Coach in focus: Tumi Ogunwuyi

Tunmise (Tumi) Ogunwuyi is a Staff Coach for the CJ Brown Foundation. His love for soccer and interest in working to build support systems for communities from the ground up provide him with the drive to be a great leader. 

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Ogunwuyi moved to the US in December 2017. Growing up in Nigeria, where soccer is a huge part of the culture, Ogunwuyi was immersed in the sport from a young age. “I watched it a lot. I was really involved in it,” he said. “My dad was the one that made me like football. We used to watch the Premier League constantly.”

In 2018, when Ogunwuyi started high school, he joined the school’s soccer team where he played as a forward. After COVID hit and his high school soccer career was cut short, Ogunwuyi wasn’t sure what to do next. Eventually, he discovered Malcolm X College where he met Head Coach Jesse Rosen and tried out for the soccer team.

Now, Ogunwuyi attends Malcolm X College, studying nursing with the hopes of one day being an anesthesiologist and playing on the Men’s Soccer team. Through his coach, Rosen, Ogunwuyi was introduced to CJ Brown. Ogunwuyi was incredibly interested in bringing new opportunities to children who may not otherwise be able to play soccer. He was excited by the chance to work with an organization early in its development, so the opportunity to join CJ Brown Foundation was easy for him to accept.

Since joining the Foundation, Ogunwuyi has appreciated the lessons he’s learned. Through coaching, he is able to connect with new people, further develop his patience, and improve his own skills. “So with the kids, when I'm trying to train them, you learn, as a player, I should incorporate this myself. It's not just helping the kids, you’re also helping yourself mentally,” he said. “When you’re with the kids, you need your intention. You’ve got to be loud, you’ve got to be patient, and that goes with anything.”

Ogunwuyi is proud of the work he does with the Foundation. “I had a kid tell me, ‘I'm glad you're back.’ I never left, but I guess I only coach once out of the week, so they only get to see me rarely” he said. “That moment, it's just like, woah. You don't really notice that as a coach when you’re doing the coaching because you're just trying to help, but you get that moment, it just shocks you.” 

As he looks ahead to his future, Ogunwuyi is excited to see how his work at the Foundation can intertwine with his personal and professional endeavors. “Even with my goals as an anesthesiologist, I still want to be involved in soccer,” he said. “It connects people together.”

As for the future of the CJ Brown Foundation, he is excited to see it continue to grow. “It’s one of the most diverse sports. It’s kind of dope to have a lot of kids that kind of look like we do play,” Ogunwuyi said. “It’s good to work with CJ from the ground up. Hopefully, one day it gets just as big as the Fire Academy.”