You're..Oh...

You know, everyone wants to experience the european fairytale -- travel through countries by train, stay in two star hostels, and see buildings older than their country. But, let me just say, there is nothing glamorous about washing your socks and underpants in the sink and drying them on the radiator.

Archived Faith Quote

"When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: Either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly."

- Edward Teller

[art by Broken Crow, Surrounded by Giants]

Ingolstadt ('Ing-goal-sh-tat')

I came to Munich expecting to stay only one night, but after the meeting it was decided it would be best for me to remain in the area (Bavaria) while playing opportunities in the vicinity were explored. The trial that came about was with Ingolstadt (located an hour north of Munich) who are currently at the top of the 3rd Bundesliga. Since my American résumé carries little weight in Germany I was scheduled to first train with the reserve team (who play in the 5th division).

Based on my performance in 2 trainings with the Ingolstadt reserves the I received a very good assessment from the coaching staff. The trainer felt that I could "absolutely" play in the third division and even do well in the 2nd Bundesliga, but alas, Ingolstadt is not a match at this time (keep in mind that they are at the top of the table in the 3rd division so the coach is very hesitant to make any changes). Furthermore, the coach said he was willing to recommend me to other 3rd division clubs (a good sign).

Of course, I would love to be contracted with a club and settled down by now. However, it is encouraging to know that I am building a good record in Germany from my trials with Lucerne, Erfurt, and now Ingolstadt. My game feels stronger with every new trial and I know that I am coming closer to realizing my dream.

Archived Nike quote

All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly.
AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES.

-Nike ad

Müchen ('Moo-chen')

(Above: The Allianz Arena is home to Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich. It lights up red when Bayern play, blue when 1860 play, and white when the national team play.)

After the week with Erfurt, I was called in to talk with the manager. There he told me that the coach liked me, but they were only looking for two strikers right now. However, he said that there is still a possibility that I could be brought on depending on a pending transfer/trade. Although I believe that beginning in the 3rd division is a good opportunity, I am not holding my breath and need to look at other options as I wait to hear back from Erfurt.

Therefore, I am off to Munich (or Müchen for my German audience) for a business dinner with a man who has been setting up trials for me to figure out where to go from here.

Archived Quote - A Life of Happiness

"There comes a time when a man has to ask himself whether he wants a life of happiness or a life of meaning - they’re two very different paths. To be truly happy a man must live absolutely in the present, no thought of what has gone before and no thought of what lies ahead. But for a life of meaning, a man is condemned to wallow in the past and obsess about the future."

-Daniel Linderman

[art: "A good man is hard to find." by Broken Crow]

Erfurt - Day 3 and 4

Day 3
Morning run in the cold (-10C).
Team Breakfast.
5v5 on the turf in the afternoon.
Team Lunch and Team Nap at the Stadium.
Run in the forest - We were split into groups and the guy running at the front of my group thought it would be clever to knock snow off the branches above when he ran by. It was pretty funny, but the snow that fell on us stayed in our hair. By the end of the run one of the guy's eyebrows were frozen white. A couple of the guys noticed and started acting out the scene from Dumb and Dumber when Harry and Lloyd arrive in Aspen on a scooter.



Day 4
Today was a lighter day with only 5v5 on the indoor turf. I banged home another goal at the start and my team ended up going undefeated for the day.

Looking back over the week, it was probably the most enjoyable week I have had since I have been over here. Despite the physical demand, (and perhaps because of it) I found it to be very rewarding and produced some of my best performances in Germany. I have continued to improve and enjoy myself more with each new team and trial. I know there is still much work to be done, but after this week I feel that I am on the right track.

Erfurt - Training Day 1 and 2

I have been in camp with Rot-Weiss Erfurt FC for the past week. Here's how the first 2 days went:

Day 1

In the first session we did a lactic acid threshold test training where blood samples were drawn from our ears and our heart rates were measured at different stages of difficulty in a run. The rate of increase of the concentration (still with me?) of lactic acid in the blood (and the muscles) can indicate a person's level of fitness. Apparently, the results said I was fit.


In the second session we played basketball in the gym to warm up (I don't know if you have ever seen soccer players on a basketball court but it's an ugly sight). We finished up with some core body work and used balance boards.

I got back to the hotel that night with some groceries. I tried cooking pasta using the tea kettle in the room and it turned out to be a disaster. I ended up grabbing a kebab from across the street (Turkish kebab shops are the only food places open after 8).



Day 2
Another good day. We had three sessions today with a light paced run in the morning (I thought my ears were going to burst into flames it was so cold), 5v5 indoor games in the afternoon (smashed home two goals), and then ending with plyometric stations and a game on the snow.

(that's me in the front doing sit-ups on a yoga mat)

The run and the plyos weren't bad, it was good to see the ball during small-sided, and playing the snow was a bit tricky (for everyone), but nevertheless sweet to play.