Emily Ibrahim: Transnational Soccer Star

posted on: Feb 26, 2020

 

Emily Ibrahim, Courtesy of Hind Ibrahim

By: Emily Deveraux/Arab America Contributing Writer 

Recently, Arab America received messages of praise for the young Palestinian-American woman, Emily Ibrahim. While her achievements in soccer were the source of her praise and acclaim, Emily is also a notable young lady by her actions and attitude as a team-player, Palestinian-American, and a person of charity. After you read about Emily Ibrahim, you’ll see why you’ll want to keep a lookout for her!

Passion for Soccer 

At the age of five, Emily Ibrahim began to play soccer. From then, she quite literally hit the ground running, and exhibited great dedication and work ethic. Her ability to persevere through the challenges of balancing competitive soccer while still balancing school, friends, and family has helped her shine and grow as a person and an athlete. Whether she was training in the summer or winter, indoor or outdoor, or practicing physical or strategic skills, Ibrahim has dedicated a great deal of her time to her progression as a player. She worked hard to attain the position of right midfielder, which requires a lot of running and being a teammate on and off the field.

Luckily, this isn’t a journey she has to go through alone. She has a very tight-knit team in Illinois with whom she has been playing since the age of seven. Therefore, this group has helped support her and help her grow all along the way. Through team-building, learning the game, and tapping into her self-discipline, Ibrahim has been able to pick up some valuable life skills. For starters, Ibrahim says she has built her confidence and the ability to work through hardships.

Ibrahim also grew to become more keen on how to work with others and the true meaning of collaboration. This is an important skill to learn on the field but is equally important off of the field. Collaboration is the key to success in many aspects of life. In school, on the field, and in other involvements, Ibrahim embodies the spirit of being a team player. Part of being a team player, Ibrahim says, is the ability to always ask for help and improve with others.

Palestinian-American Heritage 

Hailing from the Chicago area, Ibrahim was born to her American mother and her Palestinian-American father. Throughout her life, she has upheld Palestinian values such as keeping family at the center of her life. Additionally, she engaged with her culture daily and enjoyed many, many family gatherings.

Emily Ibrahim’s connection to her Palestinian roots has increased tremendously when she was given the opportunity to travel to Palestine for the first time.

Traveling to Palestine 

Ibrahim Visiting Palestinian Refugee Camp, Courtesy of Hind Ibrahim

This was Emily Ibrahim’s first time traveling to Palestine.  Here, she didn’t just play soccer, but she was able to connect with her culture. Her team was able to compete in friendly games with many different teams of Palestinian young women and girls. Sometimes, they were even playing University teams.  In addition, the young women’s connection has increased by organizing dinners together and getting to know each other on an individual basis.

Moreover, the team organizers,  have equipped Ibrahim and her team with backpacks and various school supplies to give to the children in refugee camps they visited. In fact, Ibrahim and her team did not only give equipment to the disadvantaged children but also felt satisfied that they were able to inspire them to pursue their education.

The girls in the refugee camps were also able to play some soccer games. Ibrahim recounted this story, looking back on it and expressing her elation over being able to share the sport she loves with others, including children that have been displaced because of conflict and violence. In this young lady’s view is that the essence of soccer is bringing together players from different backgrounds.

Ibrahim will forever remember this trip, her first time ever traveling to Palestine. She expressed her appreciation for being able to see and feel the cultural experience of where her family came from; in addition, being an athlete, she was also grateful to play against a team from abroad and learn new strategies.

Palestinian National Soccer Team and the FIFA West Asia Cup 

Ibrahim, Nahsrah, Nahsrah, and Salama Representing Palestine, Courtesy of Hind Ibrahim

One day Emily Ibrahim received a call, one that is a lifetime call: The Palestinian Athletic Association who sponsored her summer trip asked her and three other girls to represent Palestine in the West Asian Cup. Ibrahim couldn’t even describe her shock and excitement at this surprise. She wasn’t anticipating such a request, but apparently, during her first trip to Palestine, she was able to impress the coaches with her talent and ability to score against the National Team.

She was also able to play with some girls she had previously competed with. Lillian and Camilia Nahsrah from California, and Tina Salama from North Carolina, who earned the same opportunity that Ibrahim did. She was grateful to play with the girls from across the United States with whom she established a lasting relationship.

In December 2019, and early January of 2020, Ibrahim expressed her great excitement in representing Palestine and being able again to see those she competed with.

However, this was brand new territory for Emily, as she had never played on a national team before, and therefore felt the pressure. She was also worried about the language barriers that she may face. Soon, she was on a plane to Qatar to train, and then off to Bahrain to compete. Ibrahim’s fears melted away and she was able to take on this challenge. With great pride, Ibrahim represented Palestine. She felt more comfortable as her teammates helped translate from English to Arabic and vice versa; therefore, she was able to communicate with all of the girls.

Success in the West Asia Cup 

Ibrahim and Teammates Representing Palestine in the West Asia Cup, Courtesy of Hind Ibrahim

From December 22nd to January 6th, Ibrahim and the other women represented the Palestinian National Team with pride and enthusiasm. Though they cooperated well together and worked their hardest, they did not end up winning the tournament. However, Ibrahim was able to find another success; she won the Ballon Dor Award for Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. 

Ibrahim couldn’t even describe her surprise. In fact, she didn’t even know individual awards were given! She also quickly learned that she was the first Palestinian to ever win Most Valuable Player in a FIFA tournament. Above all, she was so excited that she won the award for Palestine. This is just a small testament to her humility!

 

Ibrahim Off of the Field 

Outside of soccer, Emily Ibrahim is also heavily involved in her academic life. She excels in math and has even earned a spot within the National Math Honors Society. Outside of the classroom, Ibrahim participates in Student Council, Model United Nations, and Key Club, which is a community service-based club. While sometimes it is difficult to balance, Ibrahim has nearly mastered balance. She has made great contributions to all of her different communities through soccer, humility, and deep engagement in everything she does. We look forward to seeing what she does in the future!

 

 

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