Life With La Roca
Salim Mohammadi, USA
Salim Mohammadi is originally from Afghanistan and plays with Refugee Soccer in Salt Lake City, as well as local club La Roca. His family moved to the USA in 2020 and he started playing football in 2021.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your personal story and your soccer life?
My name is Salim Mohammadi, I am 15 years old and from Kabul in Afghanistan. We moved to the United States in 2020 because my father was working with the CIA. After the Taliban took control, we were not safe in Afghanistan and we had to run away from the Taliban.
I did not play soccer in Afghanistan - I did Muay Thai Boxing and Volleyball. I only started playing soccer in 2021, a year after we moved to the United States, with my friend Jacque. He is from Tanzania and he encouraged me to play soccer. He is a super good player and we have been friends since 7th grade.
I started falling in love with this beautiful sport. I love football because it relaxes my mind, and every time I was playing soccer I was not thinking about my bad days in Afghanistan any more. That is why I play it all the time now. My parents and my mentor Adam Miles, the founder of Refugee Soccer, have helped and supported me a lot and soccer has now become an important part of my personal life.
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning?
My two best friends and supporters Adam and Jacque are in most of the photos. You can also see my teammates and great coaches like Brylee Harvest and my high school team coach Gilbert Rojas. I wanted to show how much I respect them and how proud I am to be one of their players.
The photos were all taken on and around our soccer pitches at various schools and soccer complexes in Salt Lake City. There are photos of my team after we won first place in a tournament called the Utah Storm Cup 2022 and also waiting to collect our medals, as well as from a State Cup qualifier game.
The people in the photos mean a lot to me and I tried to show how much I love them and how much I care about them. I always appreciate every single one of them for being with me on this journey.
Why is soccer important to you and your community?
Soccer is important to me because when I step on the soccer pitch I forget all bad and negative feelings. All I think about is my big dreams that I always work hard for.
I recently received a medal from my favourite coach after a tournament. I was really excited to go home and show my first medal to my family who have always supported me. I will always keep it. All good stories in my life depend on soccer.
What role does soccer and Refugee Soccer play in your life at the moment? Who do you play with?
I play for one of the best clubs in Utah called La Roca, which is a great club with awesome players and coaches. I have developed a lot in that club. Refugee Soccer has helped give me hope in this journey, because if the Refugee Soccer program was not running, I do not think I would have been playing with my club. So because of this awesome program I was able to reach my dreams and start a new life.
What ambitions do you have for the future?
All my dreams relate to soccer. I am working as hard as I can and I am putting in all the effort I have so I can become the next Adam Miles - I want to follow his path and help people who need support achieving their goals.
