How to Become a Professional Footballer: Recent Episodes
Eric Friedlander
Footballer in Europe (Eric Friedlander-RicFit) interviews Professional Footballers & other player's who are chasing the dream to become a pro so listeners can hear the 'behind the scenes' of a Day in the Life as a Pro.
The intention of the podcast is to help young players see what pros do day in and day out and what type of habits they have developed to help get them to the next level.
Anything and everything is possible with hard work, dedication, discipline, patience and most importantly; BEING PERSISTENT & learning from Pros is the best way to get yourself to the next level!
Richard Chin is an English-born Malaysian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or full-back for Bath City on loan from Charlton Athletic.
You can find Richard on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/richardchin...
We thank him for his time! :)
Dennis Salanović is a Liechtensteiner professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Liechtenstein national team.You can find Dennis on Instagram here:https://instagram.com/dsalanovic?igsh...
Manyumow Achol is a South Sudanese professional footballer who plays as a winger or a midfielder for Vīrsliga club Auda and the South Sudan national team.You can find Manny on Instagram here:https://www.instagram.com/manyumow.achol/We thank him for his time! :)
Kenji Gorré is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Qatari club Umm-Salal. Born in the Netherlands, he is the son of former professional footballer Dean Gorré and represents Curaçao at the international level.
00:00:00 Start
00:00:46 Intro
00:02:55 How Kenji Became More Grateful
00:10:09 How Kenji Always Plays With Confidence
00:13:14 The Right Way To Analyze Players In Your Position
00:15:38 The Sacrifices You Have To Make To Be A Pro
00:23:53 Playing In Manchester United Was Normal
00:28:16 What Do Elite Players Do To Stay At The Top
00:30:12 Kenji's First Pro Contract
00:39:56 Football Is A Game Of Opinions
00:42:37 What Is Like To Play In The Premier League
00:46:17 What Is Like To Play In Holland
00:47:27 The Life-Changing Decision Kenji Made
00:55:35 What You Do Off The Field Will Affect You On The Field
00:57:46 Playing In Portugal
01:04:59 How You Handle Bad Times Defines Who You Are
01:06:33 Playing In Qatar
01:11:12 Playing Against Messi
01:13:07 The Most Important Lessons Learned From Sir Alex
01:15:18 Quick Fire Questions
Aaron Evans is an Australian professional footballer who has been a pro for 10 years and plays as a center-back or defensive midfielder.
Jordi Quintillà is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for St. Gallen in the Swiss Super League. 00:00:00 Start00:02:25 The Journey Before Barcelona00:05:22 Why Hispanic Players Move Better With The Ball00:07:06 Signing For FC Barcelona00:09:11 Life At FC Barcelona00:12:33 Hard Work Beats Talent00:14:18 First Year With Barcelona00:19:05 Day In The Life Of A Barcelona Player00:20:51 How To Understand The Game Like Busquets00:22:47 The Intense Environment At Barcelona00:26:15 How To Succeed As An Underdog00:28:36 The High Standards At Barcelona00:34:07 How Jordi Dealt With Pressure00:37:41 Jordi's Training Routine?00:40:35 Having To Leave Barcelona00:42:11 The Difference Between 1st Team and 2nd Team At Barcelona00:43:22 The Real Football00:46:13 Training With Messi, Dani Alves & Others00:50:25 The Power Of Meditation00:54:38 Barcelona Stars Are Just Human00:56:48 Football Is A Lonely Road01:03:20 Playing In The MLS01:10:09 How Important Is The Off-The-Field Life To Perform Well?01:12:01 Scoring The Game-Winner Goal For A Championship01:16:13 How To Deal With Failure01:20:55 Jordi's Biggest Failure01:26:44 What If You Lose Love For The Game?01:28:50 Playing In Puerto Rico01:31:11 A Day In The Life In Puerto Rico01:32:14 How To Avoid Negative Distractions01:35:07 Jordi's Experience In Puerto Rico01:38:20 How To Train Individually When You Don't Have A Team01:44:42 How To Be More Confident As A Footballer?01:47:58 Moving To Switzerland01:53:00 Playing Europa League01:58:38 How To Take Criticism02:01:36 Jordi's Most Important Habits02:07:31 You Have To Enjoy The Suffering02:09:03 How To Be In A Relationship When You Are A Footballer02:17:10 Rapid Fire QuestionsYou can find Jordi on Instagram here:https://www.instagram.com/jordiquinti...We thank him for his time! :)
Andris Vaņins is a Latvian former professional footballer who works as a goalkeeping coach for Latvia's national under-19 football team. A goalkeeper, he most notably played for Sion, making over 200 league appearances. At international level, he earned 100 caps for the Latvia national team.
Gion Chande is a 25-year-old Professional Football Player who plays as a goalkeeper for the Liechtenstein club Vaduz. Born in Switzerland, he plays for the Mozambique national team.
You can find Gion on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gionfi.chande/
We thank him for his time! :)
Giuseppe Gentile is a 30 year old Professional Football Agent and Former Professional Player.
He works in close ties with former 10 Year Pro, and MLS Star, Dennis Chin in their business: CHYN Sports, where they help Pros along their journey!
You can find Giuseppe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giussi92/?h...
