Hello,
My name is Samuel Adjei. I was born and raised in Ghana and relocated to the United States when I was eleven years old. I descend from a soccer family, and the only other recognizable sport during my childhood was basketball; thanks to Michael Jordan being a global icon. To give you a synopsis ; my father is an Olympian who has a bronze medal from the Barcelona 1992 Olympics; a year before I was born. My uncle played in the German Bundesliga. In addition, I also have cousins who currently ply their soccer trade in Spain and Russia. My contribution to the family legacy is that I played in Denmark and have been a member of USA u-14 and u-18 National teams as well as the Ghana u-20 National Team. Soccer is my infatuation, and my love for it intertwined with the pride I take in my family legacy has always fueled me. What fuels you?
My childhood in Ghana comprised playing soccer with friends every day after school. It’s just what we did. We did it on weekends too. I am certain if there was an eighth day in the week, we would have spent it indulging in soccer. Our thirst for the most played sport in the world could never be quenched. As I got older and soccer became my profession, my thirst for the game periodically felt like submersion. The ups and downs that come with the life of being a professional athlete meant I had to always remember why I fell in love with the beautiful game primitively.
Soccer is freedom and joy. Playing soccer, to me, is comparable to the feeling of dropping off a heavy baggage at the airport check-in counter and then getting on your flight. You spend the entire flight relaxed and not worried about your baggage because you know it will be there once you’ve arrived at your final destination. Soccer was that flight for me before I ever got the chance to get on an actual plane. Life’s ups and downs was the baggage and soccer was nirvana. So whenever it’s time for you to get on the field, drop the baggage off and hop on the plane. Do not worry about anything else apart from playing your best game. Nirvana awaits.
Samuel Adjei,
Fuel For Soccer