Why should you listen to me? Well for starters I've been on over different 15 professional soccer tryouts around the world so when when it come to talking about soccer training and tryouts not many have learned as much I have about them.
Now I would love to say that I made every team I tried out for but it's quite the opposite, I only made a couple but it was enough to sign pro and I think that's what makes my story unique.
My story wasn't the prodigy youth soccer star that goes to Europe and makes it big blah blah blah, mine was much more humbling than that and through all these experiences I know what you're going through and about to go through on your journey to making your dream come true, proving everyone wrong and signing your first pro contract.
Boy do they ever doll up playing pro on TV, what they don't show you is the player who gets hurt and feels invisible to the team, the player that's bounced around 5 tryouts in a week and got rejected at every one or the player that never gets a chance to play.
This is the reality of trying to play pro but is also an incredible learning moment for all that go through the highs and lows of reaching the top. Some of the pro teams I tried out for were in the USA, England, Ireland, Serbia and even Malaysia, yes it was first for me too!
My entire story from youth soccer to the rep level to the University level and finally how I got to become a professional. Not every players path is the same but it helps to see how others successfully got there to get some insight on where you are, and where you need to get to.
Not many paths are a straight line where everything just goes their way with no bumps in the road, the road is full of missteps and lessons so enjoy the process of turning pro as much as you do playing pro.
Summer 1992
Played on my first house league soccer team, GO MAROON TEAM GO!
Summer 1995
Made my first Rep Club team
April 2003
Played in the biggest youth soccer tournament in the world the Dallas Cup against Benfica, U18 USA National Team, UNAM PUMAS and Mexico Tigres
Fall 2002
Represented Canada at the XC World Junior Championships
Fall 2002
Joined Woodbridge Soccer Club U17 where we went on to win an Ontario Cup, League Cup and League title all in the same year
Summer 2004
Received a soccer scholarship to the USA (Graceland University in Iowa) in the NAIA.
November 21, 2006
Won the NAIA National Championship in my Junior year. All me obviously.
Summer 2007
Played in the PDL (Premier Development League) with the Des Moines Menace
November 2007
Selected to the First Team All Conference and First Team All Region Teams in my Senior Season at University
March 2008
Invited to train with a Professional 1st Division Serbian Club (FK Vojvodina)
May 2008
Graduated with a Business Administration Degree
August 2008
Went on my second professional trial in Serbia with FK Borac Cacak
August 2008
Went on my third (cough! cough! and 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th) tryouts that didn't exactly go so well. But a great experience right?
September 2008
Signed my first professional contract in Serbia in the 2nd divison with FK Mladost Apatin
Winter 2010
Invited on trial in the Irish 1st Division with Sligo Rovers. Invited (aka didn't sign a contract, and left with just a story)
Summer 2010
Invited to trials in England where I attracted interested from Reading FC (English League 1 team) and Hibernian FC (Scottish 1st Division). When I say interest I mean they spoke to my agent and had some interest in inviting me to pre-season but didn't end up going through with it.
Summer 2011
Invited on trial with FC Perak in the Malayisan Super League. Stayed there 3 weeks but they didn't decide to sign me in the end. Must be because I was too good and didn't want to make the other players look bad.
Summer 2011
Created this website with the intent to help those who share the same dream as I did to play professionally.
All my experiences, trial stores, tips, advice and anything else about soccer training at the pro level to help you sign pro.
There it is my life and soccer story in a nutshell. Sometimes the best way to learn all about soccer training is from somebody who has gone through it themselves.
No two people will take the exact same path but as you can see in my story there are certain important milestones I hit to achieve my dream and that you can learn from.
When putting together my story and piecing together all the things I've gone through, on paper it looks pretty clear cut and easy. What isn't shown here are all the times I failed and then learned from those experiences that have created invaluable learning opportunities for me to pass on to aspiring pro's like yourself.
This may have been my path but the day by day struggles that I faced and you will face will define if your story has more than just an opening paragraph.
This site is designed to help those embarking on on their path to playing professionally and the tools they will need to get there.