We thank him for his time! :)
Kevin Ackermann is a 22 year old Swedish Professional Footballer who was born in Göthenburg, and currently playing for IF Brommapojkarna in the Swedish Allsvenskan.Kevin has had quite the journey and I am sure you'll learn a lot from this conversation.You can find Kevin on Instagram here:We thank him for his time! :)
William Akio is a 24 year old Sudanese professional footballer who was born in Sudan but raised most of his life in Calgary, Canada.
He plays as a striker/winger for the Ross County FC in the Scottish Premiership.
Listen to this excellent podcast to learn tons of great things from this top-class player. You will not be disappointed.
You can find William on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williamakio/?hl=en
We thank him for his time! :)
In this clip, Leo Fernandes and I talk about how to balance your social life and your football.
Brian Saramago is a 24 Year Old Striker currently playing in the second league in Portugual for B-Sad.He previously played for second league club in Slovenia NK Rudar Velenje before making a moving to Portugual (after scoring 19 goals in 35 Games!)This was an enjoyable one. Tons of golden nuggets in this one!
Sofie Svava is a 22 year old female professional footballer currently playing as a left back for Real Madrid Women’s Team.
She is originally from Denmark and has been playing professionally since 18 years old.
She has stints in Sweden as well as in Germany with VFL Wolfsburg.
Tune into this great conversation to learn how to truly be disciplined and treat yourself like a professional on and off the pitch!
Cebio is professional footballer who plays as a winger for TFF First League club Bandırmaspor. He was born in Germany, and represents the Benin national team internationally.Cebio is a perfect example of hard work, consistency and persistence!You can find Cebio on Instagram:https://instagram.com/cebio_soukou?igshid=ZjE2NGZiNDQ=We thank him for his time! :)
In this clip, Leo Fernandes and I talk about how to deal with an injury as a footballer.
In this clip, Leo Fernandes and I talk about the importance of staying ready so you don't have to get ready!
Julien Ramirez is a Canadian born Chilean professional footballer who plays as a winger for MFA Zalgiris in the first division in Lithuania.Julien has also played in Germany as well as in Canada at the collegiate level.Listen to this excellent podcast to learn tons of great things of how a female professional footballer trains and lives her life.You can find Julien on Instagram Here:https://instagram.com/jullienramirez?igshid=ZjE2NGZiNDQ=We thank her for her time! :)Timestamps:0:00 to 1:22 Introduction and Julien’s beginnings with football1:23 to 3:03 Julien’s experience with college soccer and moving to Europe3:03 to 11:08 European approach vs college soccer11:09 to 13:24 Julien’s move to Lithuania13:25 to 20:05 Football culture in Germany vs Lithuania20:06 to 29:41 Julien’s daily routine and nutrition29:42 to 32:53 Julien’s approach to gym work32:54 to 35:44 Julien’s typical leg workout35:45 to 37:46 Building an individual gym plan according to your goals37:47 to 41:39 Lithuanian season structure and playing style41:40 to 45:58 Berlin vs Vilnius45:59 to 48:50 Importance of being happy off the field to perform48:51 to 57:58 Julien’s hobbies, and top 3 travel destinations57:59 to 1:02:52 What Julien would tell her younger self1:02:53 to 1:08:36 Julien’s work ethic1:08:37 to 1:10:04 Outro
In this clip, Soheil Var and I talk about the importance of enjoying the process when chasing your goal!
In this clip, Soheil Var and I talk about how to find motivation for anything you do/want or need to do in life.
In this clip, Soheil & I talk about how there's more to life than football. This mindset and open-mindedness will actually make you better on the pitch and take the pressure off of yourself.
Leo Fernandes is a 31 year old Brazilian professional footballer who was born in Brazil but raised most of his life in Long Island, New York. He plays as a midfielder for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL.Leo refers to being "middle of the pack" for most of his life but what really set him apart was the consistency of his habits, routine, and ultimately his discipline. Listen to this excellent podcast to learn tons of great things from this top-class veteran player. You will not be disappointed.You can find Leo on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/leofernandes10/?hl=enAs well as Twitter:https://twitter.com/Leofernandes_11We thank him for his time! :)
Soheil Var is a 24-year-old professional footballer currently playing as a fullback/winger for Gulf United FC in the UAE First Division, who just got promoted from the Second Division.He was born in Vienna, Austria, of Iranian descent but grew up in Ottawa, Canada.For the last couple of years, he’s been documenting his journey to becoming a pro on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube with one major goal: to help aspiring footballers reach their goals. He also used his social media presence as an emotional outlet for himself : like many footballers I’ve met along the years in my own career; he’s experienced the typical lows and highs that come along with professional sports. Putting himself out there helped him tremendously on a journey that can sometimes feel very lonely.You can find him here:https://www.instagram.com/soheil.var/?hl=enhttps://www.tiktok.com/@soheil.var?lang=enhttps://www.youtube.com/c/soheilvar
Check Out the RicFit Academy App FREE Here: https://www.ricfitacademy.com Dennis Chin is a 35 year old professional footballer who played as a forward, who just recently retired about 1 year ago. He is now a Licensed Agent under his company Chyn Sports and works with his partner, Giuseppe Gentile to help lead their players' on a successful career path through football. Dennis played his college soccer at Division 2 powerhouse, Rollins College before being discovered on the "streets" by an Orlando City scout. He was invited to open trials with Orlando City. After spending 2 months on trial, he finally signed his first professional contract. In December 2011, Orlando signed Chin to a contract extension through the 2014 season. Moving into his second season, Chin's confident play towards the end of his rookie year certainly carried over into his second term with the club. Dennis transitioned from his super-sub role, held in year one, to become the primary goal-scorer for Orlando City. Chin's first goal came just three minutes into their first game of the season against the Charlotte Eagles, and would set the tone for the kind of year he was about to embark on. All season long, Chin's pace and finishing ability caused problems for opposing teams' back lines and led to the striker scoring 11 goals during league play, which was a team record. Those 11 goals were also good for best in the league and saw Chin finish as Top Goal Scorer and Scoring Champion (27 points) of the USL Pro in only his second season as a professional. Dennis also has experience in Denmark, Israel, and Canada. Listen to the episode for his excellent advice and bits that young players need to hear. If you want to connect with Dennis, I am sure he is more than willing to answer your questions: https://www.instagram.com/dchin15/
Dino Štiglec is a 31 Year Old Croatian Footballer currently playing in Haifa, Israel for Hapoel Haifa. He plays as a left back or a center back. He has had quite an unbelievable career with over 400 appearances, starting 95% of those games. This was an excellent podcast that I know you will learn a lot from.
