Teen Discovers a Way to Unite Kids Around the World
Ethan King loves soccer so much, he's determined to find a way for every kid, near or far, to enjoy the sport.
The 14-year-old is the founder and creator of Charity Ball, a non-profit that distributes soccer balls to children in need around the world. He got the idea four years ago when he went to Mozambique for the first time with his father, who was in the country to build wells, and discovered that the soccer ball he carried with him drew quite the crowd.
"As soon as I brought the soccer ball out of the truck, I was just swarmed with people," Ethan comments in a new documentary called "Pass the Ball." "I noticed, after I took a break and looked around, some of the kids had just set down their own soccer balls, which were just basically a bunch of plastic bags wrapped up in twine."
Kids in the country loved soccer, but had to make their own balls. Ethan notes, "I just felt so bad that they called it a soccer ball."
Ethan began playing the sport at age 6, and knew the value of the game. He owned a handful of balls at home, and couldn't understand why these children didn't have even one. Witnessing their reactions to his real sports gear, the young boy, who was 10 at the time, was motivated to change the circumstances.
"If a kid loves the game of soccer, and they don't have just a basic ball to enjoy the game, something needs to be done about that," Ethan remarks.
Ethan partnered with Neven Subotić, a professional soccer player and philanthropist, and the two began raising money to purchase new soccer balls. They've raised over 4,000 to date, and hand-deliver them around the world to make sure they get to the proper destination. If donors are lending support, Subotic and Ethan don't feel it's right to simply ship a box across the ocean and hope it makes it to children.
They're also insistent that the balls are high quality so they'll last for awhile. "Putting a ball in a kid's hands allows them to have fun, and it promotes a healthy lifestyle and teamwork," Ethan says. "It builds the community up as well."
Plus, as one Mozambique leader points out, soccer is a universal mode of communication. Kids playing together find common ground in the dirt, adrenaline, and competition of the game. "You could not speak the language but if you have the ball, everybody speaks the language," he says. "It unifies people."
For Ethan, it's a chance to give all kids the opportunity he has each and every day. "My dad always says, 'You get to do what you love to do today,'" Ethan comments. "You can go out there and have fun."
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