Soccer comes in second for man of faith

Suited up in their gray and purple uniforms, the men's soccer players trickle onto the field at Riverbank State Park. Co-captain Jeritt Thayer, a junior, urges his teammates to pick up the pace as they fan out in a circle to begin stretching.

But one player, senior Zyad Qamer, is no where to be found.

After five minutes of team warm-up, Qamer emerges from behind a nearby brick building, hurrying onto the field to catch up with the others. It's nothing new; he was just praying.

It was the best time to fit in his evening prayer — one of five prayers he recites each day as required by Islamic law. Qamer, the only Muslim on the soccer team, has spent the past nine years juggling the two passions in his life: Islam and soccer.

"Islam is a way of life," said the Vienna, Va. native with a bright smile, adding, "I just love soccer so much."

Though this motivated 21-year-old does his best to balance these two commitments, praying five times a day and his demanding soccer schedule overlap. This past spring soccer season, the team practiced at the same time as when the most important prayer of the week must be recited—Fridays at 1:30 p.m. This congregational prayer was held at the Islamic Center while the team practiced at Pier 40 on the West Side.

Qamer would not let distance deter him, however. He would speed from the pier to Washington Square to pray with 250 congregants. When prayer concluded at 2:15 p.m., he would bolt right back to soccer practice — and this was not just once, but seven or eight times, Qamer said.

Khalid Latif, chaplain of the Islamic Center, remembers Qamer arriving at congregation dripping wet in his soccer attire.

"I thought it was amazing," Latif said. "He's doing what he should do as a Muslim and factoring soccer into it."

While this sprint may seem excessively laborious, it is not unusual for Qamer.

"The reason he can juggle both [religion and soccer] is because he is so strong-willed," childhood friend Robert Park said.

But Qamer's coach, Joe Behan, is not pleased by his player's other commitment. Even after Qamer had repeatedly explained his need to pray, he recalled Behan asking, "Is this going to continue in the fall?"

Qamer said he would prefer a little positive reinforcement.

"I know he doesn't like me going, but I think he could be more supportive," Qamer said.

Behan said he is trying to work with Qamer to avoid schedule clashes, adding that the dedication needed for the men's soccer program takes up a lot of time, effort and belief.

"I'm trying to convert Zyad into making soccer another religion he can practice," Behan said.

But Qamer said he doesn't see himself practicing two religions. He depends on Islam. He doesn't depend on soccer — he just likes playing it.

OVERCOMING TEMPTATIONS

As a child, Qamer was not the devout Muslim he is now. His parents, who are less religious than he is, did not force Islam upon him, and a Muslim isn't expected to understand his religion before puberty.

Qamer started to get serious about soccer — and Islam — in middle school and worked to be the best throughout high school. The two seemed to work in tandem.

"Playing soccer helps me be a better Muslim," Qamer said. "It always kept me disciplined."

Gee Shiferaw, a high school friend, remembers his friend's drive.

"He trained so hard to be better than everyone else," Shiferaw said. "He told me the only way to be successful is to work hard."

Qamer practiced what he preached, earning a full scholarship to American University, a Division-I soccer school. But his excitement fizzled when the experience did not meet his expectations.

"Sports isn't just about on the field, but off the field," Qamer insists. "I had a different lifestyle than most players on the team."

Though drinking is considered unlawful in Islam, Qamer's environment presented new temptations that he had a hard time in resisting.

"As a freshman, you want to fit in, and when you're on a team, you want to be accepted by your teammates," he said.

After regretfully giving in to multiple temptations, Qamer transferred to NYU after a year at American, hoping to find a different environment. School, more than soccer, became his focus. And NYU, a Division-III soccer school, helped him make the shift.

"I always will love soccer, but I love it for different reasons," he said. "Now I love it because it's a lot of fun."

"GOD GIVES ME STRENGTH"

After his experience at American, Qamer realized the strength of his faith and the importance of abiding by the laws of his religion, and though he could have easily abandoned soccer at NYU to remove temptation, he still plays.

Fasting, for example, would seem like a health risk for any athlete, but it is just another aspect of Qamer's balancing act. During the month of Ramadan, which lands in the middle of the fall soccer season, Qamer fasts before sundown for 30 days, while his high level of physical activity remains unchanged. Qamer said even his parents did not want him to fast, but he claims to actually play better and more focused when he does.

"God gives me strength," he said.

In fasting, Qamer joins the ranks of other Muslim athletes like French soccer star Zinedine Zidane and basketball player Mahmud Abdul-Rauf.

Qamer said he admires Muslim athletes who remain committed to their religion.

"It makes me proud that professional athletes that are Muslims are not giving in to American demands of sports culture," he said. "It makes you happy to be a Muslim."

This self-described shy guy said the field is where he can express himself.

"When I'm on the field, I'm outgoing," he said. "It's like I hold it in — and then when I play, I let it go."

Park said Qamer's competitive nature make him "a beast on the field," and a bit of a sore loser.

"I always want to win," Qamer conceded.

Sometimes Qamer's determination pushes him past his limit. At 16, he suffered a knee injury that, he was told, would end his soccer career. After much frustration and confusion, Qamer decided it was God testing him, making him realize soccer wasn't everything.

"That's what God chose for me," he said, reaffirming his faith in Islam.

"He has so much faith," Shiferaw said. "When you are strong in the mind, nothing is going to change that."