By Nash Wills, Staff Writer
Since starting school at Thunderbird in early August, I have managed to lose around 12 pounds. Being that I don’t have a car, my nutritional intake has been limited to pizza, smoked chicken sandwiches, and stir-fry from the dining commons—my weight loss must be attributed to something else. That something else just so happens to be the Thunderbird Soccer Club. The club is probably one of the most active on campus, meeting three times per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and attracting both alumni in the Phoenix area along with current students. The club is more than just a way to get some exercise and blow off steam, though. It is a great way to make life-long friends and build relationships in a way that you just cannot do inside a classroom. The club president is Luca Lin (MA ’15, China). Luca is passionate about the club and very organized, always participating and encouraging others to join in. In his own words, “soccer is a lifestyle to me, it’s exercise, culture, entertainment, socialization, and even a constant drive for progression in life. It is an identity that I want to be associated with.”
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For Tomás Thomas (MAGAM ’17, Guatemala), the “Thunderbird Fútbol Club is like a club within a club (Thunderbird School of Global Management being the first club). Since fútbol is the international language, it serves as another medium of communication and bonding between T-birds from all over the world.” Tomás enjoys playing because “it takes your mind off things and, in a way, it’s kind of therapeutic.” The club is unique in that it presents a rare opportunity for students to play the game with people from all over the world. Soccer may be an international sport, but it is played differently in almost every region and the club is a great opportunity to discover these differences. For Ronak Patel (MBA ’16, India), soccer is something that is “a part of me.” It is a passion that he can share with fellow T-birds from Colombia, Mexico, The United States, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Liberia, Canada, etc. Being that he is from India, he “had only seen these countries play soccer on TV, but now at the Thunderbird Soccer Club, [he] can play with students coming from these soccer playing countries.” Stefani Chaney (MAGAM ’17, Venezuela) reflected similar sentiments: “Soccer is my passion and it’s so nice to be able to play so often with fellow T-birds.”
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For students looking for a little bit of exercise, an escape from the classroom, and a new way to form long lasting relationships, the Thunderbird Soccer Club is the place for you. The games are relaxed and go at a pace that is suitable and fun even for beginner players, so no one should feel nervous about whether or not they should come out and play. The club meets on the rugby field at 5:00 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and people come and go until it gets dark outside. We hope to see you there next time.
Feature Photo courtesy of: steamcommunity.com
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