The 10th Student Council held the inaugural Football Friday on April 26, 2019 at the Sports Complex. The event was geared towards enhancing the students’ sports experience at Strathmore. Football Friday is part of the sports for all initiative which is set to take place every last Friday of every month. The tournament brought together a total of 22 teams, including staff members and students. The finals took place on April 29 when the winners, AS Roma, led by Ian Mwenda, garnered Sh. 7000, medals, a goat and a trophy.

We caught up with Trevor Radido, a 4^th year student pursuing Bachelor in Commerce. He is also the Male Sports Representative.

How did you come up with the idea?

In Strathmore University, we do not have classes on Fridays afternoon; instead we hold club meetings and sessions. Ian Mwenda, my great friend who is a 4^th year student pursuing Bachelor in Business Information Technology (BBIT), came up with the idea that we could find ways of engaging the Strathmore students in outdoor games like football. This is because a greater percentage of students do not attend the regular club, instead they prefer spending their time in various activities off-campus.

Therefore, the idea was aimed towards embracing the students’ sports experience and tap on hidden talents among Strathmore staff members and students. After several sessions of brainstorming with the student council, we decided to hold ‘Football Friday’ on each last Friday of every month.

Why did you choose to have football matches?

Football is a unifying game; unlike other games which are a bit technical. It does not require much skill.

What are the future plans for Football Fridays?

We, the student council, look forward to set aside tournaments for both men and women. We realized that few ladies registered for the tournament, therefore, we would like to bring more ladies on board. We will hold the second edition of the tournament on May 23. We are also conducting surveys to figure out the types of the games that Stratizens prefer for the next round of the tournament- either indoors or outdoors.

What challenges did you face with regards to the tournament?

We are still struggling to shape up the implementation of the program and lack resources which would aid in sustaining the tournament as plan to expand it to a greater platform for all the stratizens.

Most of the students also believe that such activities are time-consuming. Therefore, it is difficult to convince them to engage in the tournament.

Any parting shot?

Practice makes progress. ‘Football Friday’ is an initiative geared towards enhancing the students’ sports experience at Strathmore University. The students and staff members should be part of the tournament as it is a source of fun and they will enjoy the experience. The 10^th Student Council believes in the philosophy of growth, service and unity. The initiative, among other activities, fosters the three philosophies. We would like to urge more Stratizens to take part in the next edition of the tournament.

 

The article was compiled by Odhiambo Obonyo

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