- December 2019
Personal Statement
The talent I was given has brought joy to my life and gave me the ability to express myself to the world. Having a ball at my feet gave me a new perspective of the world and has taught me many values that I will keep for the rest of my life. I have always believed that talent is nothing without hard work, which is why I never stop working. Soccer has taught me to be organized, have a balanced life between play and school while making use of every minute I have to ensure I stay on top of my school work while training hard.
Since I was 5 years old, I have continued to develop my talent into something big through hard work and determination. Putting in at least two to three hours of rigorous training every day helped me move through the ranks; eventually, I went from playing at club level through junior varsity and finally representing my school. Since JV and Varsity were at very high competitive levels, the training rigor matched it. The selections for each tournament was challenging; only the best were chosen to play. I have learned and grown from these experiences - I became better at reading body language and to communicate with my team non verbally. Our subtle cues helped us change formations quickly to beat the opponent’s mind games. Emphasis on fitness enhanced my footwork, agility, and speed. Those two-hour matches always refined my thinking skills, to evaluate a situation quickly and adapt.
During April of 2018, our team participated in the Mediterranean International Cup that took place in Barcelona. The level of football during the tournament was the highest I have ever seen. The experience of playing against professional teams such as Villareal and Juventus was surreal and one I will never forget. It was something different as our team is used to winning every game with no exception as we were the Dubai Sports Council champions for 2 years.
Every match, every tournament was not a success story; I learned to be resilient and to learn from mistakes. I learned that despite all your efforts on some days you don’t get to win simply because of a much better opponent. On those days I have to take my hat down and acknowledge that brilliance. Soccer has taught me to never take anything for granted, least of all your talent. It has been a lesson in humility. No matter how successful you are, you need to keep things in perspective and treat others as you wish them to treat you.
