Broadway Street/Empire State Building - NYC 2023
To be honest, as you learned from my last post, I went to alot of soccer camps. I actually was not really good at soccer. I just saw it as a potential vehicle to live the life I wanted of travel and performing and having people cheer you on.
My time was atleast constructive as it helped me to focus and keep some of the weight off as I was typically overweight growing up.
Unfortunately, I can not locate any photos of my soccer camp days (in some ways that may be a good thing :). The camps continued to be a week of bliss and fun for me for all the wonderful people I met. Despite being shy, overweight, insecure, and quiet, I made lots of friends which is also a testament to the character of the people I was around.
I was able to achieve my dream to attend the soccer camp hosted by my favorite soccer player, Julie Foudy. Thanks to my aunts for sponsoring me as they hold a non-profit called "Off the Bench" which sponsors girls of color to attend soccer camps to give them the skill to level the playing field.
Julie Foudy, my favorite soccer player hosted the Sports Leadership Academy for girls in New Jersey. Julie Foudy is the complete opposite of my which is probably why I was drawn to her. She has a very loud and outgoing personality and is typically the spokesperson for the US Women National team of her day. I loved this camp because we got to learn leadership skills on and off the field with soccer. She taught me leadership is transferrable whether on or off the field.
I also learned there were different types of leaders and you did not have to hold a title. That was huge for me. I honestly was just going to camp to meet Julie Foudy (you know 13-year-old priorities), but the leadership part shifted alot for me from that point on.
I learned that you could lead by example and you didn't have to be the loud person in front all the time.
This was also the first time I got to mingle with girls from other countries. There were 2 girls from Afghanistan that came to the camp. They were rock stars. They helped paved the way for female soccer players in Afghanistan even during the Taliban rule! They received an ESPY Arthur Ashe Courage Award the year before.
Even before I knew they were rock stars, I thought they were so interesting. The way they talked, their accent was really cool. They had an awesome sense of humor.
Apparently, I think I was one of the few people that could understand what they were saying. My coach appointed me as their "buddy" for the week to make sure they got to all the sessions. It was definitely no burden for me, I loved talking with them. We became close friends even years after camp.
To my surprise, one year at one of the JFSLA (Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy) camps ( I actually attended 3 times! :) - I remember one of my teammates stood up in front of the entire camp and commended me for being a good leader for helping the team out. I honestly can't remember exactly what was said, but as soon as I heard my name I wanted to hide. Like "Shhhh, why are you saying my name!" Haha it felt like a slight panic attack..lol.
I didn't feel like I was doing anything special except looking out for people and offering help. That year I also got the Golden Boot award and a signed cleat from Julie Foudy!
I was super surprised. My self-image at the time and how I felt about myself were far off from deserving of any award. It was the first time I realized, I felt okay. Like I could be myself and it was okay.
I don't know why it was such a shock or surprise, but it just goes to show that when we have such a negative perception of ourselves - it really dampens every area of our lives. God didn't create shame. But it is definitely something we need to break up with to live the rest of our lives in abundance.
This was a huge turning point for me. After that, in high school I went to play soccer, basketball and lacrosse. I was team captain for all my teams. I was never the fittest, I was never the fastest, I was never the most athletic, I was never the most skilled. I didn't gossip or horseplay. I was focused however and I won alot of sportsmanship awards. Honestly, on some of my teams (especially basketball), I didn't even play much and was rarely a starter, but somehow still team captain. It taught me a lot about presence. I may not have been the most skilled, but I was respected and rewarded for it. Some people mentioned I was like "gel" that held things together.
Ironically, I use my same "gel-ing" skills together to help people be on the same page. One of my super powers I guess - What's yours?
Remember your gifts are transferrable. They are part of who you are :)
Comments