Creavalle’s Guyana journey went beyond field
CHESTER » The “about” section of the website for Warren Creavalle’s eponymous clothing line doesn’t feature a soccer ball. Instead, it includes a photo and a story more central to Creavalle’s identity.
In the photo is the flag of Guyana, the country of Creavalle’s father’s birth. The copy tells of another logo, the three rivers of Guyana, an identity for the South American nation and the company Creavalle founded five years ago with his cousin Stephen and soccer players Ashtone Morgan and Cameron Wilder.
This summer hasn’t been what Creavalle expected, on a couple of fronts. The Union midfielder was set to join Guyana at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in June, the nation’s first major international competition. But a fractured foot in a training session on international duty kept Creavalle out of the tournament and forced a reset on his season.
The deepening connection to a country in which he’s never resided, though, has meant more to Creavalle than just the on-field opportunities. And while the soccer side of his Guyana experience didn’t work out as planned, his international journey has helped inform Creavalle’s growth in other ways, including his design platform and his work in the Philadelphia community.
Getting to the Gold Cup was a monumental achievement for Guyana, a nation that gained independence in 1966 and didn’t compete in soccer until 1971. One of three nations — with French Guiana and Suriname — on mainland South America that the highly competitive CONMEBOL forsakes to CONCACAF, soccer isn’t big in the former British colony. It peaked at No. 86 in the FIFA World Rankings in 2010, then didn’t play a competitive match for more than two years due to administrative issues.
The program has grown in recent years, in part by enticing players with family connections to the nation like Creavalle to suit up. The native of Acworth, Ga., made his international debut in 2016 — the first time he’d visited Guyana — and has appeared four times, including in the March 23 win over Belize that sent the Golden Jaguars to the Gold Cup.
“It’s not traditionally known as a football nation,” Creavalle said in late May, before leaving for Guyana camp. “So it’s kind of cool to be a part of this emerging group. It’s going to have its growing pains for sure, but it’s a unique situation that I’m happy to be a part of.”
Guyana’s stay in the Gold Cup was unsurprisingly brief, losing to the United States and Panama. But it drew with Trinidad and Tobago, scored three goals in the tournament (all by English league veteran Neil Danns) and managed to edge T&T for third in Group D.
For Creavalle, though, watching from home wasn’t easy.
“It was really difficult, to be honest,” he said last week. “It was something that I was definitely looking forward to, that experience. All those emotions, just being in that experience and to have it taken away, it was really difficult and one of the harder moments mentally, I would say, in my career. Especially coupled with not playing regularly right now, having a chance to go and play regularly in a really meaningful competition, I was really looking forward to that.”
Immersing himself in Guyanese culture has deepened the viewpoint he brings to his business ventures. There’s always been an influence, with Morgan also of Guyanese heritage. Creavalle has posted pictures of his trips to Guyana, an extension of the mission statement to, “take cues from our various experiences and diverse cultural influences.” He’s connected to where his father, Albert, grew up, making vivid new memories in touring the capital city of Georgetown with his dad and uncles, reliving stories of what their childhood was like.
“It’s always a learning experience,” Creavalle said. “I definitely relish that when I make those trips, especially to Guyana, with it being my first few times with the national team. To get that experience from guys that have been in the team and going around Georgetown and seeing the history and seeing the culture first-hand is definitely a different experience that I’ve had growing up here, even with family being from Guyana and being around that family. It’s always unique to get that first-hand experience, and I do appreciate that part of getting to play with the national team.”
Whether it’s the business having footprints in Philadelphia, Toronto and Atlanta — cities Creavalle has lived or played in — or the shared symbolism of three triangles that is a play on the “AVA” in the middle of his name and echoes the shapes on the Guyana flag, Creavalle views his cultural synthesis in a holistic way, with player and designer one in the same. He’s largely selftaught in the fashion and design business, but he’s always harbored an interest in that realm.
“It’s a different creativity you get to have,” he said. “It’s a different release that’s independent from playing. It’s a different kind of control, a different kind of expression.”
The Creavalle brand offers apparel and design products. It hosted a popup event in Northern Liberties July 7, and with Creavalle on the sidelines, he had more time to invest.
“It was definitely positive to lean into that,” he said. “With being away from the team, you’re inside all the time, you’re not getting that same dynamic that you would on a regular basis, so building with my team outside of the field was really helpful. Friends and family were really supportive of me, and that’s really valuable in that time.”
Creavalle also merged his interests via the Design FC program. Run by Swarthmore grad Omri Gal in partnership with Chester Upland Youth Soccer, the after-school program in Chester allows students to design their own soccer jerseys, a yearlong effort in which Creavalle was a mentor.
The program is the Union’s finalist for the MLS Works Community MVP award, voting for which extends through July 31.
All of the traveling and learning Creavalle as done informs his views and priorities. Though this summer’s journey with Guyana didn’t take the form he’d hoped for, he’s still gleaned valuable aspects that will keep feeding his passions.
“Just the more cognizant you get of different realities, it definitely resonates with you,” he said. “I can definitely attribute that to my involvement with Design FC and the gratification that I get from that is amazing. My role there is being really useful and helpful to these kids, but I think I get as much if not more from them. It’s a really great experience.”