TEDxRiodelaPlata
Gonzalo Vilariño: How Argentina's blind soccer team became champions
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With warmth and respect, Gonzalo Vilariño tells the captivating story of Argentina's blind soccer team -- and how a sincere belief in themselves and their capabilities transformed the players from humble beginnings into two-time World Champions. "You have to get out there and play every game in this beautiful tournament that we call life," Vilariño says. (In Spanish with English subtitles)
Gonzalo Vilariño - Lawyer, coach
Gonzalo Vilariño uses sport to change the rules of the game for the disabled. Full bio
Gonzalo Vilariño uses sport to change the rules of the game for the disabled. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:14
I opened a blind man's head.
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I didn't make him think or reflect --
I cracked his head open, literally.
I cracked his head open, literally.
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We were walking with him
holding onto my shoulder,
holding onto my shoulder,
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I miscalculated how much space
there was between us,
there was between us,
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and I knocked him into a gate.
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(Laughter)
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Five stitches in his forehead.
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At that moment, I felt like
the worst teacher in the world.
the worst teacher in the world.
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I really didn't know how to apologize.
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Luckily, El Pulga is one of those people
who takes things quite well.
who takes things quite well.
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And to this day, he says
that I was the coach
that I was the coach
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who left the most important
mark on his career.
mark on his career.
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(Laughter)
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The truth is, when I started working
at the institute for the blind,
at the institute for the blind,
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I was surprised by a lot of things.
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A lot of the things they did,
I never imagined they could:
I never imagined they could:
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they swam, did exercise, played cards.
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They drank mate, and could pour it
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without burning themselves in the process.
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But when I saw them playing soccer --
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that was amazing.
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They had a dirt field,
rusty goalposts and broken nets.
rusty goalposts and broken nets.
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The blind who attended the institute
would play their games there,
would play their games there,
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just like I did at a field near my house.
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But they played without being able to see.
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The ball made a sound
so they could locate it.
so they could locate it.
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They had a guide
behind the rival team's goal
behind the rival team's goal
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to know where to kick the ball.
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And they used eye masks.
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There were guys
who could still see a little,
who could still see a little,
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and they wore eye masks
so everyone was equal.
so everyone was equal.
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When I was more at ease with them,
I asked for a mask myself.
I asked for a mask myself.
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I put it on and tried to play.
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I had played soccer all my life.
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This is where it got even more amazing:
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within two seconds, I didn't know
where I was standing.
where I was standing.
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I had studied physical education
because I loved high performance.
because I loved high performance.
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I started working
at the institute by chance.
at the institute by chance.
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My other job was with the Argentinian
National Rowing Team,
National Rowing Team,
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and I felt that was my thing.
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Here, everything was twice as hard.
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I'll never forget the first day
I did the warm-up with the team.
I did the warm-up with the team.
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I lined them up in front of me --
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I used to do that with the rowing team --
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and I said, "OK, everyone
bend down," going like this.
bend down," going like this.
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When I looked up, two guys were seated,
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three were lying down
and others were squatting.
and others were squatting.
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(Laughter)
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How could I do here
the same things I was doing there?
the same things I was doing there?
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It took me a while.
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I started looking for tools
to learn from them,
to learn from them,
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from the teachers who worked with them.
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I learned I couldn't explain a play
on a chalkboard like a coach does,
on a chalkboard like a coach does,
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but I could use a plastic tray
and some bottle caps
and some bottle caps
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so they could follow me by way of touch.
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I also learned they could run on a track
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if I ran with them, holding a rope.
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So we started looking for volunteers
to help us run with them.
to help us run with them.
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I was enjoying it,
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and finding purpose and meaning
in what we were doing.
in what we were doing.
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It was hard at first,
it was uncomfortable,
it was uncomfortable,
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but I decided to overcome the discomfort.
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And there came a time
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when it became the most
fascinating job I'd ever had.
fascinating job I'd ever had.
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I think that's when I wondered:
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Why couldn't we be
a high-performance team as well?
a high-performance team as well?
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Of course, one thing was missing:
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I needed to find out what they wanted,
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the real protagonists of this story.
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Three hours of training,
playing soccer on that field,
playing soccer on that field,
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were not going to be enough.
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We would have to train differently.
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We started to train harder,
and the results were great;
and the results were great;
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they asked for more.
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I came to understand
that they, too, wondered
that they, too, wondered
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why they couldn't do high-performance.
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When we felt ready,
we knocked at CENARD's door.
we knocked at CENARD's door.
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CENARD is the National Center
for High-Performance Sports
for High-Performance Sports
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here in Argentina.
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It was hard to get them
to hear what we had to say.
to hear what we had to say.
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But it was considerably more difficult
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to get the other athletes training there
to consider us their equals.
to consider us their equals.
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In fact, they would let us use the field
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only when no other teams were using it.
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And we were known as "the blind ones."
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Not everyone knew
exactly what we were doing there.
exactly what we were doing there.
