A Teesside student has gone from playing for the University’s soccer team to semi-professional football within the space of a year.
Sports Science student Panashe Mwamba, 20, signed up for the University football team last year but is now currently playing for the Scarborough reserves team.
He plays at Right Back and possesses a fair amount of pace which is a huge boost for any squad. He brings some versatility to his teams too as he can also play in central midfield when needed.
He described the University experience as a “Hobby” and that it was to promote physical activity but thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
During his time there though, he was actively looking for a local football team to join and attended training with Marske United until eventually the opportunity to join Scarborough came up through a friend.
The comparison of expectations between both teams is pretty interesting and Panashe claims it’s intense at Scarborough as the workload and seriousness are polar opposites. An example of this is, Scarborough produce fines if you miss training which is a few times a week, he says “Its much more of a professional environment to be in”.
Managing to balance football along with his University schedule can be challenging but he’s coping quite well as he continues to pursue his degree in Sports Science.
He currently has two goals and two assists in his seven games for Scarborough picking up two Man of the Match awards in them. After games they’re also treated to a meal regardless of the result of the game, to help boost team morale and keep spirits high.
Tuxtra spoke to Panashe about the experience, how it came along and the differences between the University team and Scarborough along with advice for other players looking to make a breakthrough in the sport.
I am 21 years old and study Sports Journalism at Teesside University. I’ve always had a large interest and passion for sports since I was a child and that is what made my decision so easy to go into this field of study. I love watching and writing about football matches specifically and I aspire to do this for a living, and also dream to interview managers and players in press conferences. After completing my foundation year, I am ready to kick on and progress through the next few years to achieve my goal.
