The Inspiration Behind Ayses

As a kid born in Ziwani, it was easy for Samuel Olali to recognize the lack of opportunities in this poverty stricken area. Kids often ran into trouble with the law and lived a life of crime, getting involved with alcohol and drugs. This environment resulted in many of its inhabitants dying at a young age. Even kids who did well in school would often get caught up in such activities and succumb to the peer pressure and temptation. It required a healthy distraction and immense focus to stay out of such trouble. Football, or soccer as we Americans call it, would be the way out of such chaos. Playing football in the grimy streets of Ziwani everyday developed talent that would open doors to a future that could not be imagined to him.

Olali was one of the fortunate ones to be selected by the Olympic Youth Center in Nairobi, a football program in every major city sponsored by the German government in conjunction with the government of Kenya. These were highly organized football centers headed by highly qualified top coaches from Germany. At the center, Olali would learn to appreciate the value of long term development of young footballers as he was soon to be the youngest player to ever play on the Kenyan national team. As a result of the Olympic Youth Center program, many players from the program ended up playing for big clubs in the nation and some of them became stars on the national team of Kenya’s golden era in football. Olali played for Gor Mahia, the biggest and most successful football club in Kenya. A club that would go on to play in the African Cup Winners Cup Final against Cameroonian Giants, Cannon Sportif, the top team in Africa at the time, that contributed to 9 of the 11 starters who played for the Cameroon national team that did not lose a single game in the 1982 World Cup. All of this thanks to the emphasis of long term development and focus on fundamentals of the German football program instituted in Kenya.

Searching a soccer team for his son in America, it was frustrating and disheartening to see the primary focus of winning at the youth level, resulting in the lack of proper player development. There was little emphasis on technique, decision making, and enjoyment of the game. Focus was mostly on athleticism and size which resulted in winning at an early age and gave the illusion of successful player development. Unfortunately, for the most part, that is still true today. The futile effort of finding a suitable team for his son within a reasonable geographical distance, resulted in the formation of AYSES SC.

This experience of Olali with the Nairobi Olympic Youth Center is the basis of the philosophy of AYSES Soccer Club. The belief that long term development in a fun environment that challenges players without fear of failure, has the best chance of producing the most creative players, solely lacking in this country. The core values of teamwork, commitment, hard work, discipline and loyalty are essential parts of the AYSES SC program.

AYSES provides players the opportunity to learn to build something from the bottom to the top. The effort required to go through the process is never easy, but the experience and the life lessons are priceless, and the success that comes from it much more satisfying. This is a core belief, not just of the club founders but the whole AYSES SC management.

For that kid from Ziwani, soccer opened up doors that he could only imagine. It not only allowed him to travel all over the world, visiting places and meeting people, but it also provided him the opportunity to attend a university in USA on a full scholarship and get a higher level of education.

Youth have problems all over the world. A poverty stricken child in Africa carries the same pain as one whose parents are going through divorce in America, or one that is experiencing bullying wherever they are. Problems are everywhere. Financial status of an individual or a country’s standing does not alleviate all problems that our youth face today. Soccer, like other sports can be an escape from these problems. The power of a team and a coach to lift a young person can be immeasurable. At AYSES SC, we strive to do just that. We strive to lift a player beyond the bounds of soccer, way into their adult lives.

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