In seventh grade, freshman Erastus Adewusi and his family stepped off a plane into America after living in Nigeria for 11 years. His mother landed a job in St. Louis as a contract nurse.  After picking up a soccer ball at age three, Adewusi gained a newfound interest in the game. Adewusi — now 15 years old — plays for the school’s soccer team with the support of his family on the sidelines. 

“[I started soccer] because my dad [enjoyed the sport himself]. We watch games together. Messi is intelligent, he reads the game, stays focused and is a good player. Through that, I started playing soccer [at a young age]. I started kicking a soccer ball, and throughout my whole life, I’ve been playing center mid[field] and striker. Day by day, I’ve fallen [more] in love with soccer,” Adweusi said.

Adewusi competed in football tournaments in Nigeria; playing soccer in both America and Africa, with significant differences in soccer cultures between the countries.

“The rules aren’t different [for soccer]. There are a lot of talented people back [in Africa]. They don’t play in clubs or go national, they just play pick-up. It’s a little different from [the American version of the sport], because there are more clubs, more scouting agents who want young talent,” Adewusi said.

Adewusi was gifted a soccer ball, cleats and a Barcelona jersey at the age of four from his uncle, who remains in touch with. his uncle, even though the Atlantic Ocean was between the two. His uncle’s mentorship has shaped Adewusi into the player he is today.

“When I was young, my uncle kept telling me, ‘Keep your head high, keep believing and keep moving. You’re going to get there one day, step by step.’ That has helped me through my middle school days and high school years. My uncle shaped how I view the world [and trained me to] understand through difficult times,” Adewusi said. 

Trying out for the soccer team his freshman year, Adewusi landed a spot on the freshman boys soccer team. With no experience playing select soccer, Adewusi’s experience playing with his school in Africa proved to be helpful.

“When I play a sport, it helps [advance] my open-mindedness. When I’m feeling down, I call [up] someone to play [soccer with me]. The competitiveness fires me up so [that] I can keep playing,” Adewusi said. “My coaches [motivated] me to work hard. Staying aware, pushing yourself and staying focused so you can achieve your goals has taught me to get back up. Hard work is key.”