Young Champions
Josh, Enrique, Shaakir, Coach Casey, and family members at the airport after the tournament.
Last month our U18 team traveled to Johannesburg to compete in the Engen Champ of Champs tournament. Joining them were several of their younger “brothers,” boys from our U16 team who were asked by Coach Casey to play with the U18s during the competition. The three young men—Shaakir Ahmed, Enrique Jacobs, and Joshua Wood—excitedly seized the opportunity to be a part of what would be an invaluable experience.
“I was thrilled about it, I didn’t expect to get called up,” says Shaakir. He continues, “It was my first time flying so I was just hyped about it. And just to play in Jozi…it’s an accomplishment for me.”
Our U16 team is full of talented young players, but only three traveled to Johannesburg. We asked Enrique why he thought he and his two teammates were chosen to represent their age group. He replied, “I think why we were chosen is because of our work ethic, like we’re consistent in our work ethic…we give our all in everything we do, even like in school also. We are hard working so I think that’s why Coach Casey chose us.”
Josh and Enrique with their older “brothers”, Cole Van Coller and Rivaldo Present.
For the three youngsters, traveling to Johannesburg with the U18s didn’t just mean playing football with them. Shaakir, Enrique, and Josh spent their time off the pitch with the older boys, getting a feel for the group dynamic and being welcomed into a community. Josh describes the experience, saying, “being called up, it’s exciting and things and you always think ‘okay now because I’m younger I can’t do things.’ But being around them in the hotel it already felt like you were in the team, you didn’t really get called up. You were part of the team before already and it just feels like you’re coming from one part of brothers you can say, and you’re just going to another brotherhood. So you’re not really feeling left out.” The U18s showed their faith in the younger boys from the beginning according to Josh. The coaches had the confidence to call the boys up and the U18s trusted them to play in a high level tournament, even to be subbed in during the final match. For Joshua, the experience of playing with and learning from his older brothers was “quality.”
Shaakir holds the Engen trophy with teammate Munashe Garananga.
Shaakir describes the leadership qualities of the older boys and the impact they had on him as someone who benefitted from their good character. He particularly emphasizes the encouragement he received from his peers no matter the situation. In fact, his favourite memory of the tournament is the time spent with the U18s and the support they gave him. Shaakir affirms that it’s something he wants to implement on the U16 team. Enrique agrees with what his teammate has to say, adding that what he wants to see brought back to the U16 team is service. Throughout the weekend at Engen the U18s demonstrated what it means to serve one another, and Enrique believes that it’s what brought them all to the final. He too stated that hanging out with his big brothers was a highlight of the weekend.
When asked how they were going to be prepared for football challenges in the future after being crowned Engen 2019 champions, all three boys respond along a common theme: hard work. Shaakir emphasizes the importance of training as the foundation for success. Training each and every day as if you’re playing in the final match of a big tournament, giving your absolute best, and developing good habits on a daily basis is critical. Enrique agrees, citing work ethic as the chief quality to have as a player preparing for future challenges. Concurring, Josh states that everyone must push themselves further than is comfortable in order to grow beyond their limits and achieve more than what was thought to be possible.
Concluding their reflections on the weekend and the experience as a whole, Shaakir and Enrique express their positive feelings: “I’m proud to be a part of this family,” states Enrique simply. Shaakir jumps in on a similar note, saying, “I’m proud to be a part of a group that set the standard for the next generation.”
The three youngsters and the rest of the boys who attend Ubuntu Academy High School celebrate their victory.
Josh ends with these profound thoughts: “If you think about the Ubuntu values and things like that, it doesn’t really play a big role. Like when you come in you think “okay it’s just the values, we need to know this,” but if you think about it and you actually break it down, it actually applies to football, it applies to life, it applies to schooling. And if you live by this, you’re actually a balanced person so I think that’s a good thing. We tend to take for granted our opportunities like getting the chance to be on a plane. We take these small things for granted but if you focus on the small things, those small things add up to a big thing.”
Needless to say, our three young champions won’t soon forget their experience at the Engen Champ of Champs tournament. Their growth and new perspectives will certainly continue to impact them as individuals, and they will in turn look to benefit their team in new ways going forward.
From left to right: Enrique, Shaakir, Sarah Prince, Joshua, and Coach Moritz.
