For the love of the game

Children are the apples of our eyes, a phrase once used by Shakespeare in his play “Midsummer Night’s dream, an interpretation from a quote “Flower of this purple dye, hit with Cupid’s archery, sink in apple of his eye.” It’s no wonder that cherishing children is an innate feeling and as they grow their talents start to show and their likes and dislikes start to bud. Boys and girls all have their preferences, dolls vs. cars, makeup vs. mud piles and the list is endless. One thing though everyone can agree on, boys love soccer, it just comes naturally! From the first steps they take until they’re older, they just love to kick and catch and so on so forth, the love for the game grows with them from a tender age and even more if their surrounding environment also shares that love. In Saudi Arabia, soccer is life, boys inherit the love for teams from their fathers and schools have teams for every school grade all sharing that love.
There is an abundance of after school programs that cater to many different fun activities for different ages and preferences. One after school program though caters to the soccer lovers out there, Jeddah’s FB Strikers Youth Soccer Academy, a program with a serious soccer curriculum that trains young participants both mentally and physically. The academy was a dream for the founder Captain Hatem Altuhami, a passionate soccer enthusiast and player as well.
“I started community service in the States coaching kids soccer teams when I was attending high school there. I’m very passionate about the sport up until now. I started a small school for soccer for one reason, my son Abdulrahman. He was playing soccer in different clubs here and there but it wasn’t up to the standard of my liking, he was simply just kicking the ball. So I started this school and organized it for kids who wanted to play the game the way professionals play, doing it by the book. The way soccer players in Saudi Arabia are chosen is simply based on their talent, talent is important yet education is even more important. My number one rule in the academy is for the kids to maintain a high grade average because this way they learn that playing is a privilege, not simply based on talent.”
Captain Hatem brought back his experience from the States as a soccer player/volunteer coach and enforced these teachings in his academy, the result was creating a generation of soccer players that not only play better but have a better understanding of the rules and advantages of playing at the Academy. FB Strikers are their name, boys from the age of 5-17 are welcome and their knowledge of what soccer is advanced as they are exposed to a number of professional soccer coaches, DVD tutorials brought from abroad, booklets and many more of the great resources available at the Academy.
“I strive to better these kids and provide them with all the best visual and physical resources in order for them to hone their talent, play better whilst understanding the fundamentals such as team work, coordination, accepting that winning is a challenge and failure is acceptable. I see the kids who have joined grow and evolve as they get more acquainted with their team mates, it doesn’t matter what background they come from, it’s the love of the game that matters and everyone is equal. The environment I am creating is one that accepts all walks of life, there are kids from orphanages, I have some with special needs and they are all treated equally with respect and appreciation. It’s what makes the game fun for them all and that’s one of the top goals of this program,” exclaims Captain Hatem.
Another major goal of Strikers Academy is education. A fundamental rule of playing for any sports team would be top grades in a higher education institute, this is one fundamental rule that Captain Hatem uses with the kids as well. In order for you to play, you have to give all that you got in your education as well as the game. “I am very adamant about top notch grades, talent isn’t everything, one day that talent can quiver and weaken, but an education is everything. I reassure all the kids who join the Academy that their education always comes first, I follow up on report cards and if the player doesn’t uphold this rule, I don’t punish them, I just let them run laps until the grades are up, then they can head back into the field. This teaches them discipline, this teaches them to prioritize, this teaches them that a player can be an engineer and a great soccer player as well,” illuminates Captain Hatem.
The outstanding accomplishments of FB Strikers have paid off as they have been selected a number of times to participate in Volkswagen’s annual Junior’s World Masters Tournament and many others. The Volkswagen tournament selects teams from 22 different countries and for the second time around, Saudi Arabia has been a participant with FB Strikers as its representatives. The Academy players have also been chosen to play in other tournaments as well; the latest was the Barcelona International Youth Football Tournament. Three team groups were chosen (born in 2000, 2002 and 2003), all played great games with competitive teams. The 2002 age group won first place in their division and goalie Mohammed Orija was labeled “Best Goal Keeper of the Year”, a well-deserved title for a young man with a promising career ahead.
Ahmad Orija, Mohammed’s father expressed his happiness as his son came back home with such a fitting title. “I have given all that I can just to help my children succeed in what they believe, what they love. My sons are all soccer fans, the eldest Ali has taught both his young brothers Salah and Mohammed well, they’ve broken enough ceiling lights to prove their love for soccer,” jokes Ahmed. “I signed Mohammed up at FB Strikers as many friends recommended him for his great work ethics, professionalism and care for playing the game in its true form. I’m proud of my son’s achievement and I have to thank the great coaches, Captain Hatem after Allah for their commitment and giving all they got to teach kids like my son be who they strive to be one day. The coaches and materials provided for these kids are the best there is to come by and I can see how dedicated Captain Hatem is to his Academy, surely a blessing to the little football players.”
Najwa Alyo, a mother of four whose son Abdul Aziz Al-Attas, a team member of FB Strikers, is simply elated about how her son Abdulaziz not only plays better now but he has grown into a responsible young man. “I can see him change to the better, his relationships with other kids, his school work, his commitments and respect for the game and what it stands for. I’m very happy with him joining, the experience he gains as he gets to compete with other teams from the city and also the amazing trip they took to Barcelona a few weeks ago to compete with other great teams from other countries. All the kids represented Saudi Arabia and the Academy in the best way they could have and all us parents are simply proud of them all. One very amusing gesture happened during the games, every time they scored a goal, they kneeled down thanking Allah for the goal and many parents attending saw it as a very respectful gesture, something I for one am very proud of. They always pray on time wherever they are and it’s a great spectacle to see.”
Abdulaziz, a 6th grader, told of how all team mates are friends and competition is simply a word that doesn’t fit in the way they play the game. The love of soccer has since grew more since joining FB Strikers and the enjoyment he gets from playing can’t be found in other activities. “Captain Hatem and the coaches all help us play better and work together, I have a lot of fun meeting new friends and we all have fun.”
The environment set for these kids is clearly a disciplined yet fun environment as agreed by parents and kids alike, mothers and fathers can attend practice and watch their young soccer players play. FB Strikers Academy is a challenging program that produces talented players, some are naturally talented and some just need a slight push and got better by time. It’s a program set for high standards but focusing on education is also a very tempting focus to teach children and teens that a degree goes far and a future without an education can be very difficult in the long run.
Heba Khashoggi, Captain Hatem’s wife and co-founder, is one of the main supporters of her husband’s Academy. She has included herself in the events the Academy holds, took over for her husband on overseas trips and has also included her young kids to help out with duties. “I feel a sense of responsibility toward all the players coming into the Academy, I see my husband’s vision come alive as each player moves forward and does better.”
FB Strikers is a wonderful after school program for everyone to join. To contact the Academy, feel free to call them on 0500675767.
—
Email: [email protected]