Follow him on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/dinostiglec/?hl=en
Listen to this amazing story with Chattanooga FC Captain, Richard Dixon.
Richard is a 32-year old Center Defensive Midfielder and has played the beautiful game as a pro for 10 years.
You will see within the conversation that this guy is a leader and a role model for the coming generations of footballers.
He recently just got his USSF B-License and does coaching in his free time as he wants to give back to the game.
This is one of my favorite episodes I've done to date.
If you want to follow Richard, you can check him out here:
https://www.instagram.com/richarddixonofficial/?hl=en
In this podcast, RicFit (Eric Friedlander) is interviewed by teammate Kristofers Kravčenko for his podcast called the TimeOut Podcast. If you want to learn more about the man RicFit, how he thinks, what he likes to do on his off time, and his favorite dessert, this is definitely the episode to listen to. Below are the Time Stamps if you want to skip around, but you really shouldn't because it was an excellent episode ;) Timeout x RicFit Podcast Time Stamp: 1. Intro: 0:00 - 0:59 2. Latvia is underrated: 1:10 - 5:51 3. Earn your relaxation: 6:10 - 6:59 4. Who is Ricfit?: 6:59 - 11:27 5. What Europeans think about Ricfit: 11:27 - 13:26 6. Social media Vs Real life: 13:26 - 14:06 7. Working with 1 on 1 clients: 14:09 - 23:43 8. Football teaches you about life: 23:43 - 29:19 9. What would you tell your younger self: 29:19 - 32:53 10. Don’t do this at ages 14 - 18: 32:54 - 34:36 11. Why Ric likes leather Football boots: 34:36 - 37:09 12. Ricfit Hobbies: 37:09 - 40:17 13. Ric’s favorite country: 40:17 - 42:09 14. Ric’s dream destination: 42:09 - 43:07 15. Where are the most beautiful women?: 43:07 - 45:53 16. Ric’s favorite music: 45:53 - 47:30 17. Ric’s favorite dish: 47:30 - 49:12 18. Ric’s guilty pleasure: 49:12 - 51:08 19. Plans for the post-season: 51:08 - 52:50 20. Future and Goals: 52:50 - 56:35 21. Outro: 56:35 - 59:01
In this podcast, Adam Ender Misirly (AFE Football) and I discuss various excellent topics, ranging from: -Our Journey's, The Best Way a Player Can Improve with Individual Training, What He Has Learned Coaching Multiple Players, How to Organize Training Sessions, etc. It was a pleasure chatting with him, and I look forward to meeting him in person, training together and doing some Collabs. If you want to check him out, here is his Instagram and TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/afe_football/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@afe_football?lang=en
Jay DeMerit is a former footballer who played as a center back for the US Men's National Team, Watford and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
His journey is the pinnacle of what it means to "take a risk" & "take your chances".
Jay booked a one way flight over to England when he was 23 years old straight after college.
He started his career in the 9th Division.
Within 2 years, he was playing against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and DIdier Drogba.
Here is the full documentary of Jay's journey: https://youtu.be/GtSYAUn2I7I
Follow him on social here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d6merit/
Twitter: @D6MERIT.
Podcast Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:02 4 Pillars of Organization
7:06 How to create self-leadership to become a pro
13:35 Have a LEARNING mindset and APPLY
18:22 Jay De Merit’s Journey
22:50 Early specialization VS Multi-Sport
29:05 Not getting picked
31:24 Moving to England
34:29 Signing with Watford
37:03 How to be confident when pressure is on
40:13 Becoming a Premier League Player
46:45 South Africa World Cup
47:16 Joining the MLS
48:23 Rise and shine
49:47 How to prepare for the big moments
57:18 If you could go back to any age with the knowledge you have today. What age would you go to? and what would you tell yourself?
1:02:09 Best Advice to Become a Professional Soccer Player
1:05:56 Outro ( Get in Contact with Jay DeMerit )
Ryan Malone is a 29 Year-Old who plays as a center back and/or center midfielder for Hansa Rostock in the 2nd Bundesliga. His journey has been absolutely unbelievable. Please take a listen if you want to know the "true rollercoaster" and the highs and lows of the professional game. You can follow Ryan here: https://www.instagram.com/maloneee/
This is easily the biggest mistakes players make when trying to become a pro.
