Twelve British referees and their mentors descended upon Highlander School yesterday, enjoying a break in their schedule officiating matches at the Dr. Pepper Dallas Cup. All are staying with neighborhood families while participating in the international youth soccer tournament. They were invited into classrooms to share stories about their life back in England, and the kids were all ears.
Ben Speedie and Luke Scott visited Debbie Welch’s first graders, where the kids had tea and scones waiting. The lads said their favorite thing about Dallas so far has been the friendliness of the people they’ve met. They shared stories of their Dallas adventures, including a trip to the local homeless shelter to serve lunch and visits to the JFK Museum and Fort Worth Stockyards.
Laura asked what it’s like to live in the U.K., and the lads replied that “it’s much like living in Dallas – the weather changes every day. Rainy then sunny, cold then hot.”
That she understood.
Evelyn was interested in the changing of the guard, and she impressed the lads by knowing about the guards’ bearskin hats.
Owen earned bonus points when he asked, “Do you play cricket?”
They love the game, which they explained can go on for five days.
John said he’d recently watch a match on TV played in snow, but the lads said those conditions – in a February game Manchester City versus Fulham – were rare.
Jade wondered if the lads had seen Big Ben (they had). In his follow up (he’s a born journalist), he asked if they’d ridden in a double decker red bus. They admitted it can be a little scary up top on a windy day.
Ben and Luke were impressed with the kids’ knowledge of England (they’d been studying Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit) and noted their stellar behavior.
“They were fascinated about the time difference,” said Darren Bond, who chatted with the fourth graders in Laura Toler’s class. “We pointed out where we’re from on a map, and we told them some refs came all the way from New Zealand. They couldn’t imagine an 18-hour plane flight.”
“They were interested in everything about London,” Richard Clark told me. “They asked why the queen wasn’t elected.”
“They seemed to know a great deal about [English] football,” Bond added. “We talked about the forms of communication on the field, like flags and buzzers and using body language instead of shouting. They were aware that officials communicate electronically. They seemed more mature than English students.”
In the end, Ginny Jarrell’s third graders were sad to see their new friends depart.
“Can I come and visit you in England?” asked one, while others waited in line for autographs. (They learned the Brits call it a queue.)
Meanwhile, Mrs. Welch’s class cooked up a plan. After she stepped out then returned, they all rose and gave her a red card.
“I’ve seen plenty of those,” said the die-hard soccer mom with a smile.
