Blog

Time is ticking by and we are now within a month of embarking on a trip that has the potential to have a huge impact on my career. With that, the pressure and intensity in training continues to rise. Coach Bret has been putting the pressure on us for awhile now, with good intentions as it will only prepare us more for what is ahead. Coach is stilling figuring out the most appropriate way for our team to play and so we have been doing a lot of functional tactical work, along with technical work and playing. The body has been holding up well except for the minor mishap of heat exhaustion last Sunday. Still room to get fitter, and in time that will come, but nothing beats match fitness, and its nice to know that our next game is on the horizon in St. Louis on Friday June 16th.

The summer weather has really set in and Thursday evening a couple of the boys headed out to Top Golf for a couple hours enjoying swinging the clubs. My golf game is fairly inconsistent, but put me on a mini golf course and I’m not half bad! Outside of this, our weekend was very relaxing with a lot of time spent by the pool and soaking in the sunshine. Sounds like the dream right? The only thing is we aren’t getting paid for it, so there is still work to be done to get to that level. Time will tell!

Summer seemed to make a statement this week as the temperatures rose and the sun was out most days. Monday was Memorial Day which many of us spent by the pool, which was lovely. The pool has had many visits from us, whether its been to relax or to recover after training. Training has continued to be intense and all the evening sessions have been inter squad games. Preparing to play against different formations, but also preparing our own formations and seeing what works. So it has been very productive and just great to get out and play and compete, and getting some match fitness in. All things continue to build nicely as we are now only 4 weeks out from the trip.

On Friday night, the five guys who were at the apartment for the weekend decided to head into Wheaton for some dinner. After our meal we wandered around and stumbled upon the ‘A Taste of Wheaton’ festival. There was a great cover band playing some absolute classics from Journey, Neil Diamond, Queen, etc. We had a blast, although we may have been on the younger side of the crowd!

Saturday was my last official coaching session at Soccer City for Lil Kickers. It has been a good little job that has filled time and made some money, all the while developing young players. But as my schedule gets busier I am now able to fully turn my focus to why I am here and just train and prepare myself. I still have one client who I coach 1 on 1 which is only a couple hours a week, so I’m not fully finished! Saturday was also the Champions League Final, and what was expected to be a tough battle, unfortunately did not turn out that way!

This was the week we were finally headed outside for training. Of course Monday was probably the hottest day Illinois has had all year, so it was exhausting to say the least, and a little bit of sun burn too. Nonetheless, it was great to get outside and really stretch the legs. We trained twice most days, with at least one session outdoors as our preparation began for our first game next week. Although the squad is still coming together as players get out of school and other various commitments, it has been challenging to have everyone there for a full team session. The training has continued to be good, with the focus shifting to more tactical things.

Due to the change in training schedule, I have had to back from my work hours as they were conflicting with training. My purpose for being here is football, and the work was a bonus, however now as the time ticks down to the trip, it is best for me to fully invest myself in the training and really focus on the goal.

An exciting part of my week was publishing my first article about my journey and what I have learned. It had been a little project of mine for the last month or so, and I was very happy with the outcome of it. I hope it has made an impact on those who have read it. For me, this is the beginning of my writing as I would love to continue writing articles relative to various aspects of football, and eventually down the track writing about the psychological and mental aspect of the game. We shall see what my next article brings.

It has been another very intense week of training as the preparation continues for our games and trip. As most University’s were finishing up this past week, a few more of the lads that are expected to go on the trip returned and began training. It raised the quality and intensity of training which was great. Beginning next week, our training schedule has been changed to allow us to begin training outside, which I am very excited for. The change in schedule however changes what hours I can and cannot work, so unfortunately I will be working less, but the whole reason I am here is for the football and so that takes precedent! Although the work has been nice and time filling, I have also been able to bring in some income to cover my current living and day to day costs. No Ill be able to rest up a little more as the intensity in training rises and really begin to focus in on the purpose of this experience.

Saturday was a very long but productive day. Jake and I coached and ran birthday parties from 9am until 6pm, before heading home for a quick refresh and then headed to the Chicago Fire vs Seattle Sounders FC MLS game in Chicago. We met up with a few other lads from training and we witnessed a pretty exciting game, along with a great crowd! It was a fun experience and hopefully be able to catch another game or two before we leave.

Finally, the weather has begun to turn in favor of summer and Sunday was a stunner! I was able to spend time reading my new book, The Mindful Athlete by George Mumford, in the sun on the deck, before coaching a one on one session and then doing a bit of ball work and relaxing for the rest of the day. Preparing for a new routine next week!

