Category: Football

Today was game day, however this time I wasn’t traveling with the team to Sligo. Wardy and Conor left the house to meet at the hotel at 2pm before they departed. I had the afternoon to myself where I got a few errands done down at the local post office in Carrigans and had a restful afternoon. The ankle wasn’t too sore and I was able to comfortably walk around.

The Derry game against Sligo was on TV, however the T.V. in the house didn’t have the channel, but I managed to find a stream online. It wasn’t the greatest performance as neither team really grabbed ahold of the game. Derry had some very good chances, but not enough of them to put them away. Sligo also had a few good chances. 0-0 was probably a fair outcome, however it is not the result Derry would have hoped as the team continues to push and keeps its spot for European Competition next season.

Once the game was over I was able to have my weekly catch up with my parents via FaceTime. For the last 4 years I have been away from New Zealand, I have been able to either Facetime or Skype them at least once a week to catch up and fill them in on all the happenings. As always it was great to see and talk to them. Funnily enough, during our talk they bought me a book for my kindle which I got for my birthday, however they are still technically challenged sometimes. Eventually I received the gift email of a book and I was able to add it to my kindle. The book is Fully Committed: The Ben Sigmund Story. Ben was a footballer from back home who took a fairly different path to becoming a pro, but being a true Kiwi, he continued through tough times and found the passion for the game again which often alluded him. It is a story that as I read, I continuously relate to, and therefore it is often difficult to put down. Before I went to bed I read at least 5 chapters.

This morning dawned another raining morning. Not much changes there. The regular pre training routine along with a 30 minute video analysis session. Once we got on the field and warmed up we were split up. The match day squad of 18 went off and did their thing preparing for Sligo Rovers, while the rest of us, mostly youth players, went off and did our training session under the eye of the youth coach. The session consisted of possession, mixed with two sets of running to make sure we got the fitness needed because we weren’t consistently playing matches on the weekend. During one of the possession games I unfortunately rolled my ankle pretty sharply, but a little bit of time and I was on my feet. It certainly was tender and I had to tread lightly and watch my turns. Once we finished training I went straight to the Physio just to get it checked and make sure that it wasn’t any major ligaments or anything. Ice and rest will do it good.

We came home after training and stayed home for the afternoon and into the evening. My Visa research, and part time job research continued. The rest of our evening was uneventful.

 

Today the routine was flipped. We were in the gym this morning to do our workout, foam rolling and stretch before we headed back to the training ground for training. I enjoy this a lot more, because the body isn’t fatigued when going into the gym and I prefer that to allow me to push myself. Plus it allows us to be done once we finish training.

Our training today had new drills which was good. Some passing drills to get the legs going and then a passing drill that really got the head going and made everyone have to think, which is important. It was important everyone was switched on for the next drill which was challenging and focused on possession through channels. These drills added a new dimension to training and was certainly different to the regular passing and possession we had been doing fairly often. Training finished with a 9v9 game to goal before we were done for the day.

I spent my afternoon researching visas and the various types to make sure that if opportunity does arise, I am ready to get that sorted. I also began the lookout for part time jobs that I could pick up a few hours with to make a bit of extra money and utilize my spare time. Hopefully I can speak to some of the local lads who may know of some opportunities there.

Cooked up a pretty decent pasta bake and chilled out on the couch this evening. Was treated to some nice colors from the sunset too. 

Training was very good today. A good field session with various aspects, along with a fair bit of running at the end too. Once again, it was just the senior team, so the numbers were lower which was good, but also the competitiveness and quality was higher. We did a few passing exercises to begin before we went into pressure-possession grids, and played some game like situation games. The session ended with some running that was similar to yesterdays running. As much as it was tough, its all good stuff for me to keep fit.

A quick shower and bite to eat before we met with PFA (Professional Footballers Association) who had brought along a lady who works with professional athletes on their development outside of sport. It was really a session for her to find out what the players were interested in so that they can supply the necessary means of education, workshops, online courses, and employment opportunities once football is no longer their career. For most of the team, they have not gained a University degree and most have only graduated high school at best. Some have part time jobs, some are taking online courses, and for others, football is all their life consists of. It’s a great program to have and get the team involved in, because for so many professional athletes who haven’t done anything other than sport their whole life, it is important they are prepared for life after football. For me, well I have my Bachelors Degree in Psychology, however depending on how things pan out I would love to take classes towards a Masters in Sports Psychology/Mental Skills.

