If well nurtured from a tender age, young talents are now proving that they can realise their potential very fast; be it in football, basketball or any other sport of their passion. Simon-Pierre Muhire is one such example of a well-nurtured talent that has not gone to waste. The 16-year-old says that it all started six years ago, when he got an opportunity to join school tournaments and a youth group known as Football Talents Promoters Rwanda (FTPR), then at the age of 10. Two years later, Muhire recalls, he started playing at a competitive club level and was part of his high school junior team. Because of his stunning talent and skills, in 2017, the youngster switched to Dream Team Football Academy (DTFA), another academy that nurtures young talents in Kigali. Muhire says, at DTFA, he did not only improve his game, but he was also able to network with other young players and learned from those who were better than him. Inspired by his elder brother Muhire says he started playing football as soon as he could walk, explaining that his older brother, Alexander Mugabo, played football and because of that, he also found himself loving what his sibling was doing. His brother, Muhire acknowledged, had a dramatic impact on his development in football. “I picked up the basics of football from him and fell in love with the game. This pushed me to start playing with my friends in my neighborhood anytime I would be free,” he says. Securing a scholarship Last year, Muhire, who was a grade 10 student at Excella Secondary School, secured a four-year scholarship to study and play soccer at Putman Science Academy in the United States. Putman Science Academy is a high school that offers a high school diploma with a focus on science, on top of various other opportunities. How it happened Speaking to Weekend Sport, Muhire revealed that he landed the opportunity in January 2020 when representatives of College Connect International – an American scouting agency – visited the country to recruit young athletes deserving of a chance to study and play in the U.S. He explains that the scholarship came after he demonstrated his potential in football, and fulfilled other requirements such as good academic performance and discipline. However, due to the current Covid-19 situation, Muhire was not able to travel to the U.S but rather started his studies programme online while he waits for the consular services in Kigali to reopen so he can start the visa application process. “The scholarship has been a huge motivation in the pursuit of my footballing dream.” “My goal is to prove that you can be academically competent and athletically dominant. In my understanding, this scholarship is about multitasking, meaning it is about playing and studying at the same time,” he noted. Muhire aspires to be a great footballer in Africa. Achievements While at FTPR, Muhire won two regional tournaments, which earned him a promotion to the senior team where he played for one year before joining DTFA. He notes that he managed to join the academy after he was recommended by his former FTPR coach. The youngster says the opportunity helped him grow and hone not only his skills but also sportsmanship and competition spirit, which he believes are essential components of a professional athlete.
