We just rounded up our school academic calendar for 2025/2026 academic session with a friendly interschool football match with another neighboring school and to be honest they beat us black and blue.
To be honest, there's this boy chinedu by name that was just our star boy when it comes to football match and since he left our school has not worn any match again. The best we always got was a draw.
Every time our team walk into the pitch I always find myself searching for him. It's almost funny how one person's absence can be so visible. Our jersey is the same, the sport master is still the same but the victories disappeared with him.
He wasn't the captain, but he simply had that rare gift that cannot be taught. The moment he steps into the field everyone believed. His teammates play with more confidence. Even we the teachers, and the students watching from the sidelines always relax because we know that he will find a way to score.
And more often than not, he always did.
After he graduated, we kept telling ourselves that football is a team game. Surely one player could not make that much different. We wanted to believe that, but match after match reality kept arguing back.
Our boys still train so hard, the sport master still spend afternoon drilling them but somehow the magic is gone.
Watching them recently, I had a flashback of a regular question " can the world really do without the best"?
We're often told that no one is indispensable, it is one of those sayings that sounds wise because we've heard it so many times.
"Everyone is replaceable"
"Life goes on"
Yes life goes on, but going on isn't always the same as moving forward.
Think about football. Imagine Barcelona during messi's prime, of course they had other fantastic players then but everyone knew what messi brought.
He didn't just score goals, he brought believe. Even this year world cup, his presence has brought the team so much believe that they can win it.
When he eventually left Barcelona, they were doing well but not as before.
As a teacher I always see the same thing in the classroom . Every class has that one student that understands so quickly. Before others could even figure out the answer,her hand is already in the air to answer.
At first glance, it would look like she's the only one benefiting from being brilliant, but as time goes on her classmates will begin to study harder so as to keep up with her.
Even teachers will prepare better because they know she will ask thoughtful questions.
Now imagine if she changes to another school, yes teaching will continue but the classroom will feel different, the quiet competition will gradually disappear.
Even in various families, there's always that one person who somehow keep everyone connected. The one who remembers birthday, settles disagreement and calls every festive season.
Even in church, there's always that one choir member whose voice always lifts the congregation.
The truth is that, you can replace skill, you can hire another worker, you can sign another football player, you can even admit another student but replacing the influence someone had on people around them is far more difficult.
Maybe the answer I have been looking for, "Can the world do without the best"? Yes
But "Surviving isn't the same as thriving".
The absence of excellence leaves a silence that ordinary effort cannot immediately erase.
Image is ai generated.