Please take a listen and make sure to follow along with the practical tip!
Vivien Beil is a 26 year old Center Midfielder currently playing at Calcio Como in Italy. She grew up playing her youth football in Germany at FCZ Jena before going to school in the USA. She did 2 years at the University of Maine and finished her last 2 years at UCONN, while studying psychology in the process.
She is also an author of The Student Athlete Journey -You can check out her book below: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/3982320410/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1638&creative=6742&creativeASIN=3982320410&linkCode=as2&tag=vivienbeil-21&linkId=529de4e0fa662ce930b2cc59dd2bdd2c
If you have any questions, I am sure she'll be happy to answer them.
Here is her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivibeil/?hl=en
In this clip, Gabriel Cabral talks about the main difference between NCAA Division 1 & Division 2 Soccer.
In this short clip, Michael Cunningham (7 MLC) and I discuss the massive massive importance of a proper dynamic warmup for footballer's before any session.
In this short clip, Michael Kozielek shares with us how to get over a bad game or training in football.
Michael Kozielek is a 28 year old soccer player currently playing for the Chicago House in NISA (National Independent Soccer Association), the third tier in the USA. Koz has had experience in Sweden, Austrailia, and Finland as well and has had some great experience and funny stories along the way. I met up with him during the off-season in Sweden and we became buddies right away! He's truly a top class dude, and has worked very hard to get to where he is right now. Take a listen to the episode as we talk about some great topics that you can really learn from. If you have any questions, I am sure he'll be happy to answer them. Here is his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_goat_kozielek/?hl=en
0:00 Intro
4:38 Discover the options in Europe
7:07 The Business Behind Football
9:23 Kozielek's Story
14:06 Life in Australia
15:39 Football in Sweden
17:31 Signing to Finland
19:54 The Sauna Culture
21:01 Playing in Finland
23:44 Back To The Sauna baby!!!
24:43 When do you stop developing as a player?
28.33 Kozielek's Jail story
35:32 U.S vs Europe's Football
37:53 A day in the life of Kozielek
42:27 What to look for when watching film
44:07 Extras after training
46:26 How to deal with a bad game/session ?
50:34 If you could go back to yourself at any age with the knowledge you have now, what age would you go to? And what would you tell yourself?
53:18 Top 2 Tips for any young footballer to keep on going mentally
In this episode, Gabriel Cabral (Pro Footballer for Tormenta FC) joins me to talk about his career and how he signed his first professional contract. Here is his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabriel.cabral8/
Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:07 From Brazil to the U.S 5:40 Training style in Brazil vs U.S 9:43 Why Brazilian players tend to be more individual with the game 14:50 Difference between D1 & D2 17:25 What attracted foreign elite footballers to West Virginia? 20:24 Cabral's story 25:31 Opportunities come when you least expect them. 28:17 Football is a game of opinions 29:35 What keeps you going when you don't have a team? 33:17 The harder you work, the harder it is to quit 34:23 Warm-up with the basics, then you can start playing risky. 36:24 A day in the life of Gabriel Cabral 46:11 Becoming a vegetarian 50:59 Learning with podcasts 52:52 How to deal with nerves during game day 57:51 If you could go back to yourself at any age with the knowledge you have now, what age would you go to? And what would you tell yourself? 1:03:39 Outro
Premier League Player (Marc Pugh) discusses the Importance of Nutrition for Footballers. These are some of the exact things that I talk about all the time, so it's nice to hear it confirmed from a top level player! If you need help setting up your nutrition plan, don't hesitate to reach out!
Dylan Williams is a 27-Year Old Center Midfielder/Winger playing in the Regionaliga (Fourth Tier) in Germany for Eintracht Norderstedt. He also has experience in other leagues in Germany, Sweden and Austrailia. He is a wealth of knowledge in terms of experience through the leagues and how to manage yourself, etc. If you are looking to learn the "ins" and "outs" of how to make your own path in this game, I highly highly highly recommend listening to this episode. He also runs his own podcast (The Footwork Podcast) with a good friend of mine (a past podcast guest), Sean Vinberg. They do a great job giving you practical tips on how to approach this game and they talk about their experiences in a very real way.
Here is their Podcast & Dylan's Socials:
The Footwork Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCnInbiimv9oZGUgkInR1tA https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/footwork/id1507419880 Dylan Williams: https://www.instagram.com/dylann_williams/?hl=en
0:00 Intro
0:40 Ian Garrett's Story
03:42 Falling in love with the game
08:44 The reality of chasing the dream
10:24 More about Garrett's Story
13:00 The difference between U.S vs European Football
15:38 Joining an academy
17:21 Being mentally tough is important
19:53 Playing with a supportive coach
22:37 Moving to Chicago Fire Academy
25:36 Chicago Fire vs IMG Academy
28:35 Playing Pro Indoor
31:02 Moving to Sweden
35:45 Playing with the first team in Sweden
39:25 Football in Finland
42:26 How much money do most pros make at the beginning
44:31 You can't go pro at any age
47:13 Competition against elite players
50:03 Playing in the same club Ric played
53:38 Solution-Based Mindset
57:45 COV1D Situation
59:34 Adapting to play a new position
1:01:38 Signing for KTP in Finland
1:04:40 How to grow your network to have more connections
1:07:50 What European agents look for
1:09:44 The European Environment compared to America
1:13:14 Top tips to get to the next level
1:15:52 Outro Ian Garrett is a 25-Year-Old American Professional Soccer player who plays as a Left Back for FC KTP in the Veikkausliiga (First Tier in Finland). He is originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and has quite the journey to professional football. If you want some serious hope and motivation, I highly recommend you listen to this full podcast.
