Sarah Moorji, NAIT Ooks women’s team midfielder

Sarah Moorji: turning goals into words

NAIT Ooks women’s team midfielder Sarah Moorji led a generous initiative towards St. Edmund School in Edmonton, donating 50 books to its library thanks to a goal-filled season for her team.

Sarah Moorji knows about recognition. The NAIT Ooks women’s soccer team captain, Alberta Soccer Merit winner, 3-time ACAC All-Conference Top midfielder, 5-time National scholar, 3-time Academic All-Canadian, NAIT 2021/2022 Leadership Award recipient, and ACAC Futsal All-Star Team member, has had an extremely successful career in soccer while fulfilling her studies. She started playing the sport from a very young age: “growing up I was involved in many sports. I played hockey, soccer, and track and field. I loved playing soccer at recess with my brother and knew I wanted to play competitively. My parents signed me up at age 9 to play in a competitive league and that was the year my journey in soccer started”, Sarah confessed.

But all those record-breaking seasons and trophies have not overshadowed her humble and good-natured spirit. During COVID times, she found that many children were not able to play soccer, affecting their physical and social abilities. Knowing that all those young athletes were stuck at home, she took her computer and decided to virtually teach technical soccer drills to kids from ages 5 to 13. “They were able to interact with one another, play games and enjoy playing soccer at all levels. I was able to expand this program throughout Canada, the United States and internationally”.

Her good deeds didn’t stop there. Sarah also created a fundraiser in honour of her late grandparents. In her own words, “I was able to fundraise $3,000 to the Aga Khan Foundation. This institution helps support individuals in third world countries with basic necessities for living as well as emergency recovery methods.”

Sarah being awarded by the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC)

On her fifth and final year as an Ook, Sarah decided to give back to a place that played a crucial role in her becoming a better athlete and individual. She attended St. Edmund school and their soccer academy from 2011-2014, and in her opinion, the institution allowed her to grow as a person and made her understand what it takes to become a well-balanced athlete. She also highlighted all the staff, students, and teachers, who always provided a welcoming environment for everyone.

Sarah proposed St. Edmund she would donate one book for every goal her Ooks team scored in the season, an idea that was well received by the school. According to her, “they immediately agreed with this initiative and offered any help that came with the process.”

“The soccer season finished in October with 30 goals, but I decided to donate 50 books, matching the record-breaking amount of games I played in my 5 years at NAIT. They were very excited and happy that they made such a huge impact on my personal, academic, and athletic life”, Sarah said.

Sarah Moorji defending her beloved NAIT Ooks

For Sarah Moorji, now a Youth Development Soccer Coach, “playing soccer is a gift. Have fun, enjoy the experience and put your 100 percent in every training session and game. Enjoy the process and cherish every moment!”