Hurbert Shauri

"I grew up playing football — in school since grade one, and in the streets of Moshi and Dar es Salaam where I lived before moving to Abu Dhabi." 

Now I play as one of the midfielders for the Falcons men’s football team. Over the last two and a half years, every single game that I have played in the Abu Dhabi Intercollegiate Sports League has been unique and has always presented a new challenge to tackle. There has always been a take-away every time we join hands and shout “family” or “falcons” after the last whistle.

Playing football here has really accelerated my process of learning how to learn. Within the first few minutes of every game, we midfielders have to observe what the other team’s technique is.

We then organize our teammates and quickly try out various working solutions that can help us to counter the challenge, and of course keep up a good show to entertain our supporting fans.

Sometimes it works out that as a team, we find a solution within ninety minutes and therefore achieve the results that we want. Sometimes, that might not be case, and even if we have an upper hand in the game, we do not get those results.

My coaches and teammates have helped me to appreciate the beauty of football and the reality of life.

“Every single match is a learning opportunity, no matter the results.” Coach Dicce will always repeat this before and after we play.

Each of the 7am practice sessions present yet another opportunity to grow. Our trainings go beyond just preparing for a season of games; we prepare for life.

The strong team fabric we have demand us to put in all our best and play for each other. It is not just because that is where we draw our entertainment from, but because I hold a responsibility of ensuring I am encouraging my teammates to push their limits towards achieving a better-self, and so do each of my teammate for me.

The beauty of it all is that it does not just stop on the pitch. It seeps into our daily lives, in almost everything we do. It is a lifestyle.

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