Ian's Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iangarrettt/?hl=en Highlights: https://youtu.be/JJqg0n2cIpQ
Eduvie is a 23-Year-Old American Professional Soccer player who plays as a Forward for AS Trencin in the Fortuna Liga (1st League in Slovakia). He was born in Iowa, but grew up for most of his life in Alabama. Eduvie played college soccer at Dartmouth for 4 years before transitioning to the professional game. On January 14, 2019, Ikoba was selected 63rd overall in the 2019 MLS Super draft by FC Dallas. Though, he decided that he wanted to make the jump to Europe instead. On July 2019, Ikoba signed for Hungarian side; Zalaegerszegi TE (Hungary 1st Tier). On July 13, 2020, Ikoba moved to AS Trencin in the Fortuna Liga on a 3 Year Deal.
Eduvie Socials:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eduvieikoba17/?hl=en
Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON2z4kbIQGs
Many of you guys and girls have asked me about my journey to where I'm at. If you are interested in hearing about my path, tune into this great episode!
Thanks so much to Sean Vinberg & Dylan Williams for this excellent podcast. Really enjoyed talking with these two legends on their podcast.
They did this for us, I didn't take part :)
Chapters
00:00 Intro
04:00 Upbringing
17:40 Leaving College to Play Abroad
23:10 Environment is Huge
29:35 Early Thoughts of Pursuing Professional Career
38:35 Either ALL IN or ALL OUT
51:40 Building Relationships
53:30 Agents
01:01:45 Playing in Israel
01:04:00 The ol' LinkedIn Grind
01:13:10 Latvia Move
01:25:10 Being a Leader
01:32:48 Footballer Who Has a Good Following
01:39:35 Enjoy the Process
01:43:40 Adapting to New Environments
01:51:10 Transitioning Post Career
01:57:40 Importance of Having Quality Conversation
02:02:20 Advice to Someone Looking to Pursue Their Dream
02:05:15 Closing
Make sure you follow their podcast as well:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/footwork/id1507419880
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiCpH76SaKk&t=2s
Michael Cunningham is 30 Year Old Footballer from Nottingham, England who is currently playing for FC Tulsa in the USL Championship. He also runs 7MLC where he helps players with everything from technique to strength work. Everything this man does is top-class. Go drop him a follow: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7mlctraining/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/7mlc Enjoy!
Sam Wardrop is a 23 year old Professional Footballer currently playing for Airdrieonians in Scotland's League One. He spent time previously at Celtic (8 years) Dundee United and Dumbarton. In this episode, we talk shop about some really really great things. Things that aren't "generally" talked about in the "football public." We chat about how to go out and socialize in a smart way, if you can drink alcohol as a footballer, the high standards that it takes to play at a club like Celtic FC and much more. Most importantly, we really enjoyed the conversation, laughed and lot and had some good banter going! Tune in and I can guarantee you will have fun and learn a lot! If you want to follow this legend, here are his socials: https://www.instagram.com/samwardrop97/?hl=en
0:00 Intro
01:08 The start of Osaze's jouney
06:07 Rushing the recovery of an injury
09:46 Knee Surgery
12:23 Dealing with injuries
15:11 Dealing with bad things physically and mentally
17:43 Joining Sheffield Wednesday
21:52 The Highs & Lows of football
23:59 Listen to your body
27:33 Coming back from injury
29:02 The Revival Game
30:51 You need to do this to stay at the top
35:29 If you want to play at the top, you gotta be technial
36:45 The most important thing is to be injury free
38:07 How to improve your technical skills
41:14 A day in the life of Osaze
45:41 Gym Work
47:16 Mindset at Celtic vs England
51:03 If you could go back to yourself at any age with the knowledge you have now, what age would you go to? And what would you tell yourself?
