While the league has been working with various countries to make football connections, they’re certainly not the only ones working to spread a love of the game. Recently, Raeni Clarke was able to partner with Marcella Toriki and her charity Girl Strong to conduct a series of football clinics across Toriki’s home country of New Zealand. This was Raeni’s first time leaving the country outside of her travels to London and Tijuana for DSFL games, and her first time spending any extended time outside of the US. She was really excited to see somewhere very different from her normal, an opportunity she would never have been able to have without her career as a professional athlete. She was also very honored to get to stand aside her mentor to host these clinics, as she has a huge amount of respect for Marcella. It was a beautiful chance to celebrate her own young career as well, as Raeni was able to stand as an example of what is possible in the world of the ISFL. She had a great time connecting with young people who were interested in the sport, and managed to go see some sights in her down time. As a closet Lord of the Rings fan, she took a solo trip to hit up some of the filming locations. She’s excited to stay connected with some of the amazing New Zealanders she met through letters and social media!
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