Once the meeting finished, we headed over to the gym. Our gym session today was tough but very good. A balance of power and strength is always what is focused on. The legs were quite heavy during the session, but the benefits are worth it for sure.

Wardy and I headed to the grocery store after the gym and headed home. A relaxing afternoon and then a busy night in the kitchen. With my groceries topped up I was able to get a little creative in the kitchen. It tasted as good as it looked and sure went down a treat.

The regular Sunday routine was changed today as only the players who played more than 70 minutes in the game on Friday went to yoga. The rest of the bench and other players who didn’t travel, along with many of the U19 squad had a regular training session this morning. It was good to train, because for me especially, not playing 90 minutes each week in a game can leave me to lack fitness, so the extra opportunity to train was very good for me.

A passing drill, then a few possession grids and a few small sided games, before finishing with sprints. The sprints were certainly a blow after a long session, but all good for the body. Shower and then headed on home. Made a good lunch and relaxed for most of the afternoon.

Wardy arrived home early evening so it was nice to have company again. Time for a good sleep before another big week of training begins.

Home alone this morning, however Harry picked me up around 11am and I headed to his place before we reported to the hotel where we were departing from for the away game. I was lucky enough to have a seat because a few of the lads had travelled down earlier the night before to visit their family and stay at home for the weekend. It was just like any away trip really. Nothing too special about the bus. A bit of chat with those around me on the bus, read the paper, and watched as Ireland went by out my window. The only difference however, was the fact that there are no massive motorways, so it was along country roads and through small towns every so often, until we were about 30 minutes outside of Dublin when it moved up to two lanes of a motorway.

We arrived at the hotel where pre match meal, pre match talk, and massages/rolling/stretching would occur. The food was good and I had good conversation with a few of the lads about various aspects of football. Then we went into the pre match talk where the team was named, and the areas to focus on were addressed etc. It was nice to see how it all goes down, and I got to see another aspect to the manager and learn how he  inspires the team on game day. Eventually we were on our way to the stadium.

Once the bus arrived at the stadium and we walked across the pitch towards the dressing room, various players were asked for interviews at random. The match was being televised and obviously they wanted some coverage. So some of us made sure we went away from the lady and the camera. One of the lads, Ryan, who travelled wasn’t selected in the match day squad, so him and I sat and talked while the warm ups and pre match preparation went on.

The game unfortunately was nothing special. Possession was tossed about by both teams and only in patches did Derry play well. Derry scored a good goal after some nice build up after 10 minutes, and defended that lead for the remainder of the game. It was an important win for the team as it further establishes them in 3rd place and puts the pressure on 2nd place. At seasons end, the team in first qualifies for UEFA Champions League Qualification, and the 2nd and 3rd placed teams qualify for UEFA Europa League Qualification. As the title is now fairly out of Derry’s reach, making sure they finish 2nd or 3rd is crucial, so this win was very important for that.

Back on the bus and the 3 hour journey home began. Arriving in at 1.30am, and home and in bed by 2! Not too bad.

It was another semi regular day of training. The foam roll, stretch, mobility and then video analysis routine was the same. And because of Foyle Cup, we went back to the ground we had been using all week, only for the gate to be locked. So back to the regular training ground. A few passing drills to get warmed up and sharp and then we went onto the main pitch to run through situations that would occur in the game tomorrow. We played 11v11 and the manager would just stop it here and there explaining certain situations. It was fairly informative and productive.

After showering, two hypnotists/magician had come to do a few things with the team, so we watched a few tricks and Wardy got hypnotized which was fun. Eventually we headed for home. A casual afternoon for me, with Wardy and Connor both heading home home before the game tomorrow and would meet the team at the stadium. I did call the manager and see if there was a seat for me on the bus, which there was and I was welcome to come. So I’ll get to see a bit of the Ireland countryside via bus window tomorrow.