53:04 Advice to players that are looking for a team Osaze Urhoghide is a 21-Year-Old Centerback currently playing for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. Osaze was born in the Netherlands to Nigerian parents, before moving to England at the age of 5 years old. He has had quite the journey after trials with QPR & Fulham when he was 13-14 years old, to signing his first pro contract with AFC Wimbledon, where he was hurt the majority of the season. After Wimbledon, he signed a contract with Sheffield Wednesday. He showed quite well with them, and is now playing at the biggest club in Scotland. Through this interview, you will notice how hard this guy works and how persistent he is; which is part of the reason why he is where he is today! Follow him on these media outlets to find out more about him: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_oufitness/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/osazeus/?hl=en
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX3_Rvs7CJO7wEK7b4JyVUQ/featured
Marc Pugh is a 34 year old winger/forward who last played for Shrewsbury Town in England's League One. His youth career started at Burnley before making his professional debut for the Kidderminster Harriers. He then made a couple of moves around England's League Two before making a move to AFC Bournemouth in League One in the 2010-2011 season. He helped them promote to the Championship and later the English Premier League where he had a lot of success. Whether you are a footballer or not, you will gain immense value out of this conversation with a humble and super disciplined guy. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I know you will as well. If you have any questions/or are interested in what Marc is currently up to, take a look at his socials here: Highlights: https://youtu.be/Y5p3bPWm_bQ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefoodiefootballer/?hl=en
Bradie Smith is a 23 year old centerback/center defensive midfielder currently playing in the second tier in Australia. He played his youth football in Australia before making a move to England when he was 17. After a couple seasons in England, he made a move back to Australia, before signing a contract in Bangladesh, where he experience some interesting events... Take a listen to the podcast to get some specific tips on football specific fitness and playing abroad in other countries. Follow/reach out to Bradie on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/_bradiesmith/?hl=en
Brandao (Brandon Diau) is a footballer who was born in Bonn, Germany who played his youth football in Germany for Hamburger SV. He is known for his 6'6 frame, who can play as a center back or a striker. He signed his first contract with Kidderminster Harriers in England where he played with Liverpool's Rhys Williams. In 2020 (during COVID), he decided he wanted to take a journey to another country in Europe and play in a higher league. So, he searched "cheapest flights in Europe" in Google, and made his way to his next club. You can find more about this journey within the episode...
He is most well-known for his YouTube channel, where he has been documenting his journey to fulfill his childhood dream of being a professional footballer.
Here is his YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/sunneyboy92
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandao4/?hl=en
Sergiu is a 23 year old footballer originally from Toronto, Canada but he has had quite the journey. After getting cut from Toronto FC at 16 years old, he derived to make a move to Portugual and try his luck in Europe. He played his youth football at Benfica with the likes of Renato Sanches, Ruben Dias, etc. he was then offered a contract in the 3rd league of Portugual, but decided not to take it for a couple of reasons. Find out where his journey took him next within the podcast. His journey so super inspiring and I promise you will learn a lot, no matter what you do!
Charlie is a 26 year old center midfielder playing in Cambodia for Visakha.
He started his youth career with Newcastle United before jumping to the United States in 2013 to play for Wingate University.
In 2014, he transferred to ETSU. After the season in the US, he went to a combine and got scouted by a Danish Agent which brought him to sign with Thisthed FC in the second tier in Denmark.
After a successful season in Denmark, he made a move to the Faroe Islands with 07 Vestur.
In 2019, he made a move to Asia to sign with Svay Rieng. In 2020, he made a move to Hougang United in Singapore. In 2021, he made a move back to Cambodia to sign with Vis Akha.
Listen to this gem of a conversation to learn more about how to become a pro and how to treat yourself like a pro!
Aaron is a 27 year old defensive midfielder who’s had some experience in Australia, Sweden and the US and looks to continue playing his football in Scandavia. COVID has halted some things, but he continues to put in the time and work to get to the next level while he waits for his opportunity.
If you need inspiration and/or motivation, please listen to this, you won’t be disappointed!
Aaron is one of the nicest and best dudes I've met. If you have any questions or need to be guided in the right direction, I am positive, he'll be happy to guide you in the right direction.
Here's his Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/aaron_wylie10/?hl=en
In this video, I talk to you about Brandao (Brandon Diau), a professional footballer in Romania who just signed for Pandurii Targu Jiu in the Second Division. He was born in Germany but has lived for the past 4 years in England. In this video, I talk specifically about his journey and experience in Romania for the past 4 weeks, what I thought about it and what you can learn from it. He documents his day to day life and journey to sign a pro contract here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyojbYvp4M8 His Instagram is: @brandao4
Take a listen to this short rant of what it truly takes to become a professional footballer. I also take you into the dark side of the game and some of the truths that you will have to deal with. If you want to make it in this game, you always have to be willing to adapt and overcome no matter what happens.
In this podcast, I break down the last 9 tips where I discuss The Best Meal Plan for Fat Loss for Soccer Players. Here is the article reference that I am talking about: https://ricfittraining.com/blog/the-best-meal-plan-for-fat-loss-for-soccer-players
I wrote an article a couple of months ago on this topic that has ranked first on Google when you type in 'Fat Loss for Soccer Players'. Here is the article: https://ricfittraining.com/blog/the-best-meal-plan-for-fat-loss-for-soccer-players In the first part of a two part-series; I break down 8 tips on how to build the best meal plan for soccer players. In Part 2; I will break down the next 9 tips. I didn't want to overwhelm you and overload you with information. The most important thing is that you implement these techniques, and put them into action because that's the only way you will see results!
Excellent conversation with my good friend Noah Abrams about his journey as a footballer and where he’s been and what he’s done to get him to where he is now. We all about:
-His experience playing with Jack Harrison
-His trial with Arsenal
-His experience at Tottenham
-The importance of playing games at a young age.
-The importance of a schedule and a routine.
And much more.
If you would like to ask Noah questions, send him a message on Instagram, I'm sure he'd be happy to hear from you and help you:
@noahabrams
Fantastic Conversation with Ethan Bryant. A 19 Year Old who currently plays for San Antonio FC in the USL Championship (2nd league in the US). This was a golden conversation where we talk about: -His experience signing a Pro Contract at such a young age. -How to deal with setbacks and obstacles. -How to get over bad games and bad practices. -How to prepare yourself mentally for big games and high pressure situations. -The importance of loving the game
and much more!...
