http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2009/06/stiff_review_i_speak_soccer.php STIFF Review: I Speak Soccer By Damon Agnos in Film, SportsFriday, Jun. 5 2009 @ 11:29AM While everybody flocks to SIFF, there's another film festival going on in town. STIFF (Seattle's True Independent Film Festival) features all sorts of good stuff—including the festival's opener, I Speak Soccer: A Documentary About the International Language of Pickup, written, directed, and edited by my friend Terry Kegel, a Seattleite. (Other disclosures: I had a movie in STIFF last year, and in the credits, Terry lists me as his legal advisor, mainly for connecting him with people who actually practice law.) That said, I Speak Soccer is an engrossing look at the reach of pickup soccer and the culture and self-perceptions of those who play it. As Kegel tells it, he grew up a soccer-obsessed kid in a basketball-obsessed culture, though he knew that somewhere beyond our shores there were people who shared his passion. So when he got older, he traveled the world, playing tons of pickup, and filming the games and the players. The movie opens with footage of pickup games in alleys, courtyards, empty lots, gyms, etc. in Peru, Turkey, Israel, Brazil, South Africa, Thailand, and Nigeria. The focus narrows to three sets of pickup games—one on a beach in Jacairape, Brazil, one on a municipal hard-top court Chiang Mai, Thailand, and one on a bleak roadside field in Ibadan, Nigeria. In each, the players monologize on the unique characteristics of their brand of pickup, though this is often a launching point for their thoughts on all manner of socioeconomic phenomena. One might occasionally wonder if some of the extrapolations on national character are a stretch—nations are complex, and a beachside pickup game might have quite a different flavor from one in a favela, for example. Moreover, as Kegel notes, pickup is dominated by men; the voices of women are largely absent. Nevertheless, it's fascinating to hear the players talk. We get an older, lighter-skinned Brazilian man telling us what a happy country Brazil is, and how the pickup games are a manifestation of that, and then a younger, darker-skinned player from the same game talking about how the violence among and marginalization of Jacairape's poor is worsening, and how soccer is a way to transcend or escape that. In Chiang Mai, the players stay humble, repeating government talking points on exercise and drugs with almost eerie frequency, while in Nigeria, there's a not-so-quiet-desperation, a defiant belief among the players that life is passing them by, that they and their friends could do something in the world if only they were given the opportunity. In all three locations, the natives recount what they believe to be American misperceptions of their culture, and then offer their corrections. But the best thing about I Speak Soccer is the footage that lets you be present in these places. The laughter-filled games in Brazil, with the tide as a sideline, look like one of the world's most enjoyable ways to spend an afternoon. In Chiang Mai, you hear the buzz of the motorbikes and see the sheen of sweat on the players' torsos reflect under the dim lights of the courts—it's like the humidity seeps right through the screen. Finally, the Nigerian field is like the opposite of the Brazilian beach—the trucks roar by at breakneck speeds, honking their horns, separated from the players by nothing, and the players kick and shove and taunt each other all over the hard, cratered pitch, taking pride in their refusal to call fouls. Finally, it's worth noting that Kegel will be donating 100% of his profits (he's not reimbursing himself for time or travel expenses) to Right to Play, "an international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play programs to improve health, develop life skills, and foster peace for children and communities in the most disadvantaged areas of the world." I Speak Soccer plays today at 1:30 at the Rendezvous' Jewel Box Theater, tomorrow at 4 PM at the Jewel Box Theater and then at the times and places listed here. A note on the STIFF showings—if they appear to be sold out online, that doesn't mean you can't get in—the festival sets aside tickets for sale at the door, Just get there early.