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The 2006 World Championship
was a turning point in the team's history.
was a turning point in the team's history.
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It was held in Buenos Aires
for the first time.
for the first time.
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It was our chance to show everyone
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what we had been doing all that time.
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We made it to the finals.
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We were growing as a team.
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It was us against Brazil in the finals.
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They were the best team in the tournament.
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They won every game by a landslide.
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Hardly anyone believed
we could win that game.
we could win that game.
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Hardly anyone -- except for us.
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05:00
During pre-game meetings,
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in the locker room,
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during each warm-up,
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it smelled of victory.
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I swear that smell exists.
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I smelled it several times with the team,
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but I remember it in particular,
the day before we played that final.
the day before we played that final.
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The Argentine Football Association
had opened their doors to us.
had opened their doors to us.
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05:22
We were training at AFA,
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where Verón, Higuain and Messi trained.
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For the first time ever,
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we felt like a true national team.
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At 7:30pm, the day before the game,
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we were in the lounge discussing strategy,
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and a kid knocks on the door,
interrupting our conversation.
interrupting our conversation.
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He suggested we go to church.
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He came to invite us to church.
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I tried to get rid of him,
saying it wasn't a good time,
saying it wasn't a good time,
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that we better leave it for another day.
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He kept insisting, asking me to please
let him take the guys to church,
let him take the guys to church,
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because that day, a pastor
who performed miracles would be there.
who performed miracles would be there.
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I was slightly afraid to ask
what type of miracles he meant,
what type of miracles he meant,
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and he replied nonchalantly,
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"Coach, let me take
the team to the church,
the team to the church,
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and when we return, I guarantee
that half of them will be able to see."
that half of them will be able to see."
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06:16
(Laughter)
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Some of the guys laughed,
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but imagine being a blind person
and someone says that to you.
and someone says that to you.
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I didn't know what to say.
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I said nothing; it was an awkward silence.
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I didn't want to make him feel bad,
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because he truly believed
this could happen.
this could happen.
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One of the players saved me,
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when he stood up and confidently said,
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"Juan," -- that was the kid's name --
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Gonza already told you
it's not the best time to go to church.
it's not the best time to go to church.
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Besides, let me make this clear:
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if we go to that church, and I end up
being able to see when we return,
being able to see when we return,
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I will beat you so hard,
I won't be able to play tomorrow."
I won't be able to play tomorrow."
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(Laughter)
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(Applause)
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Juan left, laughing in resignation,
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and we continued with our pregame talk.
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That night when I went to sleep,
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I began to dream
about the next day's game,
about the next day's game,
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imagining what could happen,
how we would play.
how we would play.
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And that's when I noticed
that smell of victory
that smell of victory
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I mentioned a while ago.
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And it's because
at that moment, I thought:
at that moment, I thought:
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if the other players had the same desire
as Diego going into the game,
as Diego going into the game,
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it was impossible for us not to win.
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The next day was going to be wonderful.
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We got up at 9am, the game was at 7pm,
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and we were already eager to play.
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We left AFA, and the bus was full
of flags that people had given to us.
of flags that people had given to us.
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We were talking about the game,
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and we could hear people
honking and cheering,
honking and cheering,
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"Go Murciélagos! Today's the day!
The final challenge!"
The final challenge!"
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The guys asked me, "Do they know us?
Do they know we're playing?"
Do they know we're playing?"
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Some people followed the bus to CENARD.
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We arrived and found an amazing scene.
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In the corridor leading
from the locker room to the game field,
from the locker room to the game field,
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I was walking with Silvio,
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who was holding onto my shoulder,
so I could guide him.
so I could guide him.
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Fortunately, there were
no gates along the way.
no gates along the way.
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(Laughter)
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When we reached the field,
he asked me about everything.
he asked me about everything.
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He didn't want to miss a single detail.
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He said, "Tell me what you see,
tell me who's playing the drums."
tell me who's playing the drums."
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I tried to explain what was happening
with as much detail as possible.
with as much detail as possible.
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I told him, "The stands are packed,
a lot of people couldn't get in,
a lot of people couldn't get in,
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there are blue and white balloons
all over the field,
all over the field,
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they're opening a giant Argentine flag
that covers the entire grandstand."
that covers the entire grandstand."
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Suddenly, he cuts me off and says,
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"Do you see a flag that says 'San Pedro'?"
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That's the city where he lives.
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I started looking into the stands
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and I spotted a little white flag
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with lettering done
in black spray paint, that read:
in black spray paint, that read:
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"Silvio, your family
and all of San Pedro are here."
and all of San Pedro are here."
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I told him that and he replied,
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"That's my wife, tell me where
she is, I want to I wave at her."
she is, I want to I wave at her."
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I pointed him toward the flag
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and showed him with his arm
where they were sitting,
where they were sitting,
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and he waved his arms in that direction.
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About 20 or 30 people stood up
and gave him an ovation.
and gave him an ovation.
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When that happened,
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I saw how his face changed,
how moved he was.
how moved he was.
