SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (May 3, 2012) - Mount Holyoke College recently hosted a group of soccer players and coaches from Kosovo, who were visiting the region to improve their skills and to build relationships with local players.

The tour was funded by an International Sports Programming Initiative grant through the Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State. It was also supported by the United States Embassy in Kosovo.

The project brought 12 players and two coaches from Kosovo to Massachusetts for three weeks in April.

Much of the tour was centered around activities with Mount Holyoke soccer players and head coach Kanae Haneishi. Players from both teams took part in educational and cultural activities and soccer training sessions. In addition, Haneishi led several skill-building workshops for the Kosovo coaching staff. The Kosovo group also attended events in Boston and elsewhere in the Pioneer Valley as part of its tour.

"This was a great opportunity, not only for the young women from Kosovo, but also for our Mount Holyoke soccer players," said Haneishi.

"Our players got to learn about Kosovo's culture and history and how to communicate and work together with people from completely different backgrounds," said Haneishi. "Several of the young women experienced the war and lived in refugee camps. In terms of women's soccer, there are only eight teams in Kosovo, and there are cultural barriers to women playing soccer, which is seen as a male sport."

The tour will be reciprocated when five Mount Holyoke players and two local coaches travel to Kosovo from June 2-15.