More and more teenagers are being upgraded to business and first class across many flights in the United States.  These frequent flying school age teens are traveling to far off destinations to play sports, cheerlead, or dance. 

Soccer mom Melanie Stevens proudly explains, “We’re from Chicago and are headed to Louisville.  My daughter is competitive and there just aren’t enough soccer players in the Chicago area.”  Stevens’ daughter was not available for comment, eye contact, or acknowledgement of anything outside her phone. 

Mrs. Stevens is excited to earn reward tickets for her and her daughter to fly to their next destination, Georgia – the Republic of Georgia that is.  She cheerfully describes the tournament there, “We just haven’t traveled far enough to play soccer so this will be a fulfilling trip.  Plus we might see the rest of my family in Atlanta as they fly through for my son’s lacrosse tournament.”

Amiran Teimurazi, president of the Georgia Football League, is confused but excited by the American athletes.  In a prepared statement he said, “Ar mesmis, rat’om undat ak amerik’elebma pekhburtis tamashi, magram chven t’urizmis shemosavlebi gvakvs. Ts’armat’ebebi, mdidari amerik’eli megobrebi!” (“I don’t understand why Americans want to play soccer here, but we enjoy the tourism revenue.  Welcome, rich American friends!”)