Becoming an Adult Far from Everything—Pt. II

One year ago, I took the plane to cross the ocean. Six hours later, I was in another dimension: North America.

Quite a big deal for an 18-year-old boy who has never lived far from his family. I was unconscious. I did not even know what I was doing… However, I did it.

I left my family, my friends, my childhood and all my memories at the airport for this new life.

Chapter 2 : THE SEASON

15 of July 2017. Gameday, against Austria with the French U19 National Team during the U19 European Championship. Pass to me, right in my hands. One defender in my legs, so I jumped, got my body parallel to the ground, another defender jumped, and put his helmet right in my ankle. Result: a broken right shinbone and a two-month recovery needed. Not good news for me at this moment, knowing what I planned later in the summer.

At the end of August, the season with the Faucons started, and obviously, I was not on the field because I was still injured.

I put my shoulder pads, helmet and cleats for the first time after I missed three games and a month and a half of practice on the Canadian fields. The first practice was hard; my body was completely out of shape. The second one is more “interesting.” Why? Because I had a grade two sprain to my right ankle. Three more weeks out then.

That is a total of five weeks out, without counting the preseason game. A season here is approximately 11 game long. I played my first game on the 14th of October 2017 (we won, making the greatest comeback I’ve ever seen by the way) but I didn’t contribute to this victory as much as I would have liked to.

I never felt that useless before, and I kept repeating to myself, “It happens.”

It does, in fact, but looking back to then, I was definitely not thinking the right way.

As an athlete facing an injury, you have two choices: either you let it beat you mindset, and you do not fight on the field despite this, or you continue to fight tremendously, to reach your goals, and achieve every single thing you’ve been dreaming of for years.

Becoming a winner is not only a question of responsibility or hard work. It’s a question of everyday choices. As my coach likes to say it:

“Becoming a winner is something you have to learn, it’s not innate, and learning to win is a very tough process.”

It’s quite hard to understand if there isn’t anything to make you understand it in your life. Fortunately I’ve got football, and I think that it is important to share thoughts like this.

What would I be without football in my life? I wouldn’t be in that shape and I’d have a lot of free time for sure, but what for? To spend all my time hanging out with my friends, watching Netflix and at a dull job? What an ambitious life…

Football and sports in general requires commitment, respect of responsibilities, mutual help, decision taking, discipline and hard work.

During a game, it’s not a question of work anymore. It’s a question of heart and dedication.

The magic with everything I say here, is that it can be, and should be applied to everyday life, just think about it. Commitment, responsibilities, decision taking, discipline, hard work…

Becoming a winner is only a question of choices.

Becoming an adult is exactly the same thing.

However, it doesn’t stop at the end of the season when you’ve won the Championship, but at the end of your life.

See you next week for the next chapter.

Please contact me for any advice, suggestions or requests:

E-mail : [email protected]

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