Poet-athlete Nawaf is Ready for the World Cup

At DC SCORES, 10-year-old poet-athlete Nawaf honors his Ghanaian roots while chasing World Cup dreams, finding confidence and community through both soccer and poetry.

World Cup Dreams

When the World Cup comes to North America this summer, 10-year-old Nawaf knows exactly which teams he’ll be cheering for. 

“Ghana because it’s my home country,” Nawaf says, “and also Argentina because I like Messi.”

For the LaSalle-Backus Elementary School poet-athlete, soccer connects him to his family’s story. His father played in Ghana before moving to the United States 17 years ago. Now Nawaf plays at DC SCORES. 

“My dad played soccer when he was in Ghana and enrolled me and my brother in DC SCORES,” Nawaf says. “I like poetry and soccer, and he wanted to show my skills at poetry and soccer.” 

A Poet-athlete in Action

At DC SCORES, Nawaf gets to be both – a soccer player like his father and a poet finding his own voice. 

“Beig a part of DC SCORES means a lot to me because I really like soccer and poetry,” Nawaf says. “When I play with my team, I learn their perspective and how they see things and we can all be a community.”

On the field, he carries on what his father started. Soccer is how they connect – his dad takes him to play, and they talk about games over fufu, their favorite meal.

In the DC SCORES Youth WORD poetry program, Nawaf is building something new. Through the poetry program, he’s learning that his words matter just as much as his footwork. 

This year’s Youth WORD cohort is the biggest the program has ever had, bringing together poet-athletes for weekly workshops with professional teaching artists. They’re preparing to perform at Our Words Our City in May — the District’s premier youth poetry showcase where Nawaf and his peers will share their work with hundreds of people.

“Youth WORD helps me because it makes me show off my skills at poetry,” he says. 

Whether he’s passing on the field or performing on stage, Nawaf is learning the same lesson from both sides of DC SCORES.

“We work together in soccer because we have to pass the ball to score,” Nawaf explains. “And if we don’t pass, we can definitely lose the game.”

The same goes for poetry. At DC SCORES, Nawaf gets to do both things he loves—and he doesn’t have to do either one alone.

Dreaming on a Big Stage

This summer, Nawaf will watch teams from across the globe compete at the World Cup – including Ghana and Argentina. The two teams closest to his heart.

At DC SCORES, poet-athletes from every corner of the District come together the same way. 

“Soccer brings people together because they work together as a team and they can learn how they like each other,”   Nawaf says. 

For Nawaf, the future isn’t about choosing between two passions. 

“I dream of becoming a professional soccer player or a professional poet,” he says.

Maybe he’ll use his feet to score goals. Maybe he’ll use his voice to share poems. Maybe he’ll do both – passing the ball on the field and passing down stories through his words. 

He’s already got what it takes. His father showed him perseverance. His teammates show him what the community looks like. And at DC SCORES, he’s learning alongside other poet-athletes who are dreaming big too. 

“Being a part of the DC SCORES community means a lot to me because it shows that I’m not by myself when I’m doing poetry or soccer,” Nawaf says. “With my team I can persevere and do anything.” 

When the whistle blows at the World Cup this summer, Nawaf will be ready – cheering for Ghana and Argentina, holding onto his dreams, and knowing this DC SCORES community is right there with him.