I've played football (aka soccer) since I was about the same height as a size five ball. After playing for many different teams at varying levels, one observation I've always made is the fact that from the minute you step on to the field, it's just 11 vs. 11; 8 vs. 8; 7 vs. 7; 6 vs. 6; or 5 vs. 5. Nothing else matters. It's plumbers kicking neurosurgeons, lawyers slide-tackling mechanics, and ice cream truck drivers scoring past recruitment consultants. Nobody cares about vocation, background or status - it's all about the game and trying to put that damn ball in the opposition's net more times than they put it in yours. It's what some people refer to as a "leveler."

Everyone is welcome and being part of a team provides players with a sense of camaraderie, loyalty and belonging. Nobody wants to let their team down. Everyone wants to be fit, healthy and strong so they can perform to the best of their ability. But what if the entire team was living on the streets. What if every player in the competition was not only homeless but also battling alcohol and drug addiction? Can they kick it? Yes they can.

Check out the poignant documentary, Kicking It, about the Homeless World Cup, where 20,000 homeless people are "competing for the right to be recognized as human beings." There's no way I, or any teammates I've known, could walk away from the field without thinking about how desperately hard their lives become again the second the referee blows the full-time whistle.

[video: "Kicking It" trailer]