Hard Work Beats Talent

Kweku Brew, New York, USA

Goal Click teamed up with New York City FC to tell the inside story of the New York City Soccer Initiative (NYCSI), building 50 mini soccer pitches in communities across the five New York City boroughs with partners from the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC, U.S. Soccer Foundation, adidas, and Etihad Airways. Youth participants aged 8-23 told the story of their own football life, street soccer culture, and the impact of the pitches on their communities.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your football life?

My name is Kweku Brew. I’m 18 years old. I was born in Ghana, West Africa. I came to America when I was 11. I currently attend Brooklyn College while also interning at NYCFC. Soccer is the greatest sport, and has had the greatest impact on my life. The sport has been a comfort for me. It has followed me through the different homes and countries I have lived. It is the most universal sport in the world. It has helped me break the ice, to make new friends, and has taught me to be persistent and persevere. 

Who is in the photos? Where were the photos taken?

The people in the photos attend both University Prep Charter School and Hostos-Lincoln Academy at the Lola Rodriguez Campus in The Bronx. The photos were taken on the NYCFC blue pitch that was built for all schools in the Lola Rodriguez Campus.

What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with any of the photos?

The purpose was to demonstrate the love for soccer these kids have. Most of the kids live in a marginalised community. They either play on their school or club team, or recreationally. The blue pitch is where everyone practices, comes to play, and learns about each other and about the game. They play in whatever is in their possession before the game. All of them are minorities and share similar background stories. Social justice work and a passion for uplifting youth in marginalised communities are near and dear to my heart.

Are there any good stories connected with the people you photographed?

The people are all on different paths but are connected through their passion for the sport of soccer. They know the community and most of them live in the community, so they have a sense of how they can use soccer to impact their lives and others positively. The sport is not just a sport or a hobby for them, it is something they breathe in and out. Before the blue pitch, they set up their book bags as goals and just needed a soccer ball. They played and the aura has always been filled with enthusiasm. Soccer breaks the boundaries of what society wants you to be and allows you to be yourself amongst others who will accept you for your true identity.

What is your favourite photo? Why?

Being a student of the game, you have to show your respect for it, yourself, and opponents. The referee was a student athlete, who played and also decided to referee the game. He allowed the players to line up at the end of the game and shake hands before leaving the pitch. When they are playing, they have their differences and set of goals, but at the end they all unite and show gratitude to each other because of their love for soccer and sportsmanship. This infatuated the spectators, so they got on the pitch to view. This is my favourite photo because it shows the appreciation for the game.

Can you tell us your personal story?

I first started playing soccer in my home country of Ghana; barefoot on smooth sand, and at the time I called it “futbol”. The elders would provide the kids with a ball and sit on the sidelines and cheer us on so that we played our hardest, enjoyed the sport together, and motivated us to develop camaraderie. I had to say goodbye to my country to be with my mom in New York City, but I took a soccer ball with me. Soccer would be the therapy I needed as I adjusted from living in the countryside to a densely populated city with crowded streets, parks, subways, and classrooms. It has played a big part in molding me into the man I am today.

Why is football important for your community?

Adjusting to a new city - especially one where kids with my complexion are targeted, watched and given the side eye instead of being cheered on the sidelines - was difficult for me to process. I had to push through the stereotypes and perceptions that existed in America about young black boys, especially ones from Africa. I had a funny accent to some of the kids in my neighborhood, and they would mock me and ask if I came from somewhere poor. I was called ‘African booty scratcher’ every time I walked the hallways with a smile on my face, but with my head down and hunched shoulders. I was treated like a clown at a circus. 

Because soccer taught me that talent is shown and takes teamwork and strategy to succeed, I took my frustrations onto the field and turned them into positive energy to elevate my mood and to extend an olive branch to some of the kids in my neighborhood. Football is significant to my community because it gives us hope that we are not alone and we are connected universally. Our stories matter and we should remain positive through the negative and spread good energy. Football is the voice for my community. Football is some people’s only great attribute; it is their ability to better themselves and family. Everyone gives it their all when playing because it brings citizenship, smiles, laughter and unification to the community.

What does football mean to you? What ambitions do you have for the future?

Who knew something round with bounce and simple-colored black and white hexagons that rotate once placed in my palms and onto the field to kick would give me the adrenaline and drive that I needed in my life? The ball drives down the field and my eyes begin to scan where I need to be to pass, defend, or score. I have to strategize, be quick on my feet, and make sure the next move is the right move or else it will cost me the game. Football is my oxygen. 

