Colombia’s Dangerous Field of Dreams

In a country where soccer is king, a rugby coach is introducing kids to a new sport in hopes it will give them the life skills to survive the mean streets of Bogota’s toughest neighborhoods.

• This article originally appeared at Pirate Wire Services. If you’re looking for on-the-ground indy journalism on Latin America from a host of countries, you should consider signing up for our newsletter. *

Bogotá, Colombia — Thirty minutes before practice begins, as children and young teens gather near an old soccer field repurposed for rugby, a dozen gunshots ring out, breaking the silence of the early morning.

The shootout is only two blocks away, and most likely gang-related, but the young rugby players seem unfazed. The sound of gunfire is background noise in Ciudad Bolívar, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Colombia’s capital. A few months earlier, the entire team had to scatter mid-practice when a nearby turf battle between gangs spilled over onto the field where they were training.

Despite the dangers, the kids keep showing up to practice.

“Most of these kids come from broken homes,” rugby coach Nico Suárez tells OZY. “A lot of them have problems with…