http://journal-newspapers.com/articles/2009/06/11/in_this_issue/entertainment/doc4a1edd23b68a8049001072.txt Local filmmaker translates the language of soccer around the world Click image to enlarge Local filmmaker Terry Kegel with his camera. By Cathy Herholdt Published: Monday, June 1, 2009 10:53 AM PDT University District resident Terry Kegel has traveled extensively around the world, and in doing so, discovered a common international language: soccer. The University of Washington graduate student documented his experiences with pickup soccer in numerous countries in his film, I Speak Soccer: A Documentary About The International Language of Pickup, which will premiere June 6 at the Seattle True Independent Film Festival. Kegel, who grew up in Woodway and played competitive soccer during his youth, was inspired with the film’s theme during a trip to France his sophomore year in college. About three weeks into his semester abroad, he was out for a jog and happened upon a game of pickup soccer. Feeling somewhat isolated in a foreign country, he joined the players and ended up playing with them regularly. “I spoke French, but I wasn’t really finding my in,” he said. “I made some good friends. It was so powerful the way we could share a love of soccer and get to know each other that way.” After this experience, Kegel decided to pursue his interest in the international language of soccer further, and began traveling, filming and interviewing players in other countries. He landed a teaching job in Thailand and was able to interview pickup players who met at an inner city concrete court nightly to play soccer. He also filmed proud and enthusiastic players on the beaches of Brazil, and barefoot competitors on a dirt field in Nigeria. “It wasn’t surprising I turned to soccer to find my in,” said Kegel, who was welcomed into pickup matches in every area he visited. Unlike the game he had played in the U.S. with standardized rules, a referee, and “not much creativity,” he said, he discovered freedom in pickup soccer. “The thing I find most interesting about pickup is that it’s defined by the players. It is a reflection of the people that make up the game,” he said. “Wherever you are, the people, the culture, the societal norms all have an effect on how you set up teams, how physical you are ... depending on where you are, all that came out through pickup.” Players in Brazil, for example, are shown working out disagreements on the beach that serves as their field. And in Nigeria, Kegel witnessed arguments over unofficial rules that resulted in the ball’s owner threatening to end the game by taking the ball home. “In pickup, you have to work it out ... resolve conflicts. [It] can be very competitive, but there’s also a more relaxed attitude — more friendly,” said Kegel. In each country, players said the game of soccer provided an outlet for fun and a way to connect with others, despite challenges such as poverty or political unrest in their homeland. Now a kindergarten teacher in his graduate program, Kegel hopes American kids experience the connections sports can offer when played for fun in their neighborhoods. “Sports can transcend so many other barriers,” he said. “Kids don’t always realize that this sport is a lot deeper than what American soccer players know.” Watch the I Speak Soccer trailer and learn more about the movie at www.ispeaksoccer.com. Screenings of I Speak Soccer include June 6 at 4 p.m. at the Jewel Box Theater, 2322 2nd Ave., Seattle, and June 9 at 7:20 p.m. at the Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle. For more information about the film, visit www.IspeakSoccer.com.