Just like that, another week has passed. On Monday I was kindly reminded by Facebook that 5 years ago to the date (April 24th) I committed to Quinnipiac University. What a decision that turned out to be. All the learning, experiences, people, opportunities and so much more came from a decision made fairly blindly. All I know is that someone was looking out for me that day. And here I am 5 years later, heading down a path never imaginable before I even knew where or who Quinnipiac University was.

My week followed a similar flow to the rest of April. The continued training has been great, and although I had a few knocks and niggles this past week, I have still been training well and developing the new habits to become instinctual in my general play. As the time goes on, the tests are slowly approaching as I will hope to soon be outside but also playing a few preparation games prior to the trip in July. Playing in games will be a true test of my development from the last few months.

I worked my regular work schedule throughout the week and then on Saturday Jake and I were asked to help out field marshaling at a tournament that was run by Sockers FC. Bridges relationship with Sockers is pretty strong with both our coaches also coaching for the club, and we use their facilities to train at, so it was only right we were able to help out. We were given time to go home after we coached and before we began working to eat and gather as much wet weather gear we had and anything warm we had. Out came both of our suitcases as we dug deep for gloves, hats, rain jackets, the works. It was windy with driving rain and an air temperature of just above freezing. Not the ideal conditions to be wandering fields and watching games, but we stuck it out. Around 7.30pm a massive thunder clap and lightning strike hit within probably a mile of the fields and so that was the message to send everyone packing. However we stuck around, huddled around a gas fire under a big tent as we began to organize and then call each and every team with their updated schedule for the next days play. It was certainly an experience and I am just thankful to still have my toes and fingers attached.

By Saturday night I was exhausted and so a full day of rest on Sunday was much needed. The weather played into our lazy mood around the apartment and hopefully we are well rested for another big week of training and work.

The weeks seem to be flying by at this rate. And just like that, another one has been completed here in Wheaton. It was a week that showed how quickly things can change in the world of football. By Saturday, three of the lads in the apartment had all left for various footballing opportunities. It is great for them to be receiving opportunities to go train/trial/play for various teams around the world. But this has made for a bit of an empty apartment, however I am not complaining at all. I’m quite enjoying the simplicity of only having 2 others around and to schedule with.

Individually for me, this week was another important one for my personal development. Focusing a lot on body position and footwork while defending. Small adjustments have been making all the difference, but it is making these adjustments into habits and getting rid of my old habits. So a continued work in progress for sure!

I continued to work many hours this week which keeps me busy but also helps the bank account. And this week I began coaching a 14yr old football player. He is a great kid with the desire to improve and develop, but it is his willingness to learn that will help him most in the long run, whether in football or life. So the two hours a week I spend coaching him will be memorable ones for me as I am able to share my knowledge and life experience with him as I look to develop him into a better player and person.

The weather has continually warmed up with some very summer-like days but also some pretty fresh nights too. Its just nice to have trees flowering different colors and the grass looking greener, and of course the sun shining is wonderful for the soul. Onward to another week!

It has certainly been a trying week for me. A week that reminds me the difficulty of perseverance, and tests me on how much I want it. It is not only all the training that I am doing, it is everything else that I am doing and going through to make this opportunity work. But these are the weeks that define the experience and I know that in the long run, I will look back and know that all the struggles, all the uncomfortable situations have been worth it, in one way or another.

This week of training was one of the better ones individually from a development perspective. Working on defensive aspects of my game that I had been struggling with, and we made a couple adjustments and it made all the difference, so that was very pleasing. I was also able to continue to do my extra speed and explosive work in between sessions. Now I’m really just looking forward to the day we get to head outside to train or play a game. That will really be the true test.

Outside of specifically football, I had a full on work week, working every evening this week. This is a sacrifice I have to make in order to cover the expenses currently and in the future, and for me, its also very nice to not be camped up in the apartment for long periods of time. And the work I do is not the most strenuous, its simply watching football and ensuring there are no disruptions from parents, coaches, players, report injuries, and work with the referees. Getting paid to watch football, I can’t complain!

Spring has surely sprung here in the Midwest. Some very warm days, and especially for Easter Weekend. I was able to celebrate Easter with some extended family with a nice home cooked meal and good company, and then I celebrated a second time with our coach and the lads from the apartment. It certainly made for a lovely weekend.