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Taib participates in soccer despite Ramadan

Taib participates in soccer despite Ramadan

Celebrated during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan plays a demanding role in South athletics. Muslims must refrain from any eating or drinking during daylight hours, which in the case of South senior Yassine Taib can pose an obstacle as he participates in South’s men’s soccer program.

Having recently moved to the United States from Morocco, Taib felt he needed to follow the regulations of Ramadan in order to feel connected to his Islamic roots. Choosing to abide by his family’s customs, Taib came out on the other side of rigorous two-a-day practices in sweltering heat as a member of the men’s varsity soccer team while not being able to eat or drink during tryout hours.

Taib initially planned on trying out for cross country, but after playing soccer with some friends during the summer he decided to test his skills.

“I knew that the first day of tryouts we had to run two miles as a fitness test,” Taib said. “I also knew that it [would] be hard to run it with no water and the temperature wasn’t on my side that day. But it was the first day of tryouts and I had to make a good impression on [head] coach [Paul] Agombar.”

Agombar recognizes the value of a player who is willing to overcome hardships in order to show dedication to the team.

“All teams face obstacles during a season,” Agombar said. “As a coach, I can reference Yassine’s determination to combine his religious beliefs and his desire to succeed at soccer without compromising either.”

Also praising Yassine’s work ethic was assistant coach Seong Ha. Seeing such a blend of ethnicity and culture at South makes it a great place, according to Ha.

“The school can learn a lot from Yassine,” Ha said. “He demonstrates how diverse and dedicated our school really is.”

Coming to the United States has proven to be a challenge for Taib and his family. However, according to Taib’s father, Salem Taib, the different religions practiced in the United States make it easier for the Muslim community.

“In our melting-pot society, a person is welcomed and warmly accepted with his beliefs as long as they do not offend the rest of the society,” Salem said. “I also would like to stress the role of the Muslim community in the United States that has established many mosques and religious centers to keep in touch with the religion.”

For Taib, his teammates and coaching support was crucial. According to Taib, they were the main reason he was able to get through his difficulties during tryouts.

“I seriously can’t find the words to describe how helpful and understanding this team has been,” Taib said. “Everyone was caring, and [it] showed that they were great teammates.”

For Agombar, it was difficult seeing Taib go through this struggle, so he decided to talk with the medical staff, to try  to reduce the difficulty of Taib’s tryout.

“At one stage we were practicing twice a day in extremely hot weather,” Agombar said. “I spoke to the athletic trainers and we decided that we had to reduce Yassine’s workload, as he could not replenish his body with water, and that could have resulted in him becoming unwell. Yassine never asked to sit out or rest at any stage, but we decided that there was a risk to him because of the weather.”

Now with the season underway, Taib uses his experience of participating in athletics during Ramadan as a moral example of his character.

“I proved to myself that if I set my mind on something, I can do it no matter how hard it is,” Taib said. “It’s like a life-lesson I learned.”

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