Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference

Players and parents eagerly await tryouts for the Fugees’ new season. Coach Luma worries about her rosters, wondering if established veterans will return and how newcomers will fit into the existing team. Experience tells her she needs at least one third of the team to set an example for the rest of the team, especially the third she anticipates will have emotional, psychological, or social issues as a result of trauma. She particularly worries about the under-15 team, which contains talented but rebellious players who are particularly susceptible to peer pressure and gang influence. Tryouts are held at the field behind Indian Creek Elementary School, a common gathering spot for refugee families. Despite the chaos, Luma holds rigorous tryouts. At the end, she gives the players contracts ensuring their strict adherence to her rules.

Luma establishes a rule forcing players to cut their hair, believing it will protect her players from discrimination from other teams and knowing the players’ mothers support it. A Liberian striker named Prince refuses to cut his hair, and Luma forbids him from joining the team until he complies, causing other players such as Mandela Ziaty to act out in rebellion.