“If you have a dream, would you rather keep dreaming or make it a reality? The choice you make will take you to your destiny.”
At 5 years of age, Rayuth would often catch his dad and his friends watching football in their free time. Being the curious boy he was, he made the decision to try and play what was shown on his father’s television: football. As usual as exploring for hobbies goes, it wasn’t certain that football would be an activity Rayuth would find himself wallowing in. Nonetheless, the instance he picked up a ball, he couldn’t let it go– nor stop kicking it; it seemed as if a connection had formed between him and football. Ever since the day Rayuth touched a ball, he has never stopped loving football for being the enjoyable sport it is.
Apart from his dad’s love for watching football on television, his friends and classmates played a lot of it, too. Although Rayuth had a liking for football, he found himself facing many obstacles when he first started. He had no knowledge of how everything worked nor did he know how any of the different and unique techniques were done. To Rayuth, however, that was just the opening of a door full of opportunities to learn about all the amazing parts of football. Many of his friends would sometimes complain and tease him about him not being very good, but that didn’t prevent him from having the fun he wanted. Instead, Rayuth came to be filled with ambition and even greater curiosity. In the world of sports, you get back up no matter how much you’ve fallen– and each time stronger than before, ready to face whatever’s next.
“It was hard. I didn’t know a lot about football at first. It was hard, but fun,” Rayuth said smiling.
Football has always been the active hobby that keeps Rayuth healthy and in shape while simultaneously bringing him pleasure. At school, he plays football 4-5 times weekly. It is also an activity that helps him with his well-being and uplifting his mood. Whenever he feels stressed from schoolwork or bored, he would always entertain himself by stepping foot into the school’s sports field and picking up a ball.
“Football is like a friend to me,” Rayuth explained thoughtfully.
When Rayuth first came to his school, Liger Leadership Academy, football was the sport that helped him form bonds of friendship with other students who played. To him, it is a way to make connections with new people while having fun.
The times that Rayuth visits his hometown, he would see many kids, bare feet, playing football in front of their houses or on empty roads, yelling playfully while doing so. Those moments are what reminds him of his own past, of when he used to be just like them. Those moments are what gave Rayuth a dream: to help them find and reach their dreams.
Now here at Liger, Rayuth gets the opportunity to not only play with his friends, but in real matches against other teams from many different schools as well. He gets to practice and play in proper fields and with proper equipment.
To Rayuth, football is a passion. He wants to help those who indulge in playing football to get better and improve, to give them the same opportunity he has received at Liger. Already, he’s helped many of his friends at Liger. Encouraging more youths to be involved in football, especially those in his community, is one of his numerous goals for his time here at Liger. Having been immersed in football for a very huge part of his childhood, and still continuing to be so, it has helped change and shape Rayuth into the person he is today.
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I would like to thank Rayuth for taking the time to answer the many questions I had and make this story really come alive. It wouldn’t have been possible without you. If you would like to check it his blog, click here! He’s a great person! Thank you for reading!