As the sun set on the horizon on the night of March 10, junior Yusef Iskandrani and his family began Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting. Throughout this month, Iskandrani fasts from sunrise to sunset while still playing soccer. 

Ramadan is one of the holiest months of the year in the Muslim faith. Along with fasting, there is a focus on spiritual rejuvenation through special prayers and time reading the holy text or Qur’an. This month is meant to draw people closer to God while creating community and compassion around them. For Iskandrani’s family, there is an importance on family time during Ramadan.

“[One of my favorite parts is] definitely family time just because you don’t really do much outside or any physical activity. You spend a lot of time with your family that gets you a lot closer with them,” Iskandrani said. 

While for some the lack of energy from food throughout the day may be tiring, Iskandrani said that it isn’t as bad as some would think.  

“It might seem bad for you mentally but if you fix your mindset, then it’s actually a lot better for you. It’s not as bad as you really think it is,“ Iskandrani said. 

During this holy month, Iskandrani’s life doesn’t quit moving, especially in soccer. While boy’s soccer isn’t during the spring for the high school season, Iskandrani continues to play club soccer during the offseason to keep up with his skills. During Ramadan, Iskandrani breaks his fast at sunset during practice with dates. 

“My practice starts at 7:00 PM and you’re supposed to eat at 7:30. So, I would just bring a couple dates in a Ziploc bag and just drink a lot of water,” Iskandrani said. “My coach is Muslim as well, so we break fast at the same time.”

However, with little food throughout the day to keep him energized, Iskandrani finds his performance in practice and games suffering.

“It definitely does affect my performance. My stamina goes down a lot. It brings my strength down a lot. My muscles are not really getting a lot of nutrition,” Iskandrani said.

To combat the lack of calories after the sunrises, Iskandrani takes preventive measures to avoid any harmful effects during games. He says that waking up early, eating as much as possible and staying hydrated are key parts of his continued success throughout Ramadan.

“There’s a lot of meanings to [Ramadan], but it’s good for just cleansing out your body from all the bad stuff that you eat throughout the year,” Iskandrani said.