Said El Eyssami ‘26 in action at home in 2023. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.
This is the second in a series of articles about student-athletes’ pre-game rituals. Read them all here.
This week, we meet soccer star Said El Eyssami ‘26. He shares his gameday prep and some interesting bits of information, insight, and advice. El Eyssami has earned the respect and admiration of his teammates and coaches through his work ethic and mentality. This article gives an inside look at his routines and thoughts.
The striker doesn’t have a structured routine like some athletes profiled in this series. He keeps his routine short but meaningful. El Eyssami doesn’t have a favorite meal on gameday. “I mean, obviously always something healthy, nothing too heavy; I like to be light before the game.”
Like most athletes, he does stretching and mobility work before a game. That’s where his routine differs from many of his teammates. “Something I always do before the game is I call my parents. I talk to them; it relaxes me. And I always pray before every game.” If you attend one of the games, you can see just before he steps onto the pitch, Said stands on the line and does his prayer, then after a deep breath, he jogs on.
The Panamanian sophomore’s favorite player is a legendary Argentinian. “I don’t compare myself to him but I enjoy seeing Maradona. He is my favorite player of all time. I try to have his personality and mimic his style of football.”
Here is the hard-working footballer’s advice for everyone: “Stay determined. Because it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be pretty at all times. So, when times are tough, you can’t just give up. That’s when you need to put in double the effort you’ve been putting in. So, yes, Keep going and be determined.”
The soccer star knows his strengths and weaknesses off the pitch. “I’m very likable at times. And, I’m also not likeable at times, and I know that. But I can say I’m a funny guy. I’m a funny guy to be around.”
What are we going to see from Said in the second half of this year? Only time will tell, but here’s what he assures us: “You will see a lot of motivation, not only for me, but for my teammates. You will see it in my face, there will be a lot of “Ganas” [desire].