[ARETE] Duffy, Soccer Grannies

[Duncan Jamieson]

All,
Please find attached and below Jean Duffy, *Soccer Grannies*, reviewed by
Lisa Timpf.

Thanks,
Duncan

*Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the World*



Duffy, Jean. Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the
World. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2023. xix + 264pp. Photos, Chapter
Notes, Bibliography, Index, $34.00.



Reviewed by Lisa Timpf



*Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the World *is a
non-fiction book that could just as well read as the script of a
triumph-against-the-odds movie. *Soccer Grannies* quietly reminds us about
what, at the root of it, is important and valuable about sport. The
camaraderie. The invitation to enhanced fitness. Sport’s ability to connect
people across ethnic divides, across socio-economic classes, across
cultural differences, and across continents.



The Soccer Grannies, as Jean Duffy first came to know them, were a team
composed, quite literally, of South African grandmothers—women in their
40’s to their 80’s. But as is true of many of the best things in life,
these soccer-loving grandmothers came by their love of the sport in a
roundabout fashion.



The Soccer Grannies started off as a group of women trying to improve their
fitness. After undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer in 2003, the club’s
founder, Rebecca (better known as ‘Beka’) Ntsanwisi, was advised by the
doctor to exercise in order to regain her strength. While at the clinic for
her appointments, Beka had noticed many older women struggling with medical
issues. She rightly assumed that others, too, could use some intervention
to help them overcome illnesses that were “robbing South Africa’s women of
their twilight years.”



Beka started “an exercise program for ladies who were out of shape and
wanted to do something about it.” One day, when the group was exercising in
a field, a group of boys accidentally kicked a soccer ball in their
direction. When a member of the exercise group booted it back, Beka
suggested, half-jokingly, that they try soccer. The idea was greeted with
enthusiasm by her companions. Beka hired a coach to instruct them in the
basics, and the women found that playing soccer improved their mobility and
strength. More than that, “they were also enjoying laughter and
friendship—which in turn improved their mental health.”



The Soccer Grannies looked forward to the time spent on the soccer field.
That didn’t mean it was easy. They had to overcome cultural obstacles. Some
community members argued they should be at home looking after their
grandchildren. Others criticized their choice of attire. But the Grannies
were steadfast in their determination. The health and social benefits of
their time spent on the soccer pitch outweighed social pressure.



*Soccer Grannies* author Jean Duffy was first exposed to the Grannies
through a video forwarded to her by a soccer teammate. Jean herself was 51
years old at the time, “only recently switched from soccer momming on the
sidelines to chasing the ball.” Jean felt an instant connection, despite
the 7,875 miles between her home in Lexington, Massachusetts and the
Grannies’ home in Nkowankowa, Limpopo. Jean, along with key figures from
her own team and others in the league, began a fundraising campaign to
bring the Soccer Grannies to play in the annual Veterans Cup, which in 2010
was scheduled to be held in Massachusetts.



The book describes the ups and downs of the campaign to enable the Grannies
make the trip, the experience of hosting the South African team in the
United States, and a subsequent visit to South Africa by Duffy and others.



In addition to the description of events, Duffy provides historical context
for the Grannies’ endeavours, outlining some of the social and political
challenges confronting South Africa women. Brief biographies of several of
the Grannies are also included. These profiles provide depth to the book,
illustrating the difficulties—poverty, abuse, discrimination, and the
like—that the soccer-playing South African women have endured, and
triumphed over, in the course of their lives.



The events are recounted in roughly chronological fashion, though in the
Author’s Note, Duffy states that some time lines were slightly adjusted to
support a logical flow. Duffy took her time writing the book, spending
seven years sifting through email correspondence, photographs, formal
interviews, newspaper articles, and other sources. She also consulted
various sources to get a sense of South African history and culture. An
extensive bibliography is provided at the back of the book. Several photos
are also included, capturing the Grannies’ visit to the United States as
well as a reciprocal visit by Duffy and others to South Africa.



Though at the outset I mentioned a triumph-against-the-odds story, the
Grannies did not sweep into town and win every game. But it was never about
that. It was about having the opportunity to make the journey, despite the
seemingly-staggering logistical difficulties. Reading *Soccer Grannies*
reminded me of an article I read in a Philosophy of Sport textbook back in
the early 80s. The article revolved around the application of Martin
Buber’s I-Thou to sport. An encounter with the Soccer Grannies encourages
one to think of playing *with, *rather than *against, *another team.



One doesn’t have to be a soccer fan or soccer player to enjoy *Soccer
Grannies*. In my playing days, I gravitated toward softball, and field,
ice, and ball hockey, but that didn’t stop me from connecting with the
book’s messages. The underlying themes about the power of sport to motivate
movement and to engender laughter and camaraderie still apply, regardless
of one’s choice of sport. As an older woman, it was also easy for me to
appreciate the additional barriers gender and age can place on one’s
ability and comfort level in carving out time and space for play.



The story of the Soccer Grannies doesn’t end with Duffy’s book. New
chapters in the Grannies’ saga are still being written. As I was preparing
this review for SLA, the first-ever Grannies International Football
Tournament was underway, with teams from the United States, France, and
various countries across Africa participating.



Duffy’s book tells the story of the original Soccer Grannies team, weaving
together a compelling tale that tells us something about the power of sport
to engender well-being and forge connections. As the cutline from one of
the photos notes, “These athletes remind us that sport does not belong to
the young alone; bodies of all ages, sizes, and abilities benefit from
playing the beautiful game.”



*Soccer Grannies* might appeal to a number of audiences, including, but not
limited to, students of comparative sport, individuals interested in
women’s sport, and those with an interest in how sport can engender
physical and mental health in aging populations.



Though *Soccer Grannies* is Duffy’s first book, she has previously been
published in venues like the *Boston Globe*, the *Stamford Advocate*, and
the *Concord Monitor*.



Remember to smell the roses as you recumber past

Duncan R. Jamieson, Ph. D.
Professor of History
Book Review Editor
*AETHLON: The Journal of Sport Literature*
Ashland University
Ashland, OH  44805
USA
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