The first team I joined in America was named City Soccer. In soccer a goalkeeper protects their goal, a defender ought to be great at tackling, a midfielder ought to great at crossing the ball over a long distance, and a striker ought to be great at shooting the ball and getting it past the goalkeeper.  I was a 5 feet and 5 inches solid striker with a championship mindset. I have worked hard for a long time at soccer to be ready for this atmosphere, this game. It is the semi finals and we are unbeaten all season. The game was extraordinary, nobody has scored and there's sweat running down my face. My soul was dashed as I saw the other team’s players run down our sideline, cross the ball over our defenders heads, and shoot it into our net with mind blowing power.  My head bowed and disheartening considerations began to fill my head. Just two minutes left in the game and I could see no chance to tie the game. It appeared we are now beaten. The crowds surrounding the soccer field started chanting, “TWO MORE MINUTES, TWO MORE MINUTES, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP KWEKU AND FEET GROUNDED”. 

“We lose together and we win together, Kweku you decide”, my coach said. I passed the ball to my team as the referee blows the whistle. My team moves the ball around as I get close to the opponents goal with my heart rapidly beating because the crowd started the one-minute countdown. Our midfielder volleyed the ball towards the goal but there was a defender, so I ran as fast as I could to control the high velocity of the ball. All the adrenaline shocked through my body as my left foot felt the presence of the ball and tapped it into the top right corner of the net. The game has come to an end and it was a GOALLL. I was being chased around like Rocky Balboa. The aura was filled with joy and excitement. We won the game on penalties 5-3. We were unbeaten because soccer is like life, if you keep your head up, feet grounded and work together, you will succeed. 

This love for soccer is what has driven my goals and my academic performance. I can use soccer to change my community by building recreational centers where it is affordable and a safe zone for everyone. It is where youth can learn discipline, sportsmanship, positive competition, strategy, and feel comfortable. Help people follow the golden rule and not judge people because of their appearance. Walk in their skin to understand why soccer is their ambition, passion and why their lifestyle is how it is. I want to make it a ritual to remind people to never forget where they came from and the support they had. To be able to pay it forward without being asked. 

What impact has the NYCSI programme had on you?

New York City Soccer Initiative (NYCSI) has assisted me in growing more love for soccer and giving back to communities including mine. I have become much more involved in community relations while working with NYCFC. I participated in the opening of Soccer Bloc in the Bronx, a free CITC (City in the Community) program to uplift youth in marginalized communities using soccer. Last summer I worked as an assistant coach for Soccer Bloc in Queens. This year, I worked at The Bronx site. It allows the kids to have fun and play soccer in a safe community, while building solid communities. 

The impact NYCSI is continuously having on me is showing my altruistic side, often not just to my friends and family but also to the people I encounter through soccer on and off the pitch. The wise words of Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel’’. I believe these words apply to my life and the NYCSI objective. I never had everything, but because of soccer I was surrounded with like-minded people who wanted to have a laugh, help each other, and stay focused on our goals. I want to pay it forward and give others the opportunity I had and hope I can do that through soccer. NYCSI has become a part of me.”

What do you think the future looks like for soccer in New York and the USA? What do you want to change?

I believe the future of soccer in New York is going to get better as time goes on. If we want a positive long lasting impact in the future we have to work smarter not harder. Soccer organizations have to be willing to put in effort and money into mainly underserved communities because “hard work beats talent when talent fails to work”. There are a surplus of hard working talented players in underserved communities who have talent and are always striving for greatness but do not have the money for the resources to help them improve. There are talented players who forget to work hard because they have a wealthy lifestyle and their family will be able to provide them.  They are the ones who mostly get in to the expensive clubs because of their money and parental connections with the clubs and status. Minorities do not have that advantage or are not in that social class to be able to get the opportunity to be part of a club team. 

Once these kinds of issues are fixed in New York, it will be seen as something extraordinary that will benefit the citizens and the nation. Other states that face these circumstances can learn. I want to change the perspective most people have on people living in underserved communities. They think underserved communities are full of negative behaviors and toxicity that a club team should not allow. The parents fear that minority kids might be better than their kids. They use their money to control club teams and a guaranteed spot for their kids. I want that to be stopped. If the USA wants to have soccer culture, these issues are in immediate of fixing.