Ayah Karim - Captain's final words

Being chosen as the Premier League Cup captain for 2021 was one of the biggest honours that I had whilst being in the Keilor Downs Soccer School, especially with this being my last year in the program. My experience in the program will be one that I will never forget and will always remember.

I joined the program in year 8 not even knowing how to pass in a straight line. You could ask any one of the coaches or my teammates and they would tell you that I would have been lucky to even sit on the bench. What this program taught me was beyond my imagination. I came into a soccer program with little to no friends, and I’m leaving with a great group of friends as well as being honoured as captain in year 12. This is something that my 13-year-old self would have never predicted. 

I entered high school not having a single thought about life after year 12 and not understanding who I am, what I want to be, or what career path I am heading towards. I had no leadership skills and was one of the quietest girls in the group. The five years I have had in the KDCSS allowed me to learn and understand exactly who I am and what career I want to undertake upon leaving school. I wanted to study the legal system, then I wanted to be a psychologist and many other career paths went through my mind. It didn’t take me too long to understand that like the two amazing coaches that practically taught me everything from soccer to grammar, that I wanted to do the exact same with the next generation of students. I want to become a teacher and coach and without the two coaches that guided me through high school and how much they impacted my life, I would probably still be contemplating what career path I want to pursue.

Not only has the program allowed me to understand who I am, but it has helped further develop my once non-existent leadership skills to being able to talk to many people without being as shy as I was before. What I have learned is that in this program, even if you think that you are the least skilled player, or the least confident, Mr. Loncaric and Mr. Katiforis will always manage to find a way that best suits you to make you feel useful in not only the game but in the program itself while they help better your skills in every way. They will be the most supportive people in your life as soon as you tell them that you want to get better because they are very genuine people that will guide you in whatever path you want to take. 

Some advice that I would give anyone just starting the program is to not take a minute, hour, or day for granted. This program has turned is a blessing and it is an amazing roller coaster, and I am so proud of everything that this program has become. Even if you begin with a low skill level, I urge you not to give up, because you will never know when it is your time to have a ground-breaking moment and shine, and you will never know what your future will hold for you. We all learn at different rates.

My final piece of advice that I would to those that are currently in the program is to cherish the times that you have on that beautiful pitch. Get up and train in the mornings while others are sleeping; from my own experience, nothing tops that feeling. Time will fly and you will not regret it. From being a person that went from bench player to being honoured with the Sarah Lorca Medal and captain in 2021, I am living proof of the success of the program and what it can help you achieve if you work hard and listen. 

Thank you for everything.