Samuel Kroon is a winger who plays in the Swedish First Tier (Allsvenskan) for Halmstads BK. Samuel appears on the podcast for the 3rd time after helping his team move from the Superettan (2nd tier Sweden) to the Allsvenksan (1st Tier Sweden). Samuel was named player of the year for his team, and has a lot of eyes on him from top tier clubs. In this podcast, we talk about: -His Journey from the 5th Tier to the 1st Tier in 6 Years -The Importance of Being Consistent and Disciplined -The Mentality it takes to be a Pro Footballer -The Importance of Focus -How Important it is to Look Yourself in the Mirror and Be Honest With Yourself This is one of the best podcasts I have done with one of my best friends. Enjoy!
Mael is a 26 year old Center Midfielder playing in the Second Tier of Holland for the Go Ahead Eagles. In this conversation we talk about:
-How important the mental part of the game is. -His development in the Red Bull’s Academy. -His time in the USL with the Wilmington Hammerheads. -His move to play 3.Liga in Germany and how much he learned as a player from a tactical standpoint. -His Time in the 4th League in Germany and how important it was for him to get valuable minutes. -His experience in the 2nd league in Holland. -How important developing a technical base is and keeping yourself sharp technically as a player.
You will learn about this and much more. Take a listen.
Great chat with Taner Dogan who is signed with Dundalk FC in the Irish Premier League but currently on loan with Athlone Town in the Second Tier in Ireland. Taner is a center midfielder who can play multiple other roles. In this conversation, we drop golden nuggets on: -His Time at Harvard University and how he learned how to manage his Time. -The importance of good habits. -The importance of being able to adapt in different systems as a player. And much more... Take a listen. I promise you’ll enjoy it !
Fantastic chat with Eric Klenofsky where we talk about his experience playing in Israel and around the USL. We also touch on some very important topics: -The importance of finding a passion outside of Football. -Finding your own definition of happiness. -How to deal with adversity and setbacks. -The ability to always be grateful. -Habits. -The importance of strong relationships. I promise you will enjoy and get a lot out of this one!
David Rowley is a 30 Year Old Center Defensive Midfielder playing in the Malaysian Premier League for FA. David has also played in Thailand, Germany & Luxembourg. Take a listen to the episode to hear more about his day to day life as a professional footballer in Malaysia and his different experiences in every country he has played in.
Netinho is a 26-Year Old Brazilian Footballer playing as a Right Back for Paysandu in the Second League in Brazil.
In this episode, we discuss..
-How to train, think and play as an Outside Back inn today's modern football.
-The importance of being physically fit as a footballer.
-How he grew up playing and who he played for in his youth days in Brazil.
-His time playing in the Second League in Sweden.
-How important life off the field is for performance on the field & how important support from family and friends is.
-How to discipline yourself and hang out with the right people & stay away from trouble and distractions.
I know you will enjoy this episode as it's full of the TRUTH and lots of golden nuggets to feed off of.
If you want to check out how Netinho plays, here are his highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt-b05CcsS4&app=desktop
His Instagram Is @netolamaur
I'm sure he'll be more than happy to answer your questions!
Excellent conversation with Jordan Syatt, Gary Vaynerchuk’s Personal Trainer. Go check out his huge and helpful Instagram account @syattfitness
Danielle Schulmann is a 30-year-old Footballer originally from New Jersey who is playing professionally in Israel as well for the Israeli National Team. She plays as a forward or a winger and enjoys creating chances and scoring goals.
Go follow her Instagram Here:
https://www.instagram.com/danielle_schulmann/
Giuseppe Gentile is a 27-year-old winger who is currently a free agent in Switzerland. Giuseppe was born in Miami, Florida before moving back to Switzerland at a young age. Giuseppe played college soccer for the UNC Charlotte 49'ers where he excelled right away. He was drafted after his Junior Year in 2014 to the Chicago Fire. After having trouble breaking into the 1st team, he was loaned out to the Charlotte Eagles who were playing in the NASL at the time. Giuseppe was then picked up by Orlando City where he saw some success. Take a listen to the episode to hear the rest of his journey. Reach out to him on Instagram @giussi92 for any questions you may have from him.
In this episode, Sheldon and I have a brief chat about how he is handling quarantine, and what his future plans are for his football career. We also touch on how he is working to build muscle and make himself ready for his next challenge during this period.
Great conversation with a good friend who is a Professional Player as well as a youth coach. His goal is to be a top coach someday.
In this video, I have an excellent conversation with Yann Benjamin Kugel, who was the fitness coach when Germany won the World Cup.
In this conversation, we discuss:
-How footballers can make better decisions, how footballers can develop habits, the importance of every detail, how Germany won the World Cup,the importance of being ready and taking advantage of every opportunity, and how he trained Thomas Müller, Meszut Ozil, Per Mertesacker, and many more!
