Soccer tournament brings community together

The city of South Salt Lake’s Hser Ner Moo Community and Welcome Center recently hosted its annual youth soccer tournament July 9 at the old Granite Park complex.

The tournament is one of three that are organized through funding provided by the United Way. Three other welcome centers in Salt Lake County – Midvale, Horizonte and Hartland – host tournaments in June and November. The communities primarily serve refugees from third-world countries, giving them access to educational and recreational opportunities they couldn’t otherwise afford.

Doug Wixom, project manager for after school programs for the City of South Salt Lake, served as tournament director for the event.

Each center does its best to field four senior (ages 14-18) and four junior (13-under) teams for each tournament. Soccer coaches are provided to oversee practices and tournament games, while the United Way pays for uniforms and referees to officiate the games.

Hser Ner Moo’s senior team defeated Midvale 2-0 for the championship, while Hartland, also known as “Africa United,” claimed the junior championship at the South Salt Lake tournament. A team from Granite Park Junior High (13-14 year-olds), one of the after-school programs run by the city, participated in the tournament and held its own despite playing against older competition.

Hser Ner Moo also won the championship of the tournament hosted by the Midvale center in June, defeating the hosts in the finals. Hser Ner Moo had two junior and two senior teams in the tournament.

The Hartland center is organizing the next tournament, scheduled for November at the University of Utah’s indoor football practice facility. Participants will also spend time touring the campus in anticipation of attending college. Hser Ner Moo’s senior team placed second in the tourney last year.