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Vuki Jere scored one goal and assisted on another in Putnam Science Academy’s soccer team’s 2-1 win over AIC last Thursday.
But he did so much more than what was simply on the stat sheet.
“Before (that game), I’d never seen that version of Vuki,” said his coach, Ryan Dunnigan. “He doesn’t have any one trait that stands out. At times, he has good technique. At times, he has a good work rate. At times, he has good movement. It’s just that until Thursday, he never put it all together and really excelled in all of them at the same time. It was a really pleasant surprise.
“His work rate was phenomenal. He was always pressing, he was always stepping to the ball, his movement off the ball was really good, he was really clean on the ball on a field that was tough to play on. He just injected energy into the group, which is the opposite of what he did last year.”
Ah yes, last year. Jere, from Malawi, arrived on PSA’s campus about two weeks into the semester last year and quickly found himself behind on the depth chart. His confidence drained just as quickly, causing more issues.
“When you’re not as confident, it’s hard to enjoy and it’s hard to push yourself,” Jere said. “Last year felt like a chore, like I was being forced to play. I lost that love for it. It was more of just attending practice and doing what coach Ryan said just to get it over and done with.”
Said Dunnigan: “I questioned his desire to play and enjoy playing soccer last year. I saw him in class and he was super-engaged. And then I saw him at training, and he was the complete opposite when he got to the field. He seemed disinterested.”
But something switched for Jere when he went home this summer. He talked to his dad about what happened and did a lot of honest reflection.
“I had to decide what I wanted,” Jere said. “I had to find a better drive to become a better player. Yeah, I talked to my dad about it, but mainly it was with myself. That’s where it has to come from. I feel like you give yourself the best advice.
“I told myself there’s no reason for me not to have an opportunity. I told myself to stop making excuses. Most times, if something isn’t going your way, you have excuses. But it being a new year, I just told myself, ‘OK, start over on a fresh slate, there’s nothing holding you back. Everything is up to you and you have to stop blaming other factors and put the work in yourself.’ I approached it that as long as I put in the work and listened to what coach says and adapt, there’s no reason for me not to play.”
Even still, opportunities didn’t come often through PSA’s first month.
“I kept telling myself the same things, to be confident, work hard,” Jere said. “It feels so different now that I’ve regained the love for playing.”
He got his best chance last week, finishing his goal to tie the game at 1-1 early in the second half, then creating for Shima Rubeya to score the eventual game-winner. But he knows that’s not the end of the road.
“The first thing is, people have always taught me to stay humble, so I’m not going to act like I don’t need to work or coach Ryan owes me something,” Jere said. “Secondly, I just have to look around. There are a lot of guys fighting for playing time at the same position. Not everyone is going to get it. I need to make sure I make the most of it when I get mine.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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