For those of us who have lived in America all of our lives, it is easy to sometimes forget how good we have it, but for two of Freed-Hardeman University’s soccer players, this land has truly become their land of opportunity. Their stories of pride and opportunity in their new home in Henderson, Tenn., can remind anyone of what Americans so often take for granted.

Simbarashe Zvaita and Archibold Marowa arrived in the United States in August, leaving behind their native land of Zimbabwe, Africa. Discovered by Freed-Hardeman head soccer coach Jason Elliott almost by random chance, they left a country in social, economical and political crisis to get an education in a land of freedom.

Wanting to find a Christian school in America where his two players could play soccer, their high school coach in Zimbabwe stumbled across Freed-Hardeman University and included Elliott in a mass e-mail that attempted to sell his players to collegiate coaches in the United States.

Intrigued, Elliott did some research and found out that Zvaita and Marowa had practiced in front of coaches from several NCAA Division I schools, including Penn State University and Hofstra University. He placed calls to both coaches to find out more about the international prospects and liked what he heard.

“The coaches highly recommended them,” Elliott said. “They both wanted them both, but at that point they didn’t have any scholarship positions left.”

After talking with those coaches, Elliott decided that if they were good enough for the Big East, they were definitely good enough for him. The eighth-year coach acted quickly, and a few days later, he had the chance to speak on the phone with Zvaita. After their conversation, Zvaita was reportedly so excited that he ran down the street to tell his friends, including Marowa, and anyone else who cared to listen.

Not long after that initial phone call, Simbarashe Zvaita was coming to America.

“I had visions of playing in America when I was a kid,” Zvaita said. “It is a dream come true to be here.” Upon his arrival, Zvaita saw many things for the first time, things that most Americans are used to seeing on a near-daily basis. Things like Foot Locker, a story that is already a favorite among the FHU soccer team.

“Simba was in awe of all the shoes,” Elliott said. “He couldn’t believe it.” He recalled that Zvaita had his teammates take his picture with many pairs of the shoes in the store.

“You can have any variety of shoe you want,” Zvaita said later. “I was really shocked.”

Marowa arrived approximately two weeks after Zvaita did, and his initial reaction to what he saw was very much the same as his friend’s.

“Everything was so beautiful, so amazing,” he said. “I liked it so much.”

Perhaps surprisingly, neither said that they had much trouble adapting to the American culture. In fact, according to Marowa, the cultures aren’t terribly different because they were colonized with both British and Americans.

For Marowa, one of those most difficult adjustments has been telling time in America. While in Zimbabwe, most people tell time by the sun, a task that is not as easily accomplished in the Western Hemisphere.

“If you are judging time by the sun,” he said, “you’ll get lost.”
For Zvaita, getting used to the technology has been a challenge, especially learning to use it all at the same time. That’s not to say he hasn’t tried, of course. It’s rare that you’ll find him without the iPhone that he received as part of Freed-Hardeman’s iKnow program.

Perhaps one of the biggest adjustments they have both had to make, oddly enough, comes in the one area that they are probably the most familiar: soccer.

“The type of play is a bit different [here],” Zvaita said. “People in Africa are more aggressive. They are hungry for the win.”

Substitution rules are also quite different overseas, said Marowa. In Africa, only three subs may enter and once a player leaves he may not reenter.

Away from the soccer field, neither has had any problems fitting in on Freed-Hardeman’s campus. In fact, both have become quite popular and well-known around campus thanks in part to their friendly dispositions.

“They’re really friendly,” said sophomore Nikki Ceeney, a native of Australia who plays on the women’s soccer team. “They are really appreciative of everything. People are just drawn to that.”
“The guys on the team are drawn to them,” added Elliott. “They both work very hard and will do anything you ask. They’re so grateful for the opportunity to be here.”
Their presence helped lead the Lions to one of the better seasons in the short history of the program, finishing at 7-11 with only one senior on the roster. Zvaita, a midfielder, led the team in goals with five while playing in only 15 of the team’s 18 matches. Marowa, a defender, only played in nine thanks to a season-ending knee injury.

“They both made a big impact on the team, especially with taking it seriously,” Elliott said. “Soccer is everything to them. That rubs off on [their teammates]. They don’t gripe or complain about anything.”

Every week, it seems, Elliott has a new story to tell about one of them. Both found indulgences in soft drinks; Zvaita’s is Coca-Cola and Marowa’s is Mountain Dew. When Zvaita’s picture was the main photo on the athletics website, his father got incredibly excited. And Marowa’s weekly conversations about soccer with Coach Elliott always get rave reviews, not to mention draw various members of the athletics staff to Elliott’s office to listen in.

While many students appreciate Freed-Hardeman, this pair seems to carry perhaps a greater appreciation than most. It truly has become their home away from home.

“Being at Freed-Hardeman is amazing,” said Zvaita. “I thought I would only benefit from soccer and school, but I have also benefitted spiritually. … I’m missing my family, but I have a new family at Freed-Hardeman.”

“It has been an amazing experience,” Marowa said. “I am meeting wonderful people, and the environment is so friendly. This is the best way a human being can live. I really thank God to be at this school.”

It doesn’t take much time around them to know that they mean every word.