RACING CLUB SOUVENIR!!

When I was on my mission, in 1996, I was in the city of Catamarca, a small town in the North west of Argentina. My companion and I stopped at a Garage and spoke with a mechanic. The mechanic had sporting decorations for a soccer team from Buenos Aires by the name of Racing Club. (Racing Club is one of the big 5 soccer teams in Argentina.) While speaking to him, I felt his passion and love for the team. He pointed to the team picture on the wall and talked about the goalkeeper, Nacho Gonzalez. I instantly felt a connection with the team. I felt like a TRUE fan.

Not many days after this, I left Argentina to return back to the United States to finish my studies at BYU. I learned more about Racing Club from the internet while at BYU. In 2002 KaDee bought me a world soccer book that had several pictures of Racing’s recent championship the year previously. After KaDee and I were married, I found ways to watch Racing on TV, and later by internet as well. It’s not easy to follow a soccer team from Buenos Aires while living in the United States! But now have a couple channels where Racing could appear for any given game.

I’ve never had anything ‘Racing’. None of the soccer stores carry their jersey (I‘ve asked everywhere). My dream one day is to return to Argentina and Buenos Aires and sit in the Cilandro (stadium where Racing plays) with the Guardia Imperial (Racing fans), cheering and singing for the team I love.

A couple weeks ago I found out that an affiliation of Racing had been created in California. I contacted the President of the affiliation and he was very welcoming. He was impressed with my history of becoming a fan and following the team, that he saw it fit that I should be given a team jersey with the signatures of the players. I WAS BLOWN AWAY! It’s really incredible for me to have this memento. KaDee helped me put it in a Jersey Display Case and it hangs proudly in our home.