Author: erikcpanzer

Woke up to another sunny morning. Had a banana before Rory and I headed out to train. It is game day and Rory wont be playing because of a knock he got, but Adriano is, so he got to sleep in. We had another good session, and slowly the nerves are settling down. Yesterday, because it was a new environment and new people to prove myself too, I felt very nervous and made many mistakes. But things calmed down a bit today and I was able to focus a little more. Still lots of small things to continue to work on and improve. And like yesterday, I finished with 4 laps around the cricket oval. That is certainly a blow.

Came home and had some breakfast to refuel before showering and relaxing. I read some of my book in the sun, before Adriano and I made lunch/his pre match meal. It was delicious. Eventually we hit the road. First we stopped at the Truro City Managers place, Lee Hodges, who would then take the three of us down to the game. I was about an hours drive with some lovely scenery. We chatted a little bit in the car, but it was more Rory and Lee talking about the game tonight and the tactics etc. We arrived at the ground and I met most of the players and looked around the dressing room and the field etc. I watched the game from the stands. It was nice to watch the team that I will be playing for play, just so that I can get a good understanding of what I am in for, the level of the league, and the tactics of the team. It opened my eyes to a lot of things, and there certainly is room for improvement, in which I hope to assist with. Unfortunately Truro City lost 3-1.

We hit the road and got home pretty late.

After a good sleep, I woke to the sun shining through my window. What a lovely change that is. Soon enough Adriano, Rory and myself headed off to do some training. Because Truro isn’t full time professional, and the current game schedule is Tuesday and Saturday, they only manage to get one full team training session in a week. So to stay on the top of their game, all players are expected to put in the extra hard work needed to play at the high level. So we did our share of the hard work. Good warm up, stretch, roll, and band work before we did a few juggling and technique things. Then some first touch work and passing. I finished with 4 1min 90% runs around the cricket oval that we were training at. It was certainly a blow, but it is what I want and need. If I am to progress higher and higher, I need to take my fitness to another level. So that is one focus currently.

Home to shower and eat, before we went out and did a big shop. We got all the food we need for the week and split the bill. Safe to say we wont go hungry thats for sure. I then went and helped out with Rory and Carly’s Ice Cream business, The Cowlick Creamery. We didn’t have to do too much at the unit, although I did help with pouring milk and cream, and of course I helped with tasting. They also have a barista machine too, and Rory is learning the art of coffee making. That is something that I hope to learn also, so maybe in due time Ill get to practice at the unit.

On our way home, Rory took me for a tiki tour through the City of Plymouth. It was bombed in the 1500s I’m pretty sure and a lot of the rebuild was rushed. There are a few old old buildings which look amazing, and the waterfront/port area is beautiful too. Not a bad wee hang out spot. Finally headed home and cooked another fantastic dinner. I assisted Carly in the kitchen as we baked up an orange drizzle cake for a desert treat. Not a bad evening of company and food at all.

I also gathered all the required information and things to sort out my international clearance as that can often take some time, so we are getting onto that as soon as possible.

Woke up today for my last training with the lads. Because they had played the night before, the 11 starters did recovery, while the bench, myself, Dean and a new signing trained. It was a good competitive session for us all. I was happy with my play and made the same mistake a few times, so I am always learning and developing as a player. When I begin training next week, I will be sure to focus on that. I said goodbye to most the lads after training, with all of them wishing me well. It really has been a wonderful environment to be in for the last two months. The club was a great place to start my journey, and although it didn’t turn out the way I wanted with a contract, it served a great purpose, I developed a lot and I made some great new friends.

A bunch of us headed off for lunch and to watch the first premier league game of the season. And then we spent the rest of the afternoon watching the other games that were going on. It is exciting for me to be in the UK for the Premier League.

We eventually headed on home as I made my last meal, did my last bits of laundry and finished up packing. I knew that I could take two bags up to 20kg, however one suitcase is a lot bigger than the other. I will find out how much overweight the bag is when I get to the airport tomorrow!

Got a sleep in today as it was game day. After a casual lazy morning I then began to plan my trip and organize all the other things that needed to be sorted out. All is ready for departure on Sunday. However, the packing will continue until the morning I leave.

Throughout the day, various Kiwi athletes were competing in the Olympics so I made sure to catch all that footage. A few more medals and a few unfortunate results, but the Kiwi’s are still doing us all proud.

And then at 8pm Derry vs Finn Harps kicked off. It was an away game, however I didn’t go. This is the Northwest Derby as Finn Park is only 30min down the road. I managed to find a stream online however with no commentary, so it was hard to keep track and watch. In the end Derry won convincingly 5-0. And with other results around the league going Derry’s way, they jump up into 2nd on the table. They are now in a great position going into the last 10 games of the season.

It was training before game day, and it felt like the longest foam roll and band session ever. But it was all good stuff. The physio had said to me to go roll out and do the warm up stuff and when they went into film review to come back for him to check me out. Luckily there was no pain with any of the movements he was doing, just felt a little weak in the knee and a little tight in the hip. So he said I really got away with on there, someones watching over me.

I trained fully and was able to enjoy myself because I knew my responsibility was no longer there and I didn’t have the pressure of performing and impressing the coaches. I did some extra work after training with Dean Shiels, who is the managers son. Dean is on the comeback from an ankle injury he sustained while playing for Rangers in Scotland. We did some speed and power work, and once again my knee and hip were fine. Good signs.

My afternoon was filled with the Olympics, but also I made a quick trip to the post office where a very valuable package should have been delivered for me. I hadn’t received the phone call I was expecting, but I thought I would check anyway. And sure enough the package containing my very important passport was there. Knowing that I had my passport, I finally booked my flight to England. And then I booked my bus from Derry to Belfast, so it is all falling into place.

Same training routine today. With some passing and possession drills, which I am sure the blue team (my team) will tell you that we got shafted. It happens, makes you work harder. Unfortunately in one of the last possession games I planted my left foot and my knee and hip gave away and I landed in pain. I was scared because the pain was quite sharp. I managed to get up on my own, and hobble in to see the physio. Turns out the knee was fine, just weakened, and the hip had just been over stretched. I was informed to take an ice bath after training, and then on our day off not to foam roll or stretch it and just let it rest, along with icing it. After training we headed to the ice baths and we had a 10min session in them.

Then we headed out for lunch. I was still freezing from the ice bath because I didn’t bring pants, just shorts to change into, and the weather outside wasn’t the warmest. Eventually I warmed up. We we out to a new coffee/tea place after lunch and it was a nice place. I decided to get a hot chocolate this time!

Eventually we got home and I continued to do more and more visa preparation along with speaking with someone on the phone who is helping with my next move to another team in England. Other than that, my evening was filled with the olympics and conversations with my family.

Back into the routine today for a big week of training for the team. We had a decent field session in the morning followed by a good gym session in the afternoon. The field session was similar to most with some plyos, passing drills, and small 7v7 games. Nothing too out of the ordinary. However more youth players showed up, so the numbers continue to rise. I am now just making the most of the opportunity to train as I am now preparing for my move away from here in search of other opportunities.

We eventually made it home and had a casual afternoon, where I was able to continue to watch the Olympics. The frustrating thing for me is that the TV channels showing the games is solely focused on all the British athletes and teams, so unless NZ is in the same event or competing against the Brits, I don’t get to see much coverage. I guess thats just the way it goes.

I am continuing to plan for my next step which is looking likely to be England. The information is still being gathered regarding visas and stuff, but I am getting a better understanding of it all finally. My night consisted of a good meal and a nice FaceTime with Shannon to catch up on her events of her first few shifts as a full time Nurse!