http://www.fcearth.com/blog/2009/7/23/fcearth-qa-loaded-questions-with-terry-kegel-i-speak-soccer.html FCearth Q&A: Loaded Questions With Terry Kegel, I Speak Soccer Filmmaker THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009 AT 10:37AM We have talked in the past about super-traveling teacher-turned-filmmaker Terry Kegel and his well-received soccer travel odyssey film I Speak Soccer. Please check out his site at I Speak Soccer; word is the film is phenomenal and he is donating 100% of profits to Right to Play. Terry graciously answered a LOT of questions for us in his unique story-telling voice. He can still smell the orange peels and muddy cleats of youth soccer in Washington, got burned out on competitive soccer late in his college career but was saved by pickup soccer (here here!), and doesn't consider himself a filmmaker. He also some incredible tales from his enviable soccer-playing journey. Read on! FCearth: What is your soccer background? Are you a lifelong soccer player and fan, and do you still play? Terry Kegel: I’ve been playing soccer for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a soccer family across the street from a field, so I suppose it was inevitable that I’d fall in love with the game. My parents were immigrants, so compared to my friends growing up in traditional American households I got a lot more exposure to soccer than baseball or football. My brother is three years older than me and was an awesome player. I spent so much of my early childhood on the sidelines at his games, learning from his every move. As soon as I was old enough I joined my first team: the Tornadoes. I lived for Saturday game days: orange slices, muddy cleats, the whole thing. Those were the best soccer years of my life. At U-13 I joined a select team and started playing in the Washington state premier leagues, through U-18. I had some success in high school and went on to play all four years at a D-III college. I excelled on the field, winning all-conference honors, but the competitive game had left a bad taste in my mouth. Somewhere along the way the joy of playing had been muddled by arrogance and politics. That’s not the game I loved and lived and breathed as a kid. I found myself ambivalent about the sport, though the pure pleasure of touching the ball always brought me back. And that’s when pickup saved me. Playing pickup reawakened that childish love of soccer and sharing that with others all over the world has opened my eyes to the power of this game. So yes, I’m still playing. What are your favorite club and/or national teams? I usually root for my home team; problem is I’ve had a lot of homes! At the moment, it’s the Seattle Sounders. What is the background/genesis of I Speak Soccer? Where do I start? The roots of this film go deep. I feel like it’s been in the making my whole life. Since childhood my two greatest passions have been soccer and traveling. So these two ingredients have been in the pot for a while and with each trip or with each game they’ve been stirred together a little more. It’s the synthesis of soccer and traveling that cooked up the inspiration for this story. But it was only when I first lived abroad that the two really came together. As a sophomore in college, I spent a semester studying at a university in France. A couple weeks after arriving, I was still struggling to find my way in a new culture, a new language. I went for a run one day and happened upon a pickup game in the corner of a city park. I wasn’t looking for soccer, but actually I think subconsciously I was. I mean I was looking for something familiar, some “in”, some way of feeling home in this new place. As soon as I saw that pickup game I knew I had found my home. I went back every day for the next six months. The guys I played with were mostly immigrants also and in pickup we found a sense of community. It was such a natural, fun way of making friends and getting to know each other’s cultures. That’s when the power of pickup really hit me. Then the more I traveled outside the US, the more I realized just how universal that pickup experience is. I was especially curious about the diversity of the game. Free from standardized rules and referees, pickup is creative and reflective of the influence of environment and culture. I would stare at world maps and flip through travel books, wondering about all the unique dialects of this sport. During my senior year of college I applied for a Watson fellowship to travel around the world playing and studying pickup soccer. I didn’t get it, but the process of writing that application was crucial in turning this dream into a reality. It made me realize that I wanted this to be more than some far-fetched idea; this was too important to me to brush off. Money or not, I was going. And I went. What can you say about the process of producing and filming the movie? Did it go as you expected? Any lessons for a would-be documentary maker? I don’t think of myself as a filmmaker. Though my film has started to get some attention from the industry, I stubbornly maintain an outsider’s perspective. So it’s weird when aspiring filmmakers ask me for advice. I will give you advice, however, as a teacher. There’s a story inside all of us. You are the only you and your experience on this earth is truly special. The world awaits your story. Sharing it is your right and your privilege. Just remember it’s a journey. Too many filmmakers write the credits before they even feel the story in their heart. They’re motivated by a finished product, any finished product, that wins them fame or money. I think that’s backwards. Expression may come through your voice, your movement, your pen, or your camera – that doesn’t matter. The process is your reward. What’s important is the adventure of discovering and reflecting, interacting and editing, learning and teaching. Your adventure will yield its own lessons, but here are mine: Do what you love. Share what you love. And as others do the same, most importantly, listen. Is there a standout moment from your travels or filming, something that is the most memorable or that really informed you about your subject? So many! I’ll give you two for now. There’s a scene in the film of a player in Nigeria playing with one shoe. When I was filming that a friend of mine was standing next to me behind the camera. He saw me focus in on the guy’s feet and he said, “when you show this in your country, your people will laugh.” He seemed embarrassed. I said “no, they will be inspired.” He wasn’t convinced. It was only then that I fully realized my responsibility in telling this story. Everyone I played with and filmed welcomed me with such open arms. They were so generous and trusting in sharing their game, their home, and their lives. My first goal in all this is to represent the truth and the beauty of these people. That’s much harder than you can imagine. Editing my four years of experience with these people into an 84 minute movie that communicates their depth to an audience who knows little more about these places besides TV stereotypes, that’s not easy. No wonder it took me two years to edit! There were also many fun times playing. Some people who watch my movie might think that I showed up with my camera from day one. Actually I was a player and a friend to these people long before I took out my camera. I usually spent at least the first 8 months only playing. My best memories come from those first few days joining the group. This was especially entertaining in Brazil. As much as I tried to blend in with the locals, my American accent gave me away in the time it took me to ask, “can I play?” They scoffed. “An American soccer player?!” In true Brazilian style, they proceeded to welcome and tease me at the same time. “This is the ball, you kick it,” they explained laughing...“Here, why don’t you start in goal!”...“Are you sure you’ve played before? You must be thinking of the American ‘football’,” they joked... One guy even bet my friend 40 bucks that I’d embarrass myself. Now, granted I’m no all star player, but I did think they were being a bit harsh and I was anxious to show them that I’ve at least played before. 10 seconds into the game the ball came to me. I trapped it and played a simple through ball...silence... “O Americano joga direitinho!” “The American can play!” Talk about low expectations! But that’s the beauty of cross-cultural interaction through play. We have these expectations and we shouldn’t ignore them; rather, we should play them out. We’re fascinated by cultural differences, but so often we’re scared to talk about them. In a pickup game that awkwardness melts away and we come together in such an honest way. What compels you about soccer in America, and/or the progress soccer has made in this country? (especially with your new perspective on what soccer means in other cultures?) American youth players are so fortunate to have arguably the greatest infrastructure for soccer development in place at the youth level. But I think if they only know soccer for select teams, ODP, and those rare college scholarships, not only is that not a sustainable interest in soccer, it’s also a view that misses out on the beauty and potential of the game. I got an email the other day from a mother who had seen the film with her son. She said her son, who plays on a select team, asked her to walk him over to the local park to join a pickup game where a friend of his plays with his Latino friends. They didn’t speak English but they welcomed him right in. She said the film really changed his perspective on soccer. This is what excites me about soccer in America. I want to help open up the eyes of our youth players to the depth of soccer. I want to help them wake up to the potential of this sport. I want them to realize that they speak the most well-known language on earth, and that represents so much potential for connecting with people across other barriers. This is a movie about soccer, but more than that, it’s about travel. I think of travel as interaction across borders. Those borders may be political borders halfway across the world. Or they may be the less talked-about borders of race and class within your hometown. Soccer transcends that. I think we have a responsibility to teach our kids more than how to pass the ball. We need to teach them to be interested in knowing that person receiving their pass. In a country that really struggles to make these connections across differences both internationally and domestically, soccer represents such amazing potential. What do you think is the #1 thing needed for soccer’s continued success in this country? (ex. national team success, MLS success, more vocal leaders, more colorful athletes, etc.) If you mean professional success, I think it would take more money, more big names in the MLS, more media high-ups with a soft spot for soccer, and a few lucky bounces for the US team in the World Cup. Or we could finally just give up on winning over baseball fans and go grassroots: merge the infrastructure and opportunities of youth soccer with the incredible playing potential and passion of the immigrant and low-income communities. What is your favorite soccer media (book/ movie/ tv show/etc.)? Ladybugs of course...Just kidding! I’ll go with Futebol: Soccer, the Brazilian Way by Alex Bellos. It’s a brilliant example of cultural ethnography through soccer.

