“14:00 bola kan lagi yuk!”
by Angga Wijaya
“14:00 Let’s play football again!”
This sentence almost always appears every Thursday morning in the Viva Gudskul WhatsApp group. A short invitation as a sign that it was time to play soccer that day.
At 2pm some friends from Gudskul and local residents gathered at the DCM A.K.A mini soccer field, which is located right behind Gudskul. This activity has been running since 2021, and has now become a routine habit that is fun in the middle of the week.
Soccer is indeed a favorite of many people, from watching together, to playing together. Many of the Gudskul kids have been familiar with soccer for a long time, from big field soccer to futsal. They have their own stories – some used to join football clubs, were active in extracurricular activities, or joined the football community during college.
Interestingly, before it became the learning and activity space it is today, the Gudskul building used to be a futsal court. Before it was demolished, the Gudskul kids had the chance to play soccer together – a memory that contributed to our closeness to the world of soccer.
When Gudskul began to settle in Jagakarsa and became familiar with the local residents-who now work at Gudskul as guards, technicians, cleaners and canteen owners-that relationship opened up the story that football is a sport that is very much alive in this neighborhood. Through casual chats and working together, we realized that they were all real players – like Bang Hengky, Bang Petot and Bang Muslim.
They belonged to a local club called Anstardam, a soccer team that was quite legendary in the Jagakarsa area at its time. Stories about exciting matches, inter-village rivalries, and spectacular goals were often the subject of conversation over afternoon coffee. From there it was felt that the spirit of playing soccer had long been part of the culture of the local residents.
For a long time, Jagakarsa has been known as an area with many active soccer fields – from simple ones to well-maintained ones. On these fields, local clubs have grown, complete with structures, coaches, uniforms and communities. They regularly train, compete, and participate in various inter-village competitions.
Jagakarsa’s proximity to the Ragunan area-which has one of the most famous soccer schools-also strengthens the soccer atmosphere in this area. Many young people around here aspire to enter the soccer school, then enter big teams like Persija, even the Indonesian national team. That ambition is not just a dream. Names like Andritany and more recently, Muhammad Ferrari, are clear examples-both came from this region, and made it to the professional soccer level.
A shared passion for soccer eventually led us to a routine of playing soccer every week. Thursdays and the hours of 14:00-16:00 were determined by the available free time of the field owner. We were allowed to use the field on a pay-as-you-go basis. Even so, we agreed to set our own rates – Rp20,000 per person each time we played. The money is used to pay for the field rental as well as the joint treasury. From this treasury, we usually buy necessities such as drinking water, team vests, balls, and goalkeeper gloves, and most recently made the Durian FC football jersey from a support funds from Voltron, Wahyu Steam and Gudskul.
Over time, the circle of friends who played soccer every week expanded. Not only Gudskul children and local residents, but also colleagues from each person who invited other friends. Even Gudskul guests from outside Jakarta – and even from overseas – who are staying for a program at Gudskul, often join in.
So, if you come to Gudskul on a Thursday and it happens to be a bit quiet. We might be playing soccer in the back with our friends and neighbors. Come on, let’s play ball again!
Angga Wijaya
Gudskul subject coordinator Collective Studies, sticker position.
