It struck me that I ought to explain a little bit about why we cheer for the teams we do. Well, in part, it’s because I thought we ought to, and I’m the one of us most capable of complex thought and logic. But also, each team has a special something that captures part of what I love about life, and part of what makes you who you are.

So periodically (like during international breaks, long summer holidays, or say, global pandemics that completely alter everything we understand about our lives and ourselves), I want to introduce you to the teams we are tied to.

Our seventh team to meet: Club Sport de Emelec, who kicks off a new season this weekend, and reminds us how to be a guest.

Wherefore Emelec?

At the mouth of the Rio Guayas, near the southern coast of Ecuador, is the port town of Guyaquil. There a mixture of bustling city streets, picturesque hillsides, and busy beaches, builds up one of the two best known cities in the country. Santiago del Guyaquil hosts the most people in the region, thriving businesses, arts, and culture. As a port city, it has long been the launching point for adventures into the rest of South America, and hosted an eclectic array of foreigners, officials, and buccaneers.

Who is Emelec?

In the heart of Guyaquil is Estadio de George Capwell, a beautiful modern stadium with an unusual name. CS Emelec started life as one small, often forgotten part of the Sports Club founded by members of the Empresa Electrica del Ecuador (take the first syllables and you have Em-el-ec). George Capwell, a New Yorker by birth and engineer by training was an avid sportsman. To build the community within the company he founded, and played for teams alongside local employees. Playing point guard for the basketball team and catcher for the baseball team left little time or capacity for soccer. But the local employees insisted. Capwell endorsed it. And CS Emelec has blossomed ever since.

The team remains stylized like the electric company it started as: with nicknames like El Bombillo (the lightbulb) and Los Electricos. The team’s storied history includes the second most titles in all Ecuador, a superb women’s team, agonizing proximity to continental glory, and a fierce rivalry with the most decorated team (cross town Rivals, SC Barcelona). Even while the company that birthed them has vanished, Emelec stands strong with 24 titles (and a star on the crest for every one of them).

How are we Emelec?

It may seem strange to adopt Emelec given that I have never been to Ecuador. Most other teams I have lived near or felt an affinity for immediately, but with Emelec, it’s different.

In Minnesota it can seem like we are little more than a sea of whiteness. Your heritage (Norwegian, Scottish, Serbian, German) certainly supports that. But the truth is that our neighborhoods are far more diverse than that. In fact, the Twin Cities boasts one of the largest Ecuadorian communities outside of New York City. Little Quito in north Minneapolis is vibrant, beautiful, and welcoming. I’ve taught many kids with Ecuadorian heritage and been told again and again to visit (starting with Guyaquil).

While we haven’t been to Ecuador (yet), there’s a valuable lesson in the story of CS Emelec, and George Capwell, one that rings true for travelers everywhere.

While most Americans go places to take things back, Emelec is the exception to the trend. The company behind the club was far more interested in its bottom line than the community. Several local scholars have pointed out the selfish, greedy, and condescending nature of a company that “could not lose”.

And, then there’s Capwell. Chances are, he was fine with the greedy business practices. More than likely he turned a tidy personal profit. Still, he also built something that was for local people. What he left behind has now far outlasted him and his company.

When we travel, I want us to think about leaving behind something more than what we take. Leave behind a legacy, a gift, a gratitude. Leave more than you take, and you’ll be a gracious guest wherever you go.