One of the many things that separate professional athletes from everyone else is their hunger for self-improvement. For recent San Antonio FC signee Akwafei Ajeakwa, competition is one of the most important aspects of life. That mentality, which has seen him adapt well to the professional game, has led him to the Alamo City to pursue a new challenge with SAFC.
Ajeakwa spent 2016 playing for Orange County Blues FC. The Blues clinched the last playoff spot in the Western Conference in the last week of the regular season and went on to the second round of the playoffs following an upset win over Sacramento Republic FC. Still, despite the team’s good run, the winger is ready to step onto a new stage.
“My competitive spirit led me to the decision to leave,” Ajeakwa said. “I always want to grow and become a better player, and I felt that leaving my comfort zone would help me develop as a player and as a man.”
Ajeakwa strives to improve every single day. In his mind, each day is a new challenge and a new opportunity to grow. Though it’s natural to compete with others as an athlete, he considers himself to be his greatest competition, and he aims to outdo himself day in and day out.
“Your biggest competition is yourself,” Ajeakwa said. “I try to make myself the best person I can be every day, that’s how I look at it. If I can become better every day, then I can never be content with myself where I am. I love the game more than anything, football is life to me, so I can’t tell myself I’m becoming a better player by just sitting at home. I have to compete.”
The 24-year-old’s competitive spirit developed from a young age. Growing up, Ajeakwa wanted to be a basketball player even though his three brothers played soccer. When he was 13 years old, however, he went to boarding school in Cameroon, a place where everyone played soccer and hardly anyone played basketball. It was there that he began playing, and he decided to continue to pursue the sport along with his siblings when he returned home.
Ajeakwa’s competition with his brothers is friendly. Their unity through the sport is strong, so much so that to this day they continue to give each other feedback in the form of constructive criticism. To them, criticism is more useful than praise because being aware of their weaknesses allows for growth, and that growth is a daily goal for them.
“My brothers push me to improve all the time,” Ajeakwa said. “After games, I’ll go home and my dad and brothers will already have the game on waiting for me. Then we go through the whole match and talk about what I need to do better, what needs to improve. We’re always competing and I want to lead the way for them.”
Ajeakwa’s ambition led him to the Alamo City, where he knew he would find a group with which he would improve every day. In a personal sense, the cultural richness of the city and the passion displayed by SAFC fans also played an important role in his decision to leave Orange County.
“I’m more than excited to play in front of SAFC fans,” Ajeakwa said. “It feels good to know that there are fans and not just a crowd around you. It’s an unexplainable feeling and it gives you something extra. At the end of the day it matters exactly who you’re playing in front of, and the San Antonio crowd is amazing.”
The SAFC coaching staff also played a significant role in Ajeakwa’s decision. The club is currently aims to build a competitive squad and is preparing to be a strong contender in the league. The technical staff’s mission to assemble a strong outfit resonated well with Ajeakwa, whose vision for the future aligns with that of the coaches.
“The ultimate goal is to win the USL championship,” Ajeakwa said. “That goes through every player and coach’s mind. But I also want to bring success to this city, and that’s what my plan is. I want to help my team in any way I can by doing my part and leading by example. One thing I learned last year is that every game matters, all the points add up. I want to help this team get into the playoffs and then make a good championship run.”
Ajeakwa is the latest of three new additions to the SAFC roster along with Cyprian Hedrick and Kris Tyrpak. In addition, San Antonio FC has also announced that eight players are returning from last season. For Ajeakwa, the working roster is already reason enough to look forward to 2017, a year during which he is certain the silver and black will achieve big things.
“I’m very excited because there are great players here,” Ajeakwa said. “They’re bringing some experienced guys in and that’s what you need. It’ll be fun to be around guys who really want to play. Last season San Antonio FC was definitely a team that wanted to play, and I want to be part of a team that plays and wants to win.”
One of the many things that separate professional athletes from everyone else is their hunger for self-improvement. For recent San Antonio FC signee Akwafei Ajeakwa, competition is one of the most important aspects of life. That mentality, which has seen him adapt well to the professional game, has led him to the Alamo City to pursue a new challenge with SAFC.
Ajeakwa spent 2016 playing for Orange County Blues FC. The Blues clinched the last playoff spot in the Western Conference in the last week of the regular season and went on to the second round of the playoffs following an upset win over Sacramento Republic FC. Still, despite the team’s good run, the winger is ready to step onto a new stage.
“My competitive spirit led me to the decision to leave,” Ajeakwa said. “I always want to grow and become a better player, and I felt that leaving my comfort zone would help me develop as a player and as a man.”
Ajeakwa strives to improve every single day. In his mind, each day is a new challenge and a new opportunity to grow. Though it’s natural to compete with others as an athlete, he considers himself to be his greatest competition, and he aims to outdo himself day in and day out.
“Your biggest competition is yourself,” Ajeakwa said. “I try to make myself the best person I can be every day, that’s how I look at it. If I can become better every day, then I can never be content with myself where I am. I love the game more than anything, football is life to me, so I can’t tell myself I’m becoming a better player by just sitting at home. I have to compete.”
The 24-year-old’s competitive spirit developed from a young age. Growing up, Ajeakwa wanted to be a basketball player even though his three brothers played soccer. When he was 13 years old, however, he went to boarding school in Cameroon, a place where everyone played soccer and hardly anyone played basketball. It was there that he began playing, and he decided to continue to pursue the sport along with his siblings when he returned home.
Ajeakwa’s competition with his brothers is friendly. Their unity through the sport is strong, so much so that to this day they continue to give each other feedback in the form of constructive criticism. To them, criticism is more useful than praise because being aware of their weaknesses allows for growth, and that growth is a daily goal for them.
“My brothers push me to improve all the time,” Ajeakwa said. “After games, I’ll go home and my dad and brothers will already have the game on waiting for me. Then we go through the whole match and talk about what I need to do better, what needs to improve. We’re always competing and I want to lead the way for them.”
Ajeakwa’s ambition led him to the Alamo City, where he knew he would find a group with which he would improve every day. In a personal sense, the cultural richness of the city and the passion displayed by SAFC fans also played an important role in his decision to leave Orange County.
“I’m more than excited to play in front of SAFC fans,” Ajeakwa said. “It feels good to know that there are fans and not just a crowd around you. It’s an unexplainable feeling and it gives you something extra. At the end of the day it matters exactly who you’re playing in front of, and the San Antonio crowd is amazing.”
The SAFC coaching staff also played a significant role in Ajeakwa’s decision. The club is currently aims to build a competitive squad and is preparing to be a strong contender in the league. The technical staff’s mission to assemble a strong outfit resonated well with Ajeakwa, whose vision for the future aligns with that of the coaches.
“The ultimate goal is to win the USL championship,” Ajeakwa said. “That goes through every player and coach’s mind. But I also want to bring success to this city, and that’s what my plan is. I want to help my team in any way I can by doing my part and leading by example. One thing I learned last year is that every game matters, all the points add up. I want to help this team get into the playoffs and then make a good championship run.”
Ajeakwa is the latest of three new additions to the SAFC roster along with Cyprian Hedrick and Kris Tyrpak. In addition, San Antonio FC has also announced that eight players are returning from last season. For Ajeakwa, the working roster is already reason enough to look forward to 2017, a year during which he is certain the silver and black will achieve big things.
“I’m very excited because there are great players here,” Ajeakwa said. “They’re bringing some experienced guys in and that’s what you need. It’ll be fun to be around guys who really want to play. Last season San Antonio FC was definitely a team that wanted to play, and I want to be part of a team that plays and wants to win.”