Swarthmoreathletics.com is proud to present Garnet Feature Friday, a series that highlights past Garnet teams, notable Garnet alumni, and current student-athletes. This week's installment of Garnet Alumni Q&A catches up with former all-conference soccer player Ladulé Lako Lo Sarah, who has been traveling the world playing professional soccer since graduation. He recently signed a professional contract with Maziya SRC in the Maldive Islands.
Q: What exactly is your current work/playing situation in the Maldive Islands?
A. Since moving to Male', I've been spending my time relaxing on the beach, reading, snorkeling, hanging out with teammates, writing, enjoying fresh coconuts, studying Dhivehi (Maldives language), learning about the local culture, corresponding with friends in other parts of the world, and then playing some soccer to make ends meet.
My employer is Maziya S&RC, one of the two top Maldivian soccer teams currently playing in the Dhiragu Dhivehi League (premier division) and in the AFC Cup continental competition against some of Asia's top clubs. We train everyday for two hours and begin our season February 21st. I live in a club owned apartment along with a teammate from Egypt. The Egyptian and I are the only two foreign players in the squad, the rest are Maldivian. Of those, 9 currently play for the Maldives national football team, the most of any club in the country.
Q: How has your Swarthmore experience benefited your current career? What experiences, classes, mentors have translated during your career so far?
A. Attending Swarthmore allowed me to explore certain ideas and theories that have had a profound impact on my values and life goals, leading me to pursue my current career in small-time professional soccer. I thank all of my classmates, teammates, professors, and coaches for their guidance, insight, and input.
Q: As a professional and semi-professional athlete post-Swarthmore, what memorable, envy-inspiring experiences have you had?
A. Of course, there's the trips to far off lands, playing in front of thousands of fans in packed stadiums, and collecting a (modest) paycheck for scoring goals.
But personally, what I enjoy most about my life is being able to wake up (at my leisure) each morning and know that the possibilities for the day are unlimited as I command my own time. Sure, I have to go to training and eat meals/sleep at strictly regimented times during the day, but beyond those tasks I am able to decide what I do. It requires quite a bit of personal motivation to seek out fulfilling experiences on one's own every single day, but my time at Swarthmore has certainly helped me develop this ability. Having this freedom is definitely what I miss most when I've found myself outside of the professional game.
Working outdoors isn't all that bad either...
Q: What advice would you have for Swarthmore undergrads who are interested in pursuing sports after college?
A. Actually, as we speak, I am working on a book about life as a small-time professional soccer player that will include a sort of "how to guide" full of insider tips and advice. Rather than focusing on my own story though, I'll be highlighting the journey of the young hopefuls I've met along the way from countries such as Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Egypt and Guinea. Their do-or-die struggle to pen a professional contract is far more fascinating than the story of some privileged California kid who puts off real-world responsibilities to chase some childhood dream.
For the aspiring Swat soccer player, the best concrete advice I can give is to play for a PDL or NPSL team every summer while in college. Not only will playing at this level build the player's resume, but will also expose them to higher caliber competition. If planned correctly, this can often be achieved in conjunction with academic goals, for example, after my sophomore year, I took an internship with the Organic Consumers' Association in Washington, DC while training with the DC United under-20 team. At that point, activism funded my soccer; now, it's just the opposite!
Beyond that, if professional soccer is a goal for a Swat student-athlete, they must commit themselves completely to succeeding, orienting all aspects of their life, from diet to mentality, towards performance. "Don't just get through training, get something out of it every time," is some of the best advice I ever got. A little bit of an adventurous spirit and some determination never hurt either!
Much more information will be included in the book, which I'll most likely self-publish as a zine and distribute freely, so any interested players can get in touch with me for a copy.
Q: What is your goal for the near future with regard to this career? Do you have a plan for the next 2-3 years?
A. At this point, playing for the South Sudan national team is becoming a real possibility and I'm hoping that some strong performances in the AFC Cup this season will catch the coach's eye, leading to a call up! To say that representing South Sudan and becoming an international footballer would be a dream come true is an infinitely vast understatement!
Q. What single experience at Swarthmore sticks out in your mind most favorably to this day?
A. A single experience is difficult for me to isolate. I have fond memories of my entire senior year at Swat as it was the culmination of many aspects of my college life: working on my two theses allowed me to delve deeply into my academic interests and gain a wide array of insight on various topics; a strong, effective, and collaborating activist community coalesced where through our struggles and victories, I formed many enduring friendships; and, last but certainly not least, our Garnet men's soccer team finally lifted the Centennial Conference trophy! These are all memories I will savor for a lifetime!
Special thanks to Garnet men's soccer coach Eric Wagner for conducting the Q&A
Know an alum that would be a great subject for Garnet Alumni Q&A? Let us know at athletics@swarthmore.edu
PREVIOUS FRIDAY FEATURES
Garnet Flashback - the 1997-98 Women's Track & Field Team
Swat Spotlight - Victor Brady, Mr. Swarthmore Athletics
Garnet Sports Show - A Public Service Announcement on Squirrels
SAAC Student-Athlete Spotlight with Men's Swimmer Daniel Duncan '13