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It was moving for me, too;
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two seconds later,
I had a lump in my throat.
I had a lump in my throat.
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It was strange -- I felt both
the excitement of what was happening,
the excitement of what was happening,
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and the anger and the anguish
that he could not see it.
that he could not see it.
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A few days later when I told him
what I had experienced,
what I had experienced,
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he tried to reassure me, saying,
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"Gonza, don't feel bad, I could see them.
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Differently, but I swear to you
that I saw them all."
that I saw them all."
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09:59
The game started.
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We could not fail; it was the final.
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The audience was quiet, like here,
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because in soccer for the blind,
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the public has to be quiet
so the players can hear the ball.
so the players can hear the ball.
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They're only allowed to cheer
when the game is over.
when the game is over.
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And when there were eight minutes to go,
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the crowd did all the cheering
they hadn't done in the first 32 minutes.
they hadn't done in the first 32 minutes.
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When pigeon-toed Silvio
nailed the ball at an angle,
nailed the ball at an angle,
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they cheered with all their heart,
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in an incredible way.
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Today, if you go to CENARD,
you'll see a huge poster on the door,
you'll see a huge poster on the door,
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with a photo of our team,
Los Murciélagos.
Los Murciélagos.
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They're a model national team,
everyone in CENARD knows who they are,
everyone in CENARD knows who they are,
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and after having won
two World Championships
two World Championships
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and two Paralympic medals,
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no one doubts they are
high-performance athletes.
high-performance athletes.
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(Applause)
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(Applause ends)
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I was lucky to train
this team for 10 years,
this team for 10 years,
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first as a trainer
and later as their coach.
and later as their coach.
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I feel that they've given me much more
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than what I've given them.
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Last year, they asked me to coach
another national team, Power Soccer.
another national team, Power Soccer.
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It's a national team of young men
who play soccer in wheelchairs.
who play soccer in wheelchairs.
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They use motorized wheelchairs
that they drive with a joystick,
that they drive with a joystick,
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because they don't have
enough strength in their arms
enough strength in their arms
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to use conventional chairs.
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They added a bumper to the chair,
a safeguard that protects their feet,
a safeguard that protects their feet,
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while allowing them to kick the ball.
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It's the first time that, instead
of being the spectators,
of being the spectators,
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they're now the main characters.
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It's the first time their parents,
friends and siblings can see them play.
friends and siblings can see them play.
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For me, it's a new challenge,
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with the same discomfort,
insecurity, and fear I had
insecurity, and fear I had
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when I started working with the blind.
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But I approach it all
from a more experienced position.
from a more experienced position.
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That's why from day one,
I treat them as athletes on the field,
I treat them as athletes on the field,
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and off the field, I try
to put myself in their shoes
to put myself in their shoes
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and behave without prejudice,
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because treating them naturally
feels best to them.
feels best to them.
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Both teams play soccer;
something once unthinkable for them.
something once unthinkable for them.
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They had to adapt the rules to do so.
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And both teams broke the same rule --
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the one that said
they couldn't play soccer.
they couldn't play soccer.
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When you see them play,
you see competition, not disability.
you see competition, not disability.
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The problem starts when the game is over,
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and they leave the field.
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Then they step in to play our game,
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in a society whose rules
don't really take them into account
don't really take them into account
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or care for them.
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I learned from sports
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that disability greatly depends on
the rules of the game.
the rules of the game.
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I believe that if we change
some of the rules of our game,
some of the rules of our game,
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we can make life a little easier for them.
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We all know there are people
with disabilities; we see them daily.
with disabilities; we see them daily.
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But by having no direct contact with them,
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we're not aware of the problems
they face every day,
they face every day,
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like how hard it is for them
to get on a bus,
to get on a bus,
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find a job,
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take the subway
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or cross the street.
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It's true that there is an increasing
social responsibility
social responsibility
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regarding the inclusion
of people with disabilities.
of people with disabilities.
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But I think it's still not enough.
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I think change needs to come
from every one of us.
from every one of us.
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First, by leaving behind
our indifference toward the disabled,
our indifference toward the disabled,
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and then by respecting the rules
that do take them into account.
that do take them into account.
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They are few, but they do exist.
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I cracked a blind man's head
open -- El Pulga's head.
open -- El Pulga's head.
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I can assure you these two teams
opened mine as well.
opened mine as well.
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They taught me that above all,
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you have to get out there
and play every game
and play every game
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in this beautiful tournament
that we call life.
that we call life.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Gonzalo Vilariño - Lawyer, coachGonzalo Vilariño uses sport to change the rules of the game for the disabled.
Why you should listen
Gonzalo Vilariño is a lawyer, physical education teacher and soccer coach. More than anything, he's a professional challenge-seeker.
Vilariño is the head coach of the Argentine Powerchair Soccer National Team and served as head coach of Los Murciélagos (The Bats), the Argentine Blind Soccer National Team, which won two World Championships and two Paralympic Medals under his leadership.
Gonzalo Vilariño | Speaker | TED.com