Former Colonial has published paper on benefits of soccer for immigrant inclusion
The turf field at Marie Reed Elementary School is a haven for soccer in the District.
On nights and weekends, it's a flurry of action with a steady stream of pickup and rec league contests. Often, there's a side game going next to the main pitch with trash cans arranged as makeshift goals.
When the weather is nice, the scene can be a model of the D.C. melting pot with folks of all ages, races, backgrounds and skill levels coming together in friendly competition.
Eddie Painter made the short trip from Foggy Bottom to the Adams Morgan neighborhood for the first time shortly after beginning graduate school in 2016. The former GW soccer captain found it the perfect environment to rekindle his passion for the sport.
"Soccer was something I'd done my whole life to get to the next level, and then it was just sort of over," said Painter, who tallied four goals and two assists in 41 games as a Colonial from 2013-2015. "When I started up again, I rediscovered all these other less tangible things about playing soccer that can be so positive."
Painter's experience playing at Marie Reed and the friendships he made along the way helped spark a two-year deep dive into the area's adult soccer scene.
Painter's research into the positive impacts of soccer for immigrant inclusion became his thesis on the way to earning his Master's of Science in Geography through GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences in 2018.
Through surveys and focus groups, Painter found that an overwhelming majority of players socialized with their teammates away from the field and nearly 10 percent of them reported getting a job or job interview through relationships made in the sport.
The paper turned into a scholarly article entitled "Creating Social Capital on Soccer Fields: Immigrant Opportunities and Gendered Barriers in Adult Soccer Leagues," which was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.
Over the past year, Painter worked closely with Professor of Geography and International Affairs Marie Price to get the article ready for publishing. Eddie Painter worked with Prof. Marie Price.
"It's super rewarding – I can't really overstate it," said Painter, who is now teaching English in China through the Peace Corps. "I'm very proud of it and very thankful to those communities that gave me access and were open to my interviews and signed up for focus groups and finished surveys.
"I'm very, very thankful to Marie and everyone in the Geography Department for all they did to help me."
Painter has long understood the power of the game to unite people.
Born in Pennsylvania, he traveled all over the globe growing up thanks to his father's job as a chemical engineer. He honed his soccer skills living abroad in England and Taipei and estimates he's played in a dozen or so countries.
After a successful career in Buff and Blue that finished with an A-10 regular season title in 2015, Painter figured he was finished with soccer, but he's glad that his research allowed him to stay involved in the game.
"You could say I've lived the benefits of this study," Painter said.
Painter worked with organizers from the local social soccer league District Sports and the DC Meet-Up Soccer message board to survey over 600 different players. He then followed up with focus groups to find out more about the area soccer scene.
"Everyone was open and enthusiastic about the research," Painter said. "What really helped me is people really love to talk about stuff that they love."
Beyond the positives Painter found in his research, he also concluded that there are gender barriers that make it difficult for women to reap the same benefits as men.
"One thing I'm proud of is how the study underlines that these opportunities aren't necessarily always available for everybody," Painter said. "As much as it is a global sport, it's often a sexist one, too."
Painter originally submitted his work to the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies last October before spending months working with Price to refine it for publication.
With Painter in China, the editing process wasn't easy, but the pair navigated the challenges of the distance and time zones to craft the final draft, which was officially accepted by the publication in March.
These days, Painter is using the sport to make connections far from home, living in the Three Gorges area of China along the Yangtze River.
Painter plays pickup soccer at least two days per week, where the games often include locals but also immigrants of African and Middle Eastern heritage. Over the recent Chinese New Year holiday, Painter journeyed to a new buddy's hometown to play in a local tournament.
"I try to play as much as I can," said Painter, who will spend the next year teaching in China with plans to come back to the U.S. to pursue a PhD after that. "I've had some cool chances to travel with it and make friends, too."
