Homelessness activist Ted Hayes has taken a foreign sport into the heart of South LA and used it to turn around lives. Hayes founded the Compton Cricket Club, nicknamed the "Homies and the Popz, in 1997 and since then it has helped keep at-risk youth off the streets and out of gangs.
Hayes coaches the team with the help of his sons Theo and Isaac. They say that unlike some of the other, more typically-American sports, cricket is a non-contact gentleman's game and its core values parallel what the kids who grow up in these disadvantaged areas such as Compton, Watts, and Inglewood need in their lives.
"A sport like cricket, what it does, it's similar to chess, it teaches you patience and strategy. Cricket was chosen for the simple fact of it makes you think. A lot of kids don't think. They're ready to shoot, fight, or sell drugs without thinking of the consequences," said Isaac Hayes. "With cricket you only have one life. If you're out, you're out for the day. We're trying to transfer that over to say to these kids 'Hey man, you have one life. You make the wrong move, cross the wrong person without thinking, it's over. Life is over. There is no second chance in cricket just like there is no second chance if you end up dead."
The team is made up of blacks, Latinos, and white men who live in the neighborhoods around Compton. In these areas, different ethnic groups typically don't get along. Many youths turn to gangs as a solution to their lack of guidance. Often the gangs' affiliations are based on what race you are. The Latino gangs don't like the African American gangs and they routinely kill each other's members. The members of the "Homies and Popz" however have learned over time to put their cultural and racial differences behind them and play as a team. However, it wasn't always that simple.
"You put me into the equation coming from a black America, put them into the equation coming from a Latino America, put them all on one team, you have friction, and it started out as friction, you know. If anyone tells you we got together and it was all great and everyone was friends, that was not the case. There was fighting amongst each other. There was arguments, there was hands, you know like physically fighting amongst each other. And the guys have come from saying 'Hey we don't like black people whatsoever' to being coached by a black man, who had dreadlocks at the time, and a big black man, now to all of us realizing how silly and how petty are differences are cause we're all on the same team and we all love each other so deeply now" said Isaac Hayes.
The coaches have seen the kind of influence the sport of cricket can be on misguided young men first hand. One example of this is the story of Medio Cazarez. Cazarez was hanging out with gang members until he joined the "Homies and the Popz". Now he plays cricket, is a family man, and works for the Lord. On Feb. 2 2009 Cazarez's younger brother was killed in a drive-by. Isaac was told by other team members Cazarez held his dying brother in his arms and told him "you need to repent for your sins so you can go to heaven." Isaac says that Medio is very important to the team and "his attitude, his heart is a perfect example of what cricket is to American kids."
They also understand what the sport can do from personal experience. Growing up Isaac was like many of the young men he now coaches.
"At 17 I was wanted for the police for all kinds of activities, and I was in high speed chases with officers. I was getting beat up by police due to the fact of what I was doing on the streets. I went from hanging out being in fights and holding pistols to being forced out of my city" said Isaac.
His father made a decision to take his family to England, it was there that Isaac learned the patience needed for the game of cricket and began to straighten his life out. He also realized through his own experience that it was essential for other inner-city kids to be introduced to this sport.
"It's important that we get this sport to the gang members who have a felony, two felonies, who can't get jobs because of tattoos or what they've been through, or don't want to deal with the nonsense, because this sport can change their lives, and I'm a perfect example of that, " said Isaac.
Another success story for the team is one of the few white players, Josh Teague.
Teague grew up in the Monrovia-Duarte area and at age 16 he met Isaac. Then he started hanging out with team and learning about cricket. He says the team has changed his life for the better and he can see by the reaction they get from the community what impact cricket could have.
"It's just having people actually you know come up to you and be like 'Eh cuz I will see you out there at the park over there in Compton what do you guys be doing?' and you know things like that, these are full gangbangers you know, just fully Crippin' and there just like 'oh yeah that's cool, that's cool, you know, real positive about it. When I was 16 I was like 'this guys looking he's gonna come kill us' but he's just really interested," said Teague.
The team has toured the UK four times since its inception and they are planning on hitting the road again later this year. This time they are traveling to Australia to play a similar group of players called the Australian Bra Boys. There is no exact timetable for the trip yet because the team is still searching for funding for travel and accommodations and to compensate the players for missed wages.
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