Yeah Yeah Lead!

                When I first learned that we were going to read Outcasts United for class, I was not thrilled at all. I barely glanced at the book my freshman class was assigned to read, and I definitely wasn’t interested in hearing about this year’s story. I assumed it would be some cliché story, which might have been made up anyways (something I assumed based on what I knew of past freshmen books).

                But, once I had gotten through the second chapter I found that I couldn’t put the book down. Not only is the overall story of The Fugees amazing, but each individual kid’s as well. Outcasts United is inspiring and interesting, and I can’t wait to hear Luma speak next week.

                There are many examples of this book that relate to the Social Change Model of Leadership. One of the main ideas of the model is that a leader is not a person that holds a position or is the main head of a group, but is simply a person that drives change in a positive direction. One such person is Kanue, who showcases this when Luma cancelled the U-15 season because she felt that the players didn’t care. Kanue is one of the hardest working and most dedicated players, so when Luma cancelled the season he was also one of the most devastated. He approached Luma and convinced her to hold tryouts for a new team and went door to door in Clarkston to convince people to come. During tryouts he even gave a guiding voice by yelling out encouragement and tips to the others that were trying out.

                By doing this he highlights many values from the social change model, but I think the most apparent are his demonstration of commitment and controversy with civility. The way in which he talked to Luma and convinced her to hold tryouts, as well as the way that he acted during the season seemed very mature to me, which is why he handles controversy with civility. At such a young age it is easy to back down or handle the situation with a bad handle on emotion, but instead he essentially stands up to Luma and is mature and civil enough to get the change that he thought was best.

                Luma herself also exemplifies the model. One such time is when the Fugees were just starting off, and there was tension between players. The two best players on the oldest team, the Liberian Darlington Ziaty and the Iraqi Peshawa Hamad, began to compete for Luma’s attention as well as separate the team because of their ethnicities and languages.  Luma responded to this by only speaking in English to players, even though she was fluent in Arabic, and giving Darlington and Peshawa the ultimatum to work together or be kicked off the team. The result is that the team united, and Darlington and Peshawa became a strong attacking combination.

                Collaboration is a very important part of social change, because it is very apparent that not everyone will have the same views on everything. But by capitalizing on the strengths of different people an even stronger combination can be made. Luma understood this and made the players understand that through collaboration they can become a better team. By only speaking in English, she also made each player equal, and didn’t make it seems as if she had favorites. Therefore everyone was more committed to contributing to the group values.

                The main example of social change was when Luma decided to start The Fugees. When she first approached the kids playing on the field by one of her favorite Arabic convenience stores  she got to know them by continuing to stop by. After a while she realized that by putting the team together she would not only being helping the community but herself. She had always had bouts of homesickness and soccer was a great way for her to battle it. But by creating the team she was able to create a community for these kids as well as keep them out of trouble. A positive influence was very important to Luma, which was seen in her rule to have short hair. She associated long hair with gangs and trouble, and wanted the kids to be as far from it as possible. This sense of community and positive change is very important to the model.

                Luma’s approach to leadership is very interesting and inspiring. She pushes for the kids to overcome the differences between themselves and unite to the common goal of playing soccer. But she is very strict and commands respect throughout the team. She make sure that the team knows that she is in charge and is always decisive. But she also makes it known that she cares a lot about the team and sticks to her values. Luma tries her best to treat each kid equally, but she gives each kid attention, whether positive or negative. For example, she drives Jeremiah to practice because she knows his dedication to the team, but she also lets Prince go because he won’t cut his hair. By doing so she makes sure that the players not only get to play but also learn and develop as people.

                Personally I found the drive of each kid most inspiring. I can see how Luma has the maturity and capability to start a team like this, but it has to be difficult for the young kids to do some of the things they have. Even small things like Jeremiah coming to the first day of practice with only one shoe, or the team getting teased because they are refugees add to this. I think that the true story of the book is not the story of the team, because they are strong and under the watch of Luma. Instead, the true inspiration comes from the underdog story of each player, because they had to face individual conflicts that I don’t think even most adults could overcome.