Football!!!

–Dorjee W., college student

“One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than 50 preaching it!” - Knute Rockne

Dorjee W.

From a very young age, I was interested in sports, especially football. At the end of the last class, I would watch the clock. The time it struck 4 pm, I would run and go for football. My whole school year would end mostly focused on football. Sometimes when my exams were not up to the mark, football was blamed as a reason for my low grades. So I began to believe that football is just a time pass activity—a way to have fun; that there is no scope in sports and one cannot have a good life from it.

I was a lazy boy, but football changed me.

I believed for a long time that football is secondary to life and education is primary. Football cannot teach us anything. So my whole childhood passed like that. When I reached grade 11, Gen* Tenzin (geography teacher and football coach) started the Jhamtse Football Club (JFC). It consisted of 22 players. To be a part of JFC, some criteria needed to be fulfilled, like getting above 60% in exams, showing good behavior, and accountability for all your work. 

Being a part of JFC made me focus on my study, and be responsible, disciplined, and accountable; football changed my habits subconsciously. After being a part of JFC, my 11th and 12th grades were great. I got admission to a prestigious university in southern India. When I look back today, I think because of football I started to study more whereas, in my childhood days, football was the reason for my low grades. Football didn’t stop at school for me. It continued in my college life too. 

University Football

When I joined university, I was wondering how I could make convivial relationships with others. I had no experience of meeting new people and talking to them. It was a difficult task. My first days at college were full of new experiences, but they were horrible. My grades were not up to the mark. After class, I went straight back to my room. In a few days, life became very mundane. Then, I got an email regarding football. I was surprised that people here were interested in football. The next day I went to the ground for football practice. Teams were divided. In football, no matter what, you have to at least have your team players’ names. So, I had to step out of my comfort zone and start asking my teammates their names and introduce myself too.

Being selected for the college team gave me more motivation. I felt like I could be a great player if I continued doing whatever I was doing. Football made my life very disciplined. One amazing thing I noticed after playing football was that my class performances were changing too. I was scoring good marks and getting better in my studies. The reason behind that was the mindset that I developed which was self-motivated, disciplined, accountable, and consistent. My mindset and psychological behavior were the same in both football and academic work.

While in the match, I would call out their name, appreciate them, shake hands, high five, and smile at them. These actions came naturally to me because of football. I remember my first goal. Everybody patted my back and gave me compliments. Some of my teammates joined me to celebrate my goal. I jumped and whooped “suiiiiiiiiii”. Within an hour I made lots of friends. On that evening, I was happy and felt like now I am living my college life.

More to life than a good education

The consistent and self-motivated mindset in football was the same in studies too. That was the main reason why I was getting better and better. Football (sports) can teach you a way to look at your life through different dimensions. It strengthens your mind to achieve your dreams and hopes. It strengthens your mental ability. If you are a good sportsman, many values like a healthy body and an awakening mind work together seamlessly. My biggest asset is my mental ability and then physical ability comes second.

I realized that there are so many things that you need in your life other than just having a good education. Education gives you a foundation for life, whereas sports teach you how to live a life, how to make a good relationship, and how to handle your life. Life values are something that you can learn from sports. Football taught me how to handle anger, frustration, hatred, and disappointment. 

In my last two years at school, day by day, I got better at football because I was interested in it. I started to wake up at 5 am every day for endurance running, functional fitness, strength conditioning, and football workshops. Sometimes I felt lethargic, but I was motivated enough to get out of bed.

Football taught me consistency and accountability which are very significant and essential life values that education was unable to teach me. If I had focused only on education, then I would have never gained a healthy body (fitness) and good relations with other people. At college, I realize that physically I may have left JFC, but mentally and emotionally I am still with it. I continue to do all the drills which JFC taught me. I maintain a healthy balance between football and education which was JFC’s main objective. JFC trained me in such a way that wherever I went, I remained disciplined, in good health, and self-motivated.

Dorjee with his University team, front row, 3rd from left, white t-shirt