Wardy did leave his car behind, which is a manual. I haven’t driven a manual car in 7 or 8 years, and for some reason, I couldn’t get it engaged into reverse. So because of this, I didn’t feel comfortable just driving in because who knows when I might need to reverse it. Maybe on Saturday when I have more time, Ill try again. I felt very disheartened, because it is a skill that I should have. Oh well.

Casual evening on the couch, making a nice dinner for myself and getting a good sleep!

 

A regular morning here at the house, however we were meeting at the Foyle Arena where our gym is, instead  of meeting at the dressing rooms because of the Foyle Cup. So on arrival we were straight into our gym work and then we did our mobility and injury prevention work, before we headed out across the road to the temporary training ground we were using this week.

The weather had dawned nicely and was still warm and the sun shone every now and then. I enjoyed the session today as it was more technical and there were educational aspects as well as tactical aspects in functional work, instead of just simply playing possession. We then went into an 11v11 game to assist in the teams preparations for Bohemians this weekend. We played about 20 minutes before we took a water break. As we took our water break, ominous dark dark clouds were gathering and heading towards us. We got in another 2 minutes after the water break before the manager called it off. So we headed back to the gym. Training wouldn’t usually be called off because of the weather, but we weren’t at the regular training ground or changing rooms. We cooled down and showered at the Arena and were all done by 12.30. I did manage to have a brief chat with the manager and he expressed to me that I was training well, which was nice to hear. He also shared with me that he is still looking for options for me. So for now I just keep training! 

6 of us headed off for lunch in town, and then sat at a coffee shop for an hour and chatted. We headed home eventually and enjoyed a lazy evening at the house. European Champions League qualifying has been going on and a team from the League of Ireland, Dundalk were playing. So we found a stream and managed to watch that.

Week 5 begun as with the regular Monday routine. We did our rolling, stretching and mobility in the normal place before we had to move to another training ground 5 minutes away. This was because the Foyle Cup is being played this week and the training ground we use is a pitch for games throughout the week. So we trained at a different field, highly sand based, and more like a local park, with only 1 goal having the resemblance of a net on it. No matter the conditions, football is football and you must adapt and that is what we did. A new passing drill at the beginning to sharpen up before we opened up and played, along with some running on the side. It was a good session although the challenges of the surface. It is my understanding that we will be there all week due to the Foyle Cup.

Conveniently enough, the Foyleside Arena is right across the road from the field we were at, so I headed there after training and showered up before we relaxed for 70 minutes. We had our regular gym session which was good as always, and the rhythm is becoming more comfortable as I am now able to challenge myself a bit more and test my strength. We finished the gym session with a good roll out and stretch before Wardy and I were dropped back at his car which was at our regular training ground. There was an under 12 game on that we stayed and watch for 30 minutes before we headed off to the grocery store. We decided that today we would try a different way home, through some back roads that we travelled one day via taxi. It was an adventure to say the least, and certainly took a lot longer than usual, with many wrong turns, but eventually, we made it home. 

 

It was another scorching day outside, and after 4 weeks of clouds and rain, it makes me cherish the sunshine a little more, so I have been making the most of it. I was able to sit in the sun for 2 hours after we got home tonight, which allowed me to finish the book I was reading, The Alchemist. I received the book as a graduation present, and I couldn’t think of a better fit for graduation than to read that.

Once again it was Sunday and we headed off to our hour long yoga session, followed by the ice baths. Yoga has been great I think for my body, however a little difficult to judge progress when we do different things each week. As for the ice bath, it feels like it gets colder and colder every time. Who really knows!

Home by 12, had some food, and then I was finally able to sit outside in the sun, yes the sun and read my book. We had about 4hrs of consistent sunshine and warmth and I made the very most of it. Reading a lot of my book, and soaking in the rays. And to my surprise, I got a little red. I guess after 4 weeks of no sun, my skin wasn’t as conditioned to the sun anymore. Oh well, very well worth it. It was just a lovely day in the sun.

A relaxing evening at home before another week begins in the morning!