I want to let you know how proud I am of you. As you know, I love to promote positivity, but REALISTIC positivity that will help you attain your goals and dreams. This video is not scripted and is from the bottom of my heart. It is something that I have seen from the beginning of this quarantine and something that has made me ridiculously proud of the human race for. I have seen things from people all over the world that have inspired and continue to inspire me. It is absolutely amazing to me that so many people are looking to make themselves better in every aspect of their life. Bettering yourself is not an easy thing to do, especially during this uncertain time. But as Charles Darwin said “it is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” This goes for every single one of you who are pushing yourselves out of your comfort zone to get your movement in to keep your mind, body and spirit healthy. I appreciate the your support on my page and a huge respect to the people who have been keeping up with my live workouts and posts and those who have actually been putting the work on. I love providing two sides to something. So if you aren’t “happy” with yourself because you haven’t been “productive” enough, I want to let you know that you have to stop that nonsense. If you aren’t the most “productive” at this time, that is fine. It is not an easy time, it throws you out of a routine and it can be hard to adapt and push past. You may have different ways of dealing with things, and you need to be perfectly okay with that. Whatever you do, the most important thing is NOT to judge yourself and NOT to be too hard on yourself. If you only focus on improving your physical health, that is unbelievable! If you focus on improving your mental health, that is also something to be proud of! Be proud of yourself, because I am proud of you. Whoever you are, pat yourself on the back and be proud of what you are doing in the present moment. Because the truth is, it’s not an easy time. You have to recognize that and accept that as it is and not force things. Day-by-day
How to Meditate:
Whatsup People!
In this video, I talk about how to meditate. Whether you are a footballer, any other athlete, CEO, work a 9-5 job or you are a single mom, meditation will help you in every aspect of your life.
Here are the 10 Tips that I Go Over in the Video:
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Schedule a time to get it done consistently.
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Don’t look at is as a task.
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Start with an app:
Calm App:https://www.calm.com/
Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/headspace-meditation-app
This is What I do:
The Wim Hof Method App: https://www.wimhofmethod.com/wim-hof-method-mobile-app
More Info on Wim Hof/The Iceman:
https://www.wimhofmethod.com/iceman-wim-hof
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Start slowly and build up.
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Nasal breathing only.
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Focus on your breath.
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Gratitude as you breathe.
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Have an upright posture.
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ACCEPT your thoughts.
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Enjoy and smile.
Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay calm. All love!
Had a great conversation with Matt Sheldon of Become Elite that I think you would really gain of tons of value if you listened to it. It was really fantastic and an honor to have a guy like him on this live. He truly is a very humble guy, and even more humble than he is on Youtube, off of the "YouTube Stage." Check out this full interview where we talk about: 1. Day in the Life during Quarantine? 2. How does he plan his week/day? 3. Where does his discipline come from? 4. How has his playing style changed since he was at OC Blues? 5. The difference between playing right and left back? 6. The qualities an outside back should have at the USL Championship (2nd League in the US) level? Here is his channel if you don't know this legend by now: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFfFE-6nfCHz4uDZ-08o6ng
Roman is a 28-year-old Centerback originally from Barcelona, Spain who is currently playing for AEK Larnaka in the 1st League in Cyprus. Roman signed as a 17 year old for Wigan Athletic after being identified by Roberto Martinez as a top talent. With Wigan, Roman won the FA Cup against Manchester City. After spending some time with Wigan, he made a move to Germany to play for 1. FC Köln. After some time in Germany, he wanted to make a move back home to Spain to play near family and friends, as well as to get his mind right. Roman played a couple of seasons in the 2nd Division in Spain before making a move to the first league in Cyprus with Nea Salamina. After a great season in Cyprus, he signed in the first league with Maccabi Netanya in Israel. After some time in Israel, he made a move back to Cyprus with AEK Larnaka FC. He enjoys the relaxed lifestyle and the professionalism within football in Cyprus. In his free time, Roman likes to unwind from football by doing creative projects. If you want to ask Roman some questions, reach out to him on Instagram @golobart3.
Jonny Campbell is a 28-year old Centerback originally from Johnson City, Tennessee who is currently playing for professional side Preah Khan Reach in Cambodia. Jonny played college soccer for 4 years at Eastern Tennessee State University before signing his first professional contract with the Philadephia Fury in 2014, who compete in the American Soccer League. After playing some games for the Fury, he made a move to play in the USL for the Charlotte Independence, before making another switch to FC Miami City. While in Miami, he got a call from a friend who wanted to try to make a career in Asia. Without hesitation, Jonny agreed to go with his friend and started to work on making his name in Asia in 2017 with Thai Third Division club Chachoengsao Hi-Tek F.C. After a great season with them, he had opportunities with 2nd league clubs in Thailand, but his biggest interest was in Cambodia in the first league. After meeting the coach of his former club (Phnom Penh Crown FC) on a Visa Run to Cambodia, he ended up signing with them. After another great season, he made a move to his current club Preah Khan Reach. This story is really an interesting and fascinating journey. If you have questions for Jonny, you can reach out to him on Instagram @jonnycampbell99. Enjoy the episode!
Jacob Bushue is a 27-year-old American soccer player currently playing for FC Haka in the Finnish Premier League. Jacob played his college soccer at the Indiana University for the Hoosiers. In 2015, Jacob signed for St. Louis FC in the USL. After playing there for one year, he decided that it was time to chase his dream in Europe. Jacob bought a one way flight to Scandanavia where he went on trial for two teams. Jacob thought the best set up for him was in Finland in the third tier for BK-46