Tapiwa Shumba '21 Recruiting Profile

A young boy born in Harare, Zimbabwe. I have traveled to many places including South Africa, France, Switzerland, Austria, and more. My parents showed me a lot in the world and I keep that with me. I know I have a bigger purpose and I look to fulfill that purpose. Everything I've learned has come from them, so I owe a lot to them. My passion for soccer began when I was about 8 years old. My oldest brother was the one who got me interested. It's always been competitive. I can definitely say that a lot has happened since then. Now, soccer is more than just a sport to me.

I find that if you really want something in life, you have to chase and go after it. Nothing came easy in my life, I've always had to work to get things. As a freshman in high school, I played on the varsity team. I helped lead them in the season. You wouldn't usually expect that from a freshman, but I had the confidence to prove myself. This is an accomplishment no one can take from me because I was the first in 5 years to achieve this. I've failed a lot, but never gave up. The first time I tried out for New York Red Bulls DA, they didn't want me. Instead of giving up, I was more tenacious and kept working. The next year I tried out again and made it. Failure is something I learn from. I had a goal in mind and I did not stop until I reached it. Everyday I'm competing to achieve a bigger dream. There are higher levels I know I can achieve.