His mother asked him if he wanted to come to the United States for an education, and he agreed, so he packed his belongings and began the journey around the world to the United States.
His path to Dickinson is not like many other athletes attending Dickinson State University. He was not recruited as he is still a high school student.
His senior year was the first season Dickinson High School presented to a football team, and he helped bring the Dwarves to an incredible season.
Tatenda led the team with 28 goals, added seven assists and Dickinson went undefeated playing a mix of college and junior opponents.
“(Our team) is like a family. We get along very well, ”he said.
The transition to the United States posed a challenge for Tatenda, as her father stayed in Zimbabwe, but her mother and siblings made their way to Dickinson.
Growing up, Tatenda always played football, even playing on the street or anywhere he could find space.
“There are always cars moving around the streets here, which is different,” he said.
Another difference is the cold, long winters of North Dakota.
“Zimbabwe is not like being in Dickinson and North Dakota. In winter, people only wear a long sweater, ”said Tatenda. “Here you wear two jackets and it’s still cold.”
The challenge of snow on the ground and the cold meant it was hard for him to find a place to kick the ball for most of the year.
Tatenda doesn’t let that stop him, as he goes to the recreation center and just about anywhere that is big enough to practice in the winter.
While football is his passion, moving to the United States has helped Tatenda mature and recognize other important things in life, such as education.
“In America, you have to take classes to play sports at school. It made me study more, so I could play football, because if you fail you won’t be able to play, ”he said. “If you do something stupid and your coach and the school found out you can’t play, it got me out of trouble. I just tried to behave and I got along pretty well.”
Tatenda’s goal is to play football at the highest level, because he loves it and his father helped him fall in love with the sport.
His father played when he was older, but he could not play professionally in Zimbabwe, so Tatenda is shooting to be the first in his family to do so.
Tatenda’s tentative plan is to go play at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, but is also open to other options. Several clubs and teams in England have shown interest in him, and he will find out his exact plan after the new year.
Right now, Tatenda is focusing on figuring out his future and helping one of his 13-year-old brothers become a better player. He wants to be able to compete on the college team next fall as a freshman.
Wherever Tatenda ends, she will always be indebted to her family in North Dakota and Zimbabwe.
They help motivate him to be the best he can be in football and in the classroom.
“I’ll never forget them,” he said.