http://www.twoonefivemagazine.com/features_detail.cfm/feature/268/ Cinema Savants: Getting Down with the Philadelphia Independent Film Fest two.one.five Magazine June 09 I Speak Soccer Dir. Terry Kegel Score: 6.0 A documentary about the language of pickup and the carefree DIY attitude of scrappy players on dusty fields, this film is devoid of jerseys, often times shoes, and, with them, any notions of grandeur. It does a simple and effective job portraying the universality of soccer, a sport tying nations worldwide together in their love of competitive pastime, everywhere in the world but the U.S. While young Americans grow up idolizing Tom Brady or LeBron James, chasing the fame that’s associated with sports like football and basketball, most children in every other country live for an impromptu game of futból. A maudlin, pseudo-poetic narrative by some random Seattle soccer enthusiast provides the basis for the film’s journey, one that he takes in order to explore pickup played by international citizens who meet his devotion to the game better than Americans ever could. The footage, either staged or amateurish, seems like it may have been shot on a family camcorder. But Writer/Director/Cinematographer/Producer/Editor Terry Kegel doesn’t seem to care about fancy production or HD picture -- he’s as scrappy as the players he celebrates in the film. He pulls the attitude off with zeal and authenticity. Kegel relays his captivation with the art of pickup as an honest expression of personal emotion and social trends, investigating how play affects culture and unspoken rules shape the game. Soccer depicts Brazilians born with balls at their feet and heroes on the World Cup field, as Americans blow cash on Nike Dunks (whether or not they’ll use them on the court) and quit sports once they hear the words “bench warmer.” The documentary is comprised mostly of one-on-one interviews with pickup players from the beaches of Rio de Janeiro to Chiang Mai, Thailand; cheesy narration full of one-liners, and more interesting profiles of the countries featured and how their people are inherently bonded to soccer. It’s remarkable how one game breeds so many different strains; Kegel gracefully contrasts the quiet, respectful play in Asia with the rowdy competitions in the sands of South America, giving his audience a tangible feeling of what it means to play for the love of it. -- Alison Greenberg

http://washington.bestsoccerever.com/Oct09/soccer-across-wa.html Eastside FC Alum Connects Cultures Through Soccer By Brian Beaky, Editor, E-PlayOn! October 09 Terry Kegel wants you to know that he does not consider himself a filmmaker. A teacher, yes. A soccer player, yes. A traveler, yes. But a filmmaker? To learn more about how Washington Youth Soccer is making our programs and services available to kids of all cultural, economic and ethnic backgrounds, click here! No, Kegel has never considered himself that. His new film, "I Speak Soccer," however, suggests otherwise. Comprised of home video shot by Kegel over the course of three years spent teaching abroad in Thailand, Brazil and Nigeria, "I Speak Soccer" shows the power of the beautiful game to create a common dialogue that is understood by people of nearly all cultural, economic and ethnic backgrounds. By playing together, we learn about each other, says Kegel, a former Emerald City FC player and Lakeside High School graduate. Through learning about each other, we form a common ground from which we can discover and celebrate each other's differences. The idea for the film first came when Kegel — the Seattle-born son of South African immigrants who was raised on a steady diet of soccer and travel to visit family abroad — spent a college semester studying in France. Despite not being completely familiar with the language or culture, Kegel was able to form close connections with the locals through soccer, having joined a pickup game one day a few weeks into his stay. "By sharing soccer and sharing those experiences with them, I really got to understand not only their game, but their culture," says Kegel. "Once I had that experience, I became curious every time I traveled about how that's different in each case." At first, Kegel simply wanted to document his experiences, in order to better be able to share them with his friends and family back home. It wasn't until Kegel's first day in Brazil — after a year spent teaching, playing and filming in Thailand — that he first saw past the surface concept of filming soccer around the world, to the powerful story of cultural connectedness waiting to be told. "I was just blown away by the volume on the court [in Brazil], and the way the players teased each other and pushed each other … that was something I hadn't experienced at all in Thailand," he says. "I realized how different the game looks in each place and how much it is affected by the culture