Omar Zarzour had to put his dreams of playing professional soccer aside when the Syrian Civil War began in 2011. (OnlyAGameNPR)
For 26-year-old Syrian national Omar Zarzour, soccer is more than just a game — it's a bond that connects him to his home, his family and his past.
"Imagine yourself, you've never heard gunshot in all your life," Omar says."And you just start hearing heavy weapons. And people dying. And dead bodies in the street. Blood on the street. Moms screaming. Moms shouting. People crying. It's just really bad memories. Omar’s high school girlfriend, the girl he planned to marry, was a U.S. citizen. When the fighting broke out, she left for America. Omar knew that if he wanted to achieve the goals he had set for himself, he’d have to leave Syria, too.
The family reunited in Jordan, where they were granted refugee status. But Omar knew he’d be leaving again soon. "I have a great respect for this country and for the people as well," Omar says."Because they treat you as a human being, not as where you came from, what your religion is. They just treat you as a human being. Which is ... what we missing in my country.""As a newcomer to the United States, you have to learn — maybe improve your English," Omar says."To have more connections. To find better opportunity, it takes time.
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