Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. - Once again, the Hokie men's soccer program will assist in the Virginia Tech World Cup Executive Committee's third annual soccer tournament on Friday and Saturday, April 25-26.
The WCEC (formerly the Global Diversity Study Group) welcomes alumni, undergraduate and graduate students, staff and faculty from the Virginia Tech community, as well as other universities and colleges throughout central and southwest Virginia to participate in a tournament promoting diversity. The tournament will commence with a banquet at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 25 in the Bowman Room of the Jamerson Athletic Center, with the soccer competition taking place on Saturday, April 26 on the soccer and lacrosse practice fields across from Lane Stadium. Previous tournaments have included student participation from schools such as Radford University, Virginia Military Institute, and Hollins University.
Michael Brizendine, the Virginia Tech assistant men's soccer coach, is excited about hosting the tournament for the third year: "The tournament is a good way for our team to give back to our diverse student body. It's one of the most unique and fun events that we are involved in all year. This tournament represents, on a small scale, what it is like at a World Cup event. There is a mixing of different cultures, with players and spectators all coming together under the soccer umbrella for a weekend of socializing, entertainment, and competing. It is a truly unifying experience."
The men's soccer team will join a campus-wide and cross-departmental effort to put on the event, which has received annual financial and material support from President Steger's office, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Alcohol Abuse Prevention Center, Alumni Affairs, Student Affairs, Outreach and International Affairs, Graduate School, University Unions and Student Activities, and the Cranwell International Center.
The goal of the banquet and soccer tournament is to promote sport as an avenue for sociability, a vehicle for formative interaction and a collective spirit. The WCEC is also further committed year round to increasing interactions between diverse communities, which will hopefully increase interactions between many diverse communities, while providing a catalyst for long-term organizational development and partnerships. The pre-tournament banquet functions as a mini-conference examining the cultural and historical formation of national and regional identities through public and civic engagement in the global sport of soccer. This year's guest speaker is Dr. Tom Martin, head coach of James Madison University's men's soccer team. Dr. Martin will be leading a discussion on the role of soccer in the United States and its larger cultural importance.
Jonathan McCloud of the Cranwell International Center echoes soccer's diverse appeal: "Soccer can provide a very real bridge over the cultural, economic, and gender divisions in our world's communities. Meaningful learning doesn't only happen in the classroom. It happens anywhere and anytime; there is quality engagement among multiple world-views. This tournament is a direct result of Virginia Tech embracing that ideal."
On April 25-26 the WCEC's motto of "Many Flags, Many Languages, One Goal" will be celebrated once again, as diverse communities come together on the soccer field, playing what Pele calls, "the beautiful game."