African Sports Monthly International Women's Day Special Edition | Page 32

Adama: Honestly it has been an interesting journey. Growing up in Freetown, Sierra Leone soccer (aka
football) is the main sport so I use to sneak out and go play with the boys in my neighborhood instead of
going to help with cooking and participating in what was deemed the true functionalities of a young girl
growing up. My aunt, my mom’s older sister would be mad that my mom would allow me to go play instead
of being in the kitchen and learning how to cook. I loved and enjoyed playing the game so much that despite
being bullied by the boys it mattered not to me because at the end of the day there was a sense of fulfillment
in the mere fact that I competed and it helped toughen me and made me stronger. Upon relocating back to
Maryland, I continued playing soccer and the challenge of being a woman in a male dominated game
continued. I remember in the summer of 2007, a friend from University recommended me to a team that
was looking for a coach. I showed up and performed my training sessions; however, the director of the club
told me I wasn’t quite what they were looking for as a coach. I felt dejected but told myself that this is just
the beginning because now I have something to prove and not ever be turned down again. As I walked to my
car, a gentleman walked up to me asking me questions about coaching. To be honest I wasn’t interested to
carry on a conversation as I was still reflecting on what I could have done better to impress the director.
However, this all changed as he introduced himself and expressed how impressed he was with the training
session I had just completed; how much passion he saw me execute during the entire training session. Thank
God for Emile