Building a community on the field
When Dr. Eduardo Freitas, infectious disease physician at Great Plains Health, moved to North Platte in 2009, he noticed something right away. “I didn’t see any adults playing soccer,” he said. “There were lots of soccer fields, but no one playing.” Dr. Freitas, along with some other physicians, started playing pickup games. “We played Thursday evenings after work, and on the weekends,” he said. Dr. Pushkar Kanade, Great Plains Health Nephrology, soon joined in. “Originally we had Dr. Shukla, Dr. Kumar, Dr. Molina, Dr. Naidoo and Dr. Freitas,” said Dr. Kanade. “Then, over time, others started to join us. We had a good turnout from our international nurses and our local Hispanic and Caribbean population.” Oftentimes pickup games would be followed by barbecues or activities. What started as a small group turned into a community event. “At times we would have over 30 people playing: men, women and children,” said Dr. Kanade. “It was a great way to get to know each other and interact with the broader community,” added Dr. Freitas.
When the weather turned cold, the pickup games continued indoors at the North Platte Recreation Center. “Soccer is a good workout and a sport that can be played year-round,” explained Dr. Kanade. Members of the community eventually formed an intramural team and went to competitions in Lexington. “The team name was Los Cachorros, the North Platte Dogs,” said Dr. Freitas. When asked if they won often, he laughed, “Our players are very competitive. We would get too many red cards.” Los Cachorros, the North Platte Dogs Although the team has stopped meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic, participants look forward to when they can play together again. Dr. Freitas promised, “Once this is over, the team will be reunited.”
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