumina
The Gallaudet contingent consisted of soccer student-athletes; Johanna Arrigo (Ewing, N.J.), Monique Balcarcel (Lansing, Mich.), Katie Benz (Stafford, Va.), Katie Giles (Gaithersburg, Md.), Kara Gulvas (Crown Point, Ind.), Karlis Intsons (Riga, Latvia), James Rummo (Butler, N.J.), Zack Seguin (Royal Oak, Mich.), Eric Setzer (Middletown, Md.) and Jeremy Wagoner (Pittsburgh, Pa.).
"It was amazing to see the student-athletes change over the course of three weeks," said Gumina. "The first week was rough adjusting to the culture and language but by the third week, they had developed long last friendships. It was a great feeling to see how the children connected with them and shared their culture with us."
One experience really made an impression with Giles, who started at midfield for Gallaudet's women's soccer team last season, as the group visited a school in the town of Arua.
"I was welcomed graciously [at the Arua school] and I watched one of the women from our exchange program, Florence, run her first practice with the deaf students. The practice went very well and the whole school gathered around to watch the deaf students practice," said Giles. "The sheer joy on the faces of the children, that spent everyday struggling with no special accommodations, when they experienced their first moment of deaf focused education by a strong empowered deaf woman was an incredible moment to share. It really showed promise for the future of deaf people in Uganda."
Gulvas, who started in goal for Gallaudet's women's soccer team last season, shared a touching moment that occurred early on in the trip.
"The first day we visited Uganda School for the Deaf and all of these kids rushed out and embraced us. That moment was just an inspiring and heartfelt one. It made me wonder how life was for them. I just wanted to get to know all 220 kids at the school but they signed in Uganda Sign Language, which is a completely different structure from American Sign Language," said Gulvas. "This trip was an experience that I will never forget."
A group 10 Uganda deaf teachers came over to the United States from May 21-June 10 to learn about the game of soccer to bring the game to their schools. Coach Gumina had a hand in helping train the deaf teachers about the sport.
Gumina hopes this is the start of a long relationship with plans of more visits in the future.
"I think we have only scratched the surface of this concept. The plan is to go back and visit every two years and see the progress made," said Gumina. "I am going to get the whole Gallaudet women's soccer team involved on different levels of fundraising and doing projects for the 10 deaf schools in Uganda. This year we will be fundraising for Uganda School for the Deaf to help provide new school uniforms for each student."
If you are interested in helping the Gallaudet women's soccer program reach its goal to help Uganda School for the Deaf please contact Coach Gumina at sarah.gumina@gallaudet.edu.
