I used to be just an ordinary person who went to school, came back home, watched TV, and repeated the same routine every day. This was basically my life schedule before I joined Yazhi FC. Yes! It was quite boring. Occasionally, I played football with my buddies at our community park. During those times, I didn’t aspire to be anything special. But now, I find myself in a situation where I can choose which path to take, just like in Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken.” This is Amit Vikram from the U-15 batch currently.
My parents pushed me to join football coaching rather than wasting my time in front of the TV. I had heard people say that the first day of joining coaching would be hard, but fortunately for me, I made numerous friends right from the start. I hope these buddies will stay with me until the end, or even longer. When I feel exhausted during tournaments, the encouragement from my parents refills what I’ve lost. During morning matches, the breeze is cooler than the sweetest scent of flowers. Initially, I made a lot of mistakes during drills and matches, but my caring and wise coach never left me behind. He supported and corrected me every time, helping me learn new skills and grasp basic concepts. He revels in our victories as much as we do. The ground is spacious, allowing players of all categories to play without any disturbance.
As time went on, I learned when to dribble, pass, and shoot by following the wise words of a mentor: “Playing football is simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is.” In addition to skills, I learned discipline, physical fitness, and the importance of socializing with others. When players chant, “Who are we? Yazhi!! Say what!! Yazhi!!”, it sends goosebumps all over my body. Those are the happiest moments of my life I’ve experienced.
May the sweet smell of grass and loam linger in the glorious Yazhi ground forever.
