- November 27, 2024
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What do you get when you take “FIFA,” move the “I” before the first “F,” then swap the “A” and the second “F?" Hint: It’s just like the World Cup — except Josh Stevens and Raushod Floyd are playing real football.
Stevens, a 2014 Seabreeze grad, and Floyd, a rising senior, are in Kuwait City, Kuwait, representing Team USA in the IFAF Under-19 World Championship, an international american football tournament. The squad comprises 44 top seniors and rising college freshmen from around the country. Seabreeze coach Marc Beach is an assistant on Team USA’s staff.
On the surface, Kuwait City, perched at the top of the Persian Gulf, bears some semblance to the Ormond area. There’s beaches, and it’s hot. Really hot.
“It’s like Florida on steroids,” Stevens said of high temperatures that spiked at 117 degrees on Tuesday. “The wind is hot, too.”
In-country for less than a week, the pair has already picked up on cultural nuances unique to the region.
“The people are alright, but there’s certain things you can’t say or do,” Floyd said. “You can’t really talk to females, and you can’t really make eye contact with the dudes. It’s just their religion. But it’s a nice place.”
Team USA had its first taste of pool play yesterday, beating Mexico, 49-14. Stevens compiled a team-high 111 rushing yards on nine carries. Floyd said he didn’t touch the ball at his receiver spot but contributed some key blocks. He injured his knee in April, so this tournament marks his first action in pads since last season.
“It went pretty good,” Stevens said. “We executed, and I scored twice, so that was pretty cool.”
There’s a seven-hour time difference, meaning yesterday afternoon, when I downloaded the “viber” app to call Raushod Floyd’s iPhone without either of us incurring ludicrous charges, it was nearly 1 a.m. in the Middle East. Fortunately, the guys were still awake. The four teams in Pool B (USA’s group) are staying at the same hotel, making international interaction practically unavoidable.
“We just finished eating dinner with Mexico,” Floyd said. The amount of intra-squad camaraderie, “really depends on the level of respect the teams have for each other,” he continued. “We’re really cool with Japan. We could sit around and talk and play with them, but when Mexico was here… we really didn’t.”
Not all of the duo’s memories were forged abroad, though. Before leaving the country, Team USA participated in a weeklong training camp in Winchester, Virginia. They visited the monuments in D.C., an experience which Stevens and Floyd both said was a first.
In the fall, Stevens will suit up for Merced College (California), and Floyd will haul in passes for the Sandcrabs. Hopefully, they’ll both have a shiny gold medal to commemorate their excursion to the birthplace of the Persian Gulf War.
“This team is very passionate, and there’s a lot of leaders,” Stevens said. “It’s awesome to play with these guys, because they want to be here, and they want to win the gold for the USA.”
