I am certainly now settled in Wheaton, Illinois. My second week here has passed and I have begun to find a bit of a rhythm. I am more comfortable and more focused on the task ahead of me. After having a couple conversations with the assistant coach this week, I have a clearer picture of a few areas of my game that I really need to focus on. I put extra time into these areas before training, during training and also in the gym back at the apartment. As previously stated, I will get out of this experience what I put into it, and I have full control of my effort. So I am making sure I put in the work required, and more, to build a strong platform for future opportunities that I hope will arise.

Thankfully, Bridges has assisted in finding me some work through the connections and relationships they have with the local training facility. So I began coaching this week, and in a few weeks will hopefully pick up another job related to soccer too. This will certainly help to keep me busy, but also cover my costs of putting food on the table for myself. Once again, I have found myself never too far away from friends, as a former classmate and fellow student athlete from Quinnipiac lives not too far from Wheaton. We were able to catch up one evening which was great. On Saturday evening, myself and three of the other guys enjoyed a nice evening at a nice restaurant/bar. Good food, good company, and lots of sports on TV, especially with March Madness. 

Sunday rolled around and it dawned a lovely day. Blue skies, and warm sun, so perfect for me to get back into my Sunday run routine. I was able to explore the streets fairly nearby, however I took a wrong turn from my planned route. It was well worth it either way. I returned and did a few extra exercises in the gym and spent some time out on the deck in the lovely weather. Sadly, my Sunday took a devastating turn. As many of you may know, I spent 2 months training full time with Derry City FC in June and July of 2016. During that time, I got to know all the players and staff, and some of the die hard fans. Today, I was once again reminded of how fragile life can be. Club Captain, Ryan McBride had passed away in his home in Derry, less than 24hrs after leading Derry to a 4-0 victory. During my two months at DCFC he was someone who I looked up to, for his leadership, professionalism, and his passion. He wore his heart on his sleeve, he held everyone to high expectations, and he brought the best out of players. I have very positive memories to look back on when I reflect on my time spent with DCFC and Ryan. I feel for all the boys there currently going through this tough time, but I know that the culture that has been developed at the club, largely thanks to Ryan, will strengthen them and pull them through this difficult time. Life is fragile, embrace opportunities when they come, and let people impact you for the better. Forever thankful for my time at Derry City FC and to know such an incredible man.