One Goal
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At Lewiston High School, coaches Dan Gish, Abdijabar Hersi, and Per Henrikson answered my questions and became my cheerleaders. A special thanks to Per for providing hours of invaluable game footage. Principal Shawn Chabot and Athletic Director Jason Fuller opened doors and made sure I knew where to go. Gus Le Blanc and Ronda Fournier were wonderful resources.
I am most indebted to the Blue Devils themselves, especially those whose names appear in this book. From the locker room to their homes, practices to games, they were patient, funny, and giving. Whether I was on the sideline of a playoff game, in the middle of a team huddle, at the fence of the venerable Respect Ramadan Tournament, or in their kitchens, they welcomed my camera, my questions, and me. Extra shout-outs to Abdi Shariff-Hassan, Moe Khalid, Karim and Zak Abdulle, Austin Wing, Alex Rivet, Hassan Qeyle, Abdiaziz Shaleh, Dek Hassan, Ian Hussey, Nuri Othman, Ben Musese, Joe Kalilwa, Maslah Hassan, Mwesa Mulonda, Ridwan Ali, Muktar and Warsame Ali, and, especially, Maulid Abdow. Special thanks to all of their parents, but especially Hassan Matan, Shafea Omar, Habibo Farah, Denis and Kathy Wing, and the Booster Club. I wish Suada Osman had lived to see the finished book; she is remembered with love.
Kim Wettlaufer and Carolyn McNamara made sure I didn’t always eat by myself in a hotel room, and showed me how to be part of this community. Abdullahi Abdi always greeted my questions with a warm smile in his gentle way. His daughter, Halima, became a trusted friend; his grandchildren became my playmates. Shobow Saban, Abdikadir Negeye, and everyone at Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services, as well as Phil Nadeau at City Hall, and LHS alums Eric Wagner and Lise Wagner honed my perspective on soccer and immigration in Lewiston. The very talented filmmaker Ian Clough was a fellow traveler. I am so grateful for his generosity, good humor, and long talks. Erin Reed’s work at Trinity Jubilee is heroic. Thanks to Joel Costigan, Josh Morrissey, and Colleen and Matt Whitaker for showing me what Lewiston looks like from the other side of the field. Thanks, too, to Jake Rosenwasser, Judge George Singal, Audree Burns, Tammy Levesque English, Kirby Bradley, Julia Sleeper, and Mary Carillo.
Cheers to my soccer connoisseurs Greg Lalas, Nate Kalin, Harry Miller, my nephew Max Wojtas, and, especially, Michael Beattie, my MVP, whose generous feedback kept me in line. Whitney Kassel provided a skilled editorial eye on Somalia and refugee resettlement; Stash Wislocki gave me corresponding photos. Colleagues Nick, Dan, Becca, Roblyn, and Nereida make professional life bearable, while Dr. Nahed Nourreddine offered expert Arabic translation. Catherine Pearlman read my earliest pages and offered wise advice; Beth McGregor, Rodney Bedsole, Emma Bates Zar, Dan Smith, Rebecca Traister, Lisa Genova, Kate Bolick, and Aaron Cohen all pitched in. Sarah Tynan Sullivan read pages far into the night, brainstorming, supporting, and being the dearest friend a person can be. Anne, Gwen, Dierdra, Ashley, Scott, Anna, Sandee, Val, Sally, Beth, Lori, Sam, Ken, Rachel, Julie, Liza, and Limor are my village.
The excellent, insightful scholarship of Kimberly Huisman, Catherine Besteman, Mary Rice-DeFosse, and James Myall provided essential secondary resource material. I am grateful I met Kevin Mills before his untimely passing. His articles about Lewiston soccer deservedly won awards. Thanks to Justin Pelletier at the Lewiston Sun Journal; Steve Greenlee at the Portland Press Herald; and Jay Burns, Darby Ray, Marianne Nolan Cowan, Bill Hiss, and Phyllis Gerber Jenson at Bates College.
CNN Opinion’s Pat Wiedenkeller and Robert Gallant said yes when I first wanted to write about a soccer team in Maine, and then provided support when the ugly, hateful reactions to the piece came in.
I am indebted to my editor, Mauro DiPreta, for wanting to turn that first article into a book. His fine editorial eye and his compassion for the story contributed greatly to making this a better book. Thanks also to his patient assistant, David Lamb, as well as the copyediting, production, and publicity mavens at Hachette.
Dan Strone of Trident Media is not just an agent; he is a connection to one of the most important pieces of my heart. He stepped in and stuck like glue, honoring what he first called “our Miltie pact,” brilliantly guiding me through this process while understanding how timing can be bittersweet.
