That’s 11-year-old Jarvis Alatise’s daily routine.
And it’s a routine which has helped make him one of the most skilled young football players in the country, and now, the face of the Football Federation Samoa’s (FFS) FUN Football programme.
A Year 6 student at Vaivase Primary School and the eldest of five kids, Jarvis started off playing tennis.
His first taste of the world game came at the age of seven, when his father became a volunteer for the Just Play Grassroots programme.
Armed with the Just Play teachers manual and equipment, Jarvis began to teach himself football techniques and skills before joining his peers in the Just Play Programme. It was there that he saw the opportunity to develop his football skills and decided to give up playing tennis to focus on football.
Last year, he progressed to the FUN Football programme where he continued to stand out with his impressive ability and skill and there was no hesitation in casting Jarvis as the star of the FUN Football TV commercial.
“The Fun Football programme allows young children aged six to 15 to further develop their technical skills and prepares them for the future”, says FFS Technical Development Officer Martin Tamasese.
“Jarvis displays rare skills that only a few players in the Youth National League have so there was no doubt in my mind who to pick when we were searching for the most skilled football player to represent the younger Samoan generation in our TV commercial”.
A key player for Faatoia in the FFS Youth National League, Jarvis is also involved in the FFS Centre of Excellence where talented players from the Youth All Star Tournament are identified by the FFS technical team for extra training sessions to boost their skills and development.
His dedication is unquestionable and his worn out football boots say it all.
“I like to play football because I see a future for myself in this sport and I want to make my family proud”, says the keen youngster.
“I give thanks to the Lord for blessing me with this talent and I pray it will lead to many opportunities within Samoa and abroad”.
Keep an eye out for Jarvis in the Fun Football commercial, currently airing on TV1 Samoa or sneak a peek on Youtube here
If you are interested in learning more about the Football Federation Samoa FUN Football programme visit www.footballsamoa.ws