"It's very simple. We like football, so we play together and form a team."
Starting as a hobby, Home Credit’s Football Team is now becoming bigger with many members from different departments, and also stronger having won the silver medal at the ITBank Ho Chi Minh City 2022 Football Tournament. Let's meet Mr. Mai Cam, team captain, and listen to the story of himself and the whole team: "Unleash the Tiger"!
💬 Hello Cam. Please tell us about Home Football Team and your story as its captain!
⚽ I have been the captain of the Home Football Team for three years, starting in 2019. Now our team has about 40 members, playing football together every week. When there's a tournament, we search for football tactics on Google and Youtube, then practice and apply them to the match.
On the pitches, I am a strict captain. However, I become a brother and fun team member of the Home Football team.
Once I was so touched. That day, we practiced for three important knock-out matches in the rain. I was sick, and my wife in the countryside had to come to the city to care for me. I stopped practicing and couldn't join those matches. However, members said: "Without Cam, the team is like a "headless snake" because there’s nobody to boost our morale and desire to win". Magically, my health improved on D-Day, so I wrapped my legs and stepped on the field. I tried to join in, and others tried to cover my part. Team members relied on each other mentally and physically. Those three matches also had suspenseful moments. It was one-nil to our rival team and, with 30 seconds left, our team got a 6m free kick and turned the tables just in time to get a penalty shootout. Eventually, we won the Silver Medal. And I was happy!
💬 How do you guys work together to build and maintain such great teamwork?
⚽ First, the whole team sympathizes with each other. For example, if you have an urgent task, you will still be encouraged to come after work. It's okay to be late. Everyone is happy to wait.
Second, as a captain, I think I am responsible for bringing the members closer. For example, some new members joined from the Ha Do office who know me only. I proactively engage all of the existing members.
Third, the leaders and colleagues at Home Credit understand and facilitate us a lot. When we join a tournament, everyone is ready to support us extremely strongly when arranging and handling work, especially Mr. Peter, Chief of IT, who also sponsors the budget for the team's operation.
The last thing is also the most crucial - respecting team members' differences such as marital status, work, personality, nationality, etc. And we did it.
"No matter who you are, wherever you come from or whatever you do, playing in the same team is having the same passion!"