By Lizzy Snell
Media Intern
The largest youth soccer tournament in the Western hemisphere owes a great deal of its success to people who work from dawn to well past dark and do not even get paid to work during the nine day event.
Over 1,000 volunteers are involved in the 24th annual SCHWAN’S USA CUP, presented by PUMA. Volunteers work all over the vast National Sports Center campus; from checking tickets in the cafeteria to working as a field manager.
Paul Terry has been volunteering at the tournament for 15 years and has been in charge of radio operations for the last five years.
“Mark Gamm, who works in field services first got me involved,” Terry said. “I started out as a field manager.”
Terry said he did not come from a soccer family and that he played baseball when he was younger.
“It’s a lot of fun, you come and hang out with your friends for a week and a half. We’ve met people from all over the world.”
Nancy Terry, Paul’s wife, has been a part of USA CUP for the past 11 years and also works in radio operations.
“I sort of married into it,” she said with a smile. “It’s definitely a fun place to meet and talk to different people.”
Paul Terry agreed and said he and his wife want to stay involved in the tournament as long as they can.
“They’re going to have to drag us out of here kicking and screaming,” he said.
Left: Nancy and Paul Terry working hard in the radio operations room.
Another aspect to Schwan’s USA CUP is the homestay program, devoted to placing international teams with Minnesota families during the tournament.
Mike and Jo Klubberud are homestaying two 12-year-old boys from Ecuador. The Klubberud’s have two girls of their own, ages two and seven, but do not have a child playing in the tournament.
“We got involved through our neighbors,” Mike Klubberud said. “It’s been great fun. The kids have been having a great time.”
Jo Klubberud said her daughters have become attached to their new “older brothers.”
“They’ve fallen in love with the boys,” she said. “I’m afraid that when they have to leave they’ll say ‘Where are my boys?’”
Right: Ignacio Chiri, #4, and Santiago Hall, #3, listen to their head coach, William Vallejo Tivan after their Wednesday afternoon game. Both boys are staying with the Klubberud family.
Jo Klubberud added that it has been nice to get to know the boys and learn about a new culture.
Left: Mike Klubberud, Ignacio Chiri, Santiago Hall and Jo Klubberud: a new family formed through the homestay program.
Gina Flak is another parent involved in homestay for the first time. Flak grew up in Blaine, Minn. and even played youth soccer. But she stopped playing one year before the NSC opened and never got the chance to play on the fields herself.
“I’ve known about the tournament since the beginning,” Flak said. “My girls play, my husband and I coach and I play in an adult co-rec league. But my daughter isn’t playing in the tournament this year so we decided to volunteer.”
Flak is hosting five players from the U16 boys’ team, TMG, hailing from Denmark. With the Denmark players and her own children, Flak has a total of nine kids under her roof.
“It’s been great,” she said. “The boys have all been so polite; they play soccer with my kids, they play poker with them. We definitely want to stay involved and we want them back if they return to the tournament.”
Flak has been taking photos during Denmark’s stay and uploading them onto a Facebook group created by the team. That way, she said, the boys’ parents back home can stay involved and see what is going on.
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