Since the inception of World Hope, Fredrick has been playing for our team. He began on the junior team (under 14 years of age) where he was training as a goal keeper. Fredrick was brought to Hope Center by Frank, and he was privileged to pass through the hands of Coach Nicholas and long time World Hope team goal keeper, Christian Nkulikye, who is currently based in Haiti with Vapor Ministries.
Fredrick’s journey through World Hope is one of hope rekindled. He was still a young boy playing soccer as a hobby, but little to his knowledge did Fredrick know that the sport is what would eventually land him a scholarship to go to high school. Fredrick had just cleared 8th grade, and his parents had no means to pay for him to go to high school. Because soccer was what he did to pass time, he went to many tournaments with the Hope Junior Team, where scouts from different high schools identified his unique talent as a goalkeeper. This landed him a scholarship to study at St. Anthony’s High School in 2006.
With Fredrick now in high school, he could only come and join the rest of his World Hope team during the holidays. He then had to go back when the schools re-opened. This gave him a lot of experience, both in and out of school, which saw Fredrick being picked to play for the World Hope Senior Team immediately after he cleared high school. He played as a reserve, with Christian Nkulikye as the starting goal keeper, and he was able to gain first-hand experience from the veteran player. When Christian's time to leave the country came, Fredrick was chosen to be the starting goal keeper after gaining much more experience through observing Christian.
So how has the hope center been of benefit to Fredrick?
Fredrick says he has grown strong in his faith through the Bible study the junior team regularly held, and he believes constantly attending church really helped in developing him spiritually. He felt he owed a lot of his talent to the constant training and advice he received from his coaches at World Hope, and furthermore, their trust in him to handle the pressure in games really encouraged him. Through this, he has been able to finish high school through the student scholarship he received. Fredrick is glad that he has now grown of age and joined the senior team, where is able to earn a little and fend for himself. This means that he is progressing forward as he aspires to play professional football and continues to sharpen his skills.
It is great players like Fredrick, currently the starting goalkeeper for the Hope Senior Team that make us proud; for they have stuck with World Hope through thick and thin, to the level we are up to now. We pray they keep lifting World Hope higher and higher through their lives and talents.
