Teens learn the elements of soccer, the “other” football

Thomas Toole, youth minister at First United Methodist Church (FUMC) New Albany, took on an ambitious task Wednesday afternoon.

Toole was teaching a few dozen teenagers the fundamentals of the sport known in 194 of the world’s 195 countries as “football.”

The sport is also called soccer. Only in the United States is something called football, a radically dissimilar game.

Toole had a perfect venue and perfect weather for his endeavors. The Harwell Serenity Garden at FUMC was the teaching ground. Temperatures were mild under a partly cloudy sky.

A mild day and a beautiful field – perfect for learning about soccer.

Thomas Toole gives a post practice wrap-up.

All were doing a better-than-average job of social distancing, with masks mostly properly worn.

Maybe we’ll see some of these Methodist kids in the World Cup one of these years.