My father, Milton Bass, the quintessential raconteur, would’ve loved the evolution this book represents for me as a writer. My mother, Ruth, my brother, Michael, and my sister, Elissa, have helped mark what this project means. My husband, Evan, held down the fort so I could be a soccer groupie in Maine, packed me snacks for the road, and spent more time with these pages than he’d care to admit. He and our daughter, Hannah, who had a blast on the sideline, will always be my championship team.
Photos
At the UNHCR refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya, children play volleyball and soccer, mainstays during their time at the camp, where many in Lewiston’s Somali Bantu community lived before relocating. (Stash Wislocki)
Abdikadir Negeye in his office at Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services. Founded as the Somali Bantu Youth Association, which created some of the first soccer teams in Lewiston for refugee youth, today MEIRS offers extensive support programs from offices in both Lewiston and Portland. (Amy Bass)
Shobow Saban, who played soccer for Lewiston High School and then returned to Lewiston to work for MEIRS, runs down a ball during the annual LHS alumni game at Drouin Field. “Soccer to me is not just kicking around, playing around,” he says. “It’s beyond that.” (Amy Bass)
Assistant Coach Dan Gish and Coach Mike McGraw huddle with the team before a summer game at Drouin Field. In the distance, many of the players’ mothers, who make sambusa for the concession stand and provide emotional support for their sons, have a huddle of their own. (Amy Bass)
The Blue Devils listen to Coach McGraw during an early fall practice at Marcotte Park. In the background, the spires of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul serve as a reminder of Lewiston’s French-Canadian immigrant history. (Amy Bass)
As Coach McGraw offers one of his legendary pregame speeches, defender Abdiaziz Shaleh listens with deference. McGraw has used the rules of the game to bring kids of all backgrounds to the team, emphasizing the need for them to work together on the field and off. (Amy Bass)
Abdullahi Abdi, who coaches Lewiston Middle School’s eighth-grade team and works with the high school freshmen in the summer, offers Muktar Ali a bit of sideline advice at a summer game. “The coach of everyone,” community leader Abdikadir Negeye says about Abdi. (Amy Bass)
Assistant coaches Abdijabar Hersi and Dan Gish plot defensive strategies before a game. In 2014, Hersi became the first Somali coach hired by the high school’s athletic depart-ment. (Amy Bass)
Always one to show off his moves, Maulid Abdow practices his handspring flip throw during gym class at Lewiston High School. By his junior year, the move became a weapon for the Blue Devils, as opponents had difficulty gauging where the ball was going to land. (Amy Bass)
Shafea Omar, Maulid’s mother, takes in a summer soccer game at Drouin Field, shouting advice to her son and his teammates as only a mother can. (Amy Bass)
Abdi Shariff-Hassan and Moe Khalid practice intricate footwork, their ever-present Beats headphones keeping them focused and in sync. (Amy Bass)
Abdi Shariff-Hassan, Karim Abdulle, and Hassan “Q” Qeyle celebrate Abdi H.’s second-half goal against twin city rival Edward Little in the playoffs. The Blue Devils won the game 5–0, outshooting their opponents 22–2. (Russ Dillingham, Lewiston Sun Journal)
Maslah Hassan celebrates his second-half goal in the playoff game against Hampden Academy with Joe Kalilwa and cousin Maulid Abdow. The Blue Devils’ victory meant a trip back to the state final. (Daryn Slover, Lewiston Sun Journal)
Coach McGraw embraces Muktar Ali to celebrate Lewiston High School’s first state championship in soccer before a record-breaking crowd at Portland’s Fitzpatrick Stadium. “I was comfortably numb,” McGraw says of the moment. “Like that song? Now I know what that means.” (Daryn Slover, Lewiston Sun Journal)
Austin Wing runs into goalkeeper coach Per Henrikson’s open
arms seconds after the Blue Devils clinch their first state championship. Wing recovered from a brutal second-half collision to finish the game as goalie and celebrate. (Daryn Slover, Lewiston Sun Journal)
Lewiston teacher Ronda Fournier attempts crowd control as Blue Devils fans, including many former players, celebrate at Fitzpatrick Stadium. “All the kids wanted to celebrate,” remembers Athletic Director Jason Fuller. “It was really overwhelming.” (Justin Pelletier, Lewiston Sun Journal)
Maulid Abdow, Abdi Shariff-Hassan, Zak Abdulle, Ben Doyle, and their teammates climb up the bleachers to share the state championship trophy with family and friends. “They deserved it as much as we did,” Abdi H. said. (Daryn Slover, Lewiston Sun Journal)
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