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All Nations CupA passion for soccer unites the Puget Sound Region's
"The question that arose was: How do I start to care about someone so that I will want to improve their lives," says Jessica. "Sister Communities is based on grassroots relationships. We are working to bridge barriers to cross-cultural relationships in Seattle." After spending some time living in Honduras, at age 28, Jessica returned home to Washington state and founded Sister Communities. Watching the 2002 World Cup while living in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood, Jessica rekindled her passion for soccer. She found various pick-up games being played by different ethnic communities in the area's parks, and would often step in to play — many times as the only female and even the only Caucasian player on a team. Jessica explains, "I began to wonder, why aren't different communities playing each other locally? And I began to see soccer as a way to promote cross-cultural communications, to connect people."
That's when Jessica met Sam Hassan. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sam moved to Washington state in 1997 and opened a restaurant, Rio Brazilian Grill, in Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood. That's where he was when Jessica Breznau walked through the door and asked if he wanted to form a team to compete in the All Nations Cup. Soccer and communities are both lifelong passions for Sam, who as a six-year-old in Rio de Janeiro saved his money for six months to buy his first "proper" soccer ball. He began coaching his first soccer team at age nine, and has continued coaching ever since. So when Jessica approached him about forming a team, Sam called up a team of country mates he'd coached before. They became the Brazil team. And Sam became the All Nations Cup's first volunteer.
Sam led the Brazil team all the way to the finals — and then, Brazil won the tournament. After leading his team to victory, Sam stepped down as coach, and became more involved with All Nations Cup as a volunteer. Today, Sam serves along side Jessica as Co-Director of the event. "I enjoy both the soccer side and the festival side," says Sam. "This event brings so many communities together: everyone works together to put on the event and to celebrate the festival. Everyone is both the show and the spectator."
In 2007, as the All Nations Cup celebrates its fifth anniversary, the Opening Ceremony will also feature a global percussion orchestra conducted by award-winning Brazilian composer Jovino Santos Neto. The international festival will feature an art exhibition, a film festival in partnership with the Seattle International Film Festival, and a multicultural food tent: "World Grill". While Jessica and Sam direct the All Nations Cup, it would not happen without the help of many, many volunteers. At the tournament and festival, more than 100 volunteers ensure the event flows smoothly. Together, volunteers put in more than 2,000 hours to ensure the All Nations Cup is a success. Click here for more information on how you can volunteer for this event. In five years, the All Nations Cup has grown from just an event to a passion for many of the Puget Sound Regions diverse communities. This year, as many as 40 teams are expected to participate in the tournament. Mark your calendar for July 13-29, 2007 — and head to the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila for great soccer, delicious food, and a true sense of community. "Each year I don't know where I am going to be during the Summer, apart from the two weeks of the All Nations Cup," says Sam. "All Nations Cup is a fixture on my calendar. I wouldn't be anywhere else." more resources: http://allnationscup.org/About/Sister+Communities/default.aspx http://allnationscup.org/Home/default.aspx http://www.allnationscup.org/Participate/Volunteer/default.aspx http://www.allnationscup.org/Tournament/How+to+get+there!/default.aspx |  |
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To ensure those connections and communications were present both on and off the soccer field, Jessica designed the 
In 2003, twelve teams represented their diverse countries in the All Nations Cup: Brazil, China, Denmark, Ethiopia, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Romania, Somalia, Tanzania, USA and Vietnam.
The "show", or the international festival, is as good a reason to attend the All Nations Cup as the soccer. The first day of the tournament, all teams are represented during the Opening Ceremony — and each team asks the Muckleshoot Tribe permission to play on their native land. This question is asked in the language spoken in the country the team represents. In 2006, permission to play was requested in 28 different languages.
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