Gurtej Singh Bhamra, Grade 11
UWCEA Moshi Campus
The first time I played football was 10 years ago. It began in the school playground in an attempt to fit in with everyone else. It was a struggle, getting picked last at every team selection, not scoring any goals, and getting dropped by every opponent. Yet, my persistence to do better and the enjoyment of playing football kept me going. Fast forward ten years and I am now a starting player for the U19 football team. More importantly, it has shaped my character and the way I view the world.
The beginning of my journey, in grade 1, was filled with hardships. I had what many called “baby fat” and I was not the quickest or silkiest with the ball. At first, it was discouraging, but seeing my friends all playing made me want to do the same. It was in grade 3 that I had my first breakthrough. Being a regular bench player, this time I got the chance to show myself in training. I was constantly moving into open spaces, being a nuisance to the opposition, holding the ball, and fueling the attacks. After the game, I will never forget how impressed the Coach was, it was like I finally won him over after so long.
I quickly broke through into the starting team and after a year with a devastating loss at Sports Weekend, an event hosting schools across Tanzania, this time we won, beating every single team. This taught me a great deal about failure and persistence at a young age, as 6x NBA Champion Michael Jordan quotes, “I’ve missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games… I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”.
The next two years were tough and many of our best players and the coach left, of whom stole the cup, literally. We lost many games and tournaments. Despite this, I started training a lot with my new coach, Jacob. He taught me a lot about football technique and skill, but most of all discipline and how to push myself to my limits. After these two years in grade 7, we came back to winning ways, dominating teams who beat us in previous years, and finishing third overall in U15 boys football for Sports Weekend.
Next year again, many of the team’s best players moved up to U19 and I remember feeling almost alienated from this group of youngsters in front of me. Nonetheless, I was chosen as captain and knew this year we had to step up if we wanted any chance of winning. When Sports Weekend came about, many people doubted us, even some of our players. However, the seniors on the team knew from experience “if there is a will, there is a way”. In what seemed like a miracle, our team filled with many twelve- and thirteen-year-olds reached the finals of Sports Weekend. Though we were not able to win, we were still happy with what we achieved and carried the lessons with us.
When it all seemed like a spiral of good fortune, COVID-19 hit, and everything plateaued. For two years, training decreased drastically, there was a lack of games and it felt like the love of the game was fading away. After the past two years, my game had gotten a bit rusty and my confidence declined. Despite this, my past experiences have taught me that adversity brings the best in us, and it is only through failure that we can succeed.
This year we came back strong finishing 4th overall in the season, after narrowly losing to a strong Arusha side. Next year, as I enter my final two years in high school, the team is looking the strongest it’s ever been, with a Coach who understands the game. The 4x Super Bowl Coach once said “if the players take care of the details, “the score takes care of itself”. The winning would happen” (Holiday). Let’s also have fun while we are at it.
Football and sports-alike has humbled me and taught me not to give up in the face of difficulty. It has also given me many opportunities to compete and meet incredible people. Being able to interact with strangers all because we speak the same language, football. In the coming years, I hope more investment is put into football and sports in Tanzania, so everyone has the opportunity to grow and excel in their sports journey. As the late Basketball Legend, Kobe Bryant once said, “the most important thing is to try and to inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do”.
The beginning of my journey, in grade 1, was filled with hardships. I had what many called “baby fat” and I was not the quickest or silkiest with the ball. At first, it was discouraging, but seeing my friends all playing made me want to do the same. It was in grade 3 that I had my first breakthrough. Being a regular bench player, this time I got the chance to show myself in training. I was constantly moving into open spaces, being a nuisance to the opposition, holding the ball, and fueling the attacks. After the game, I will never forget how impressed the Coach was, it was like I finally won him over after so long.
I quickly broke through into the starting team and after a year with a devastating loss at Sports Weekend, an event hosting schools across Tanzania, this time we won, beating every single team. This taught me a great deal about failure and persistence at a young age, as 6x NBA Champion Michael Jordan quotes, “I’ve missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games… I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”.
The next two years were tough and many of our best players and the coach left, of whom stole the cup, literally. We lost many games and tournaments. Despite this, I started training a lot with my new coach, Jacob. He taught me a lot about football technique and skill, but most of all discipline and how to push myself to my limits. After these two years in grade 7, we came back to winning ways, dominating teams who beat us in previous years, and finishing third overall in U15 boys football for Sports Weekend.
Next year again, many of the team’s best players moved up to U19 and I remember feeling almost alienated from this group of youngsters in front of me. Nonetheless, I was chosen as captain and knew this year we had to step up if we wanted any chance of winning. When Sports Weekend came about, many people doubted us, even some of our players. However, the seniors on the team knew from experience “if there is a will, there is a way”. In what seemed like a miracle, our team filled with many twelve- and thirteen-year-olds reached the finals of Sports Weekend. Though we were not able to win, we were still happy with what we achieved and carried the lessons with us.
When it all seemed like a spiral of good fortune, COVID-19 hit, and everything plateaued. For two years, training decreased drastically, there was a lack of games and it felt like the love of the game was fading away. After the past two years, my game had gotten a bit rusty and my confidence declined. Despite this, my past experiences have taught me that adversity brings the best in us, and it is only through failure that we can succeed.
This year we came back strong finishing 4th overall in the season, after narrowly losing to a strong Arusha side. Next year, as I enter my final two years in high school, the team is looking the strongest it’s ever been, with a Coach who understands the game. The 4x Super Bowl Coach once said “if the players take care of the details, “the score takes care of itself”. The winning would happen” (Holiday). Let’s also have fun while we are at it.
Football and sports-alike has humbled me and taught me not to give up in the face of difficulty. It has also given me many opportunities to compete and meet incredible people. Being able to interact with strangers all because we speak the same language, football. In the coming years, I hope more investment is put into football and sports in Tanzania, so everyone has the opportunity to grow and excel in their sports journey. As the late Basketball Legend, Kobe Bryant once said, “the most important thing is to try and to inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do”.
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