and the environment of that specific place. That was really the point that the footage grew from something I was shooting just for myself and my friends, into something much bigger." The resulting 84-minute film takes viewers from the bustling streets of Thailand to the beaches of Brazil and the pot-holed fields of Nigeria, each stop illustrating how the game of soccer provides a fundamental framework for understanding a different culture, even as the game itself is markedly different from place to place. Since returning to the U.S. and editing the footage — a process Kegel says he learned "by trial-and-error" and one that added months to the production time — Kegel has shown "I Speak Soccer" at a number of film festivals, community centers, churches and schools, where it has received rave reviews, including the Audience Award at the 2009 Seattle True International Film Festival, and another award at Philadelphia's Independent Film Festival. Kegel says that the audiences for the film have applied their own interpretations to its scenes, their personal viewing experience framed in large part by their pre-existing cultural and personal backgrounds. In that way, he says, the film's screenings have almost become a microcosm of its core subject, allowing viewers with varied life experiences to form common connections with the film in their own individual ways. "It's been fun," Kegel says of putting his film on public display. "I've actually really appreciated the reaction from different groups. There's the soccer group, which kind of includes two groups … in America, we have a lot of organized ‘league' soccer, and then there's also the people who really get pickup soccer, who play a lot of pickup soccer, and they both get the movie in a different way. But in addition to the soccer people, there are a lot of other people who have traveled and appreciate the idea of finding a common interest across different cultures. Travelers get that, and appreciate that part of it. "Also, I'm an elementary school teacher," he says. "Kids understand learning through play, and I think that's a big theme of the movie. When we play together, we learn about each other. Kids get that, and I think teachers appreciate it. So it's nice to show the movie to those different groups and see how different people get it. It's not just a soccer movie; it's not just a travel movie. It's more." Though the movie has met with significant success, Kegel says he has no immediate plans to make another. Remember — he's a teacher, not a filmmaker. "I'd like to continue to tell stories through film in my classes and my teaching," he says. "Film is such a powerful way to tell a story. I could never have been able to put into words the cultural and personal experiences I had abroad in a way that would have conveyed the real emotion of those experiences to people back home. Soccer, though, is something they can connect to right away, and by putting it on film, it allows them to share that experience with me in a way they never could have otherwise. "The project has been such a journey, from writing it, to filming, to editing and putting it out there. It's been really empowering experience for me and has really helped me to come home, in a way, by sharing the experience with my friends and family here." Kegel hopes that American youth soccer players will see "I Speak Soccer" and draw connections between their own experiences and those of young people in other parts of the world. While copies of the movie are for sale at ispeaksoccer.com, with 100 percent of proceeds being sent directly to the Right To Play charity, Kegel also enjoys screening the movie for church groups, schools, clubs and other audiences throughout the Northwest. "My personal goal is that youth soccer players in America see it," he says. "I'd like to broaden their perspective of soccer, so they can see it the same way it was for me —a forum, or a tool, for looking over the whole world. I think it can be that way for a lot of people, because the game is universal; it's an in with the kids all over the world. If American youth players can start to see that and feel that and develop a curiosity for other people who are different from them, then I think that's a part of soccer that we need to teach them about." Terry Kegel is a former Washington Youth Soccer player and current elementary school teacher. If you have any questions or are interested in attending or hosting a screening of "I Speak Soccer," visit ispeaksoccer.com or contact Terry directly at ispeaksoccer@gmail.com.

- Seattle True Independent Film Festival -- Audience Award (Won)
- Philadelphia Film Festival -- Best Documentary Feature (Won)
- Washougal International Film Festival Official Selection 2009
- Official Selection All Nations Cup Film Festival 2009
- 2009 Official Selection All Sports Los Angeles Film Festival
- Tacoma Film festival