Robert Nelsen: President of California State University
As President of California State University, Sacramento - and formerly President, Vice President and faculty member of a number of further education establishments in Texas - Robert Nelsen has witnessed his share of momentous events taking place across his various campuses. None, however, have moved him quite so much as that currently playing out across the grounds of this seat of learning, with the added poignancy of the Homeless World Cup preceding his imminent retirement. We caught up with him, amongst the tournament bustle, to find out more…
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AWARE OF THE HOMELESS WORLD CUP?
“About two years ago I heard about the organisation for the first time from former Sac State alumnae, Lisa Wrightsman and Tiffany Fraser. They’re involved with Street Soccer here in the US and that organisation is amazing. Lisa used soccer to be able to clean up her life and the Homeless World Cup changed everything for her. The thought we could possibly host the tournament here in Sacramento, stop talking about homelessness as something you just push into another neighbourhood and actually embrace the idea of solving the issue, was an enticing challenge.”
WHAT MADE YOU THINK YOU COULD HOLD THE TOURNAMENT HERE IN SACRAMENTO
“After challenges potentially staging it elsewhere in the US I felt it was the right thing to do, to step in and offer to hold it here. Our homeless population has trebled in recent years and continues to grow. What really sold me on the idea was the prospect of holding a symposium as part of the event, where we could have a conversation, out in the open, about the success of street soccer, the achievements of the Homeless World Cup and the great stories of so many people who have been able to beat homelessness through participating. Whoever would have thought that sport would be a way out of homelessness? But when you get together as a group, life changes when you have a teammate beside you.”
WERE YOU A SOCCER PLAYER?
“I didn’t actually play soccer, I rode in the rodeo! I did coach my son Seth, though, when he was eight. He was kind of a superstar in baseball and basketball, then all of a sudden he wanted to play soccer. I didn’t know what ‘offside’ was, didn’t know any of the rules so started reading up about it all and coached him for a year. I saw his team learning to stay in position, knowing they couldn’t run all over the place doing what they, individually, wanted - it was real teamwork and control.”
HOW HAS IT FELT TO WATCH THE TOURNAMENT BUILDING UP THESE PAST MONTHS?
“It’s given me such a sense of joy and pride. We talk a lot [at Sac State] about being a Hornet family, and about being an anchor institution - meaning that you’re ‘anchored’ in and helping your community. This proves that we’re not just all talk, that we really do care about what is happening within our community.”
You’ve deferred your retirement for two weeks, to stay part of this tournament - how much has it come to mean to you and what do you hope its legacy will be?
“The very last thing I’m going to do in my career at Sacramento State is hand the trophy to the winners and my hope is that there will be another tournament staged here - I know it’s got to travel to different locations around the world after this but I know we can help make Street Soccer USA stronger; I truly believe we at Sac State can help end homelessness."
WHAT DOES RETIREMENT HOLD FOR YOU?
“I’m actually going to go back to Texas and work on immigration reform, at the border. I worked in Texas, as President of the University of Texas-Pan American and saw the challenges at the border, with people crossing all the time, risking their lives, becoming homeless. I want to go down there, work with the lawyers, the immigration officials and the food banks - so they have something to eat - the clothes banks, so they have something to wear. I want we Americans to be good Americans, not people who are excluding other people, almost mirroring the ethos of this tournament.”
By Isobel Irvine
Photo by Anita Milas