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"The lack of family structure combined with gangs,
drug use, and sexual abuse creates an immense need for the
youth to feel valued and find hope. The realization of God’s
love for them is the only counter to that. I want to facilitate
that love through soccer!" - Karl Ostrand
Coaching - a U15 boys team with
UBUNTU
Sports. This is an unique soccer academy program that
combines premier coaching, quality education with Biblical
principles to raise up godly African leaders.
Soccer Festivals – Karl launched
“All Nations Sports Ministries” and loves to do soccer festivals (over 100 kids attend) – and soon they were broken into stations…
- eating a light lunch
- learning a soccer skill (change of direction)
- playing soccer games
- competing for prizes at skill challenges
- learning the story of Zacchaeus with oral story telling
(a man in the Bible who changed the direction of his life)
See the photos
and watch the video
from the first Soccer Festival.
Coaches Training - Karl is developing
a training program
for local African men on how to become excellent soccer
coaches and be a positive influence on the younger generation...which
includes a coaching certification.
Note: This is so exciting, as the community center
in Ocean View, although currently scheduled to be built
in 2012, is taking longer to be finalized than we hoped.
This new soccer ministry can be started without the community
center and can easily be moved to that facility once the
community center is ready.
Someone recently said to Karl..."Wow...those kids
in Africa must sure feel lucky to have a coach with your
experience teaching them soccer skills."
Sure, teaching kids to play great soccer is nice. I love
the game...seeing a boy's eyes light up when they finally
master a difficult skill, teaching the true meaning of teamwork,
inspiring them to work hard and try new things.
But beyond that - I'm excited about soccer ministry because
it gives me a chance to show kids that someone cares about
THEM. For many of these kids, I may be the only man in their
life that doesn't yell at them, swear at them, or hit them.
It's possible that I may be the only person that loves them.
I want each child to feel the love of Jesus through me.
Karl Ostrand grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
After playing soccer in a club and at school,
he realized his passion was to mentor youth. He is excited
to use soccer as a tool to teach boys how to become the
kind of men who will have a positive influence on their
families and communities!
In 2002 he began coaching with Gladiator
Soccer Club in Omaha, which later became Omaha FC - the
largest soccer club in Omaha Nebraska (with over 4000 kids).
Karl was the head coach of the 95/96 boys
teams at Omaha FC. The boys he started coaching when they
were 8 years old are now a 4 time state cup champion, having
never lost a state cup game played. He was on the staff
of the Game-Winner Striker’s Camp and Omaha Soccer
Academy.
Karl was also the assistant coach at Brownell
Talbot from 2004 to 2006. He helped turn around a program
that went from 1-11 to 8-4-1 in just one season.
He was the Director of Operations
for the Omaha FC soccer club and founded and directed The
Omaha Futsal League.
Karl currently holds a Premier Diploma
and Director of Coaching diploma from the National Soccer
Coaches Association of America.
In 2010,
Karl and his family quit their jobs and moved to Cape
Town, South Africa. There, they are on staff with All
Nations, an interdenominational Christian, non-profit
(501C3, ) that provides specialized leadership and discipleship
schools. They currently serve in a township
that is plagued by gangs, drugs, alcohol abuse and sexual
& physical abuse.
Karl continues to use soccer as a platform
to mentor youth in Africa, coaching a boys team with Ubuntu
Sports and is starting Soccer
Festivals in 2012. He will also be
training African men on how to become excellent coaches
and a mentor to the next generation.
He hopes to see lives radically changed and
give hope to the hopeless!
Karl is
married to his wife of 10 years, Julie. They have three
little girls - Jensen, Emerson and Adison.
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