Acrylic and Chalk on Canvas
2024
I played soccer year round since I was around 4/5 years old, as I often played in the backyard with my older brothers. Later on, my gym teacher, Adam Ford, saw me playing soccer in recess and encouraged me to join his team, Lansing Gunners FC. At the time, I was not able to afford participating in team sports, but Coach Ford looked past that and saw my talent, and told my parents that he would be willing to take me to practice and to the games every week if they just agree I play for his club. They agreed and shortly after I joined his team.
I am forever grateful to adults such as Coach Ford and his wife Arika Ford, Kris Curley, Susan Barbieri, Hank Leung, and much more that were able to support me throughout my journey as a soccer player, despite me not having the resources. Team sports, especially travel club sports, are expensive and many talented folks are not able to display their skill due to this financial barrier. They removed this burden for me.
As I played soccer, I looked for players that were talented and motivated me to be creative on the pitch and Cameroonian soccer player, Samuel Eto'o was one of them, as well as USA's Mia Hamm. Both players were strikers, which eventually was the position I decided on pursuing after getting experience in all the postions for both the boys and girls team. Ever since then, I was always number 9. (Parents on the other teams hated me haha) I looked up to Eto'o as a player, and it's cool to know that he is now the current President of FECAFOOT in Cameroon. This piece is my dedication to him as a player, and a tribute the version of myself that remains in love with soccer.
Léonella © 2025
