By Vasilis Orfanos, Year 12
In this interview, I had a conversation with my brother, George, who has been a significant influence in my life. Our family moved from Greece to Switzerland this year, and the journey presented its fair share of challenges as we adapted to our new surroundings. For George, sports have always played a crucial role in his life. In Switzerland, the importance of sports have taken on new meaning. As a young football enthusiast, he has also explored various sports such as Track and Field, basketball, and MMA. However, football has always held a special place in his heart, and it is now the sport he continues to pursue in Geneva with the Chênois football club.
How have sports made a difference to you since moving to Switzerland?
Sports mean a lot to me. They’ve provided me with inspiration and helped me with personal growth. Moving from Greece to Switzerland was a big change, and sports helped me adapt and to meet new people. Whether it’s football or other sports, it’s made me feel like I belong here, even with the new language (French) and culture. Whether in Greece or Switzerland, sports are the same and have always made me feel welcome.
Why is football your favorite sport in Switzerland?
I just can’t get enough of football! It’s more than a sport for me; it’s like a piece of home. It keeps me connected to my roots and brings back my passion for sports because of all the memories I have made while playing. Playing football helps me feel like I’m still me, even in a new place. I also enjoy playing with friends from school and my new friends in Chênois.
How have sports other than football helped you to develop and improve?
Trying out different sports has always been fun for me. It’s not just about playing the games; it’s about learning new skills and different strategies that can be used. I also feel that playing sports other than football helps me to relax and enjoy the game, which helps me to become better. Sports like track and field also allowed me to consider my other options and taught me to practice individual elements of fitness and given me new skills. In addition, playing so many sports has taught me some valuable lessons and introduced the importance of teamwork and discipline which is essential and useful in everyday life, outside of sports.
What do sports mean to you?
To conclude, sports are not just games for me; they help me to remember who I am and what I enjoy. The constant presence of sports in my life, especially as I moved from Greece to Switzerland, has helped me to cope with such a big change, has introduced me to new people and has allowed me to connect with who I am as I get to enjoy learning new sports and skills. I think that my experience as an athlete shows that sports are about more than just having fun, as they can also provide a means of settling in to a new place and its culture. By meeting new people outside of school and joining a team, it allows you to become so much more confident and comfortable in your new environment, and gives you that sense of continuation of something from home, helping you to feel less isolated and far away. For me, sports have always brought people together and have been a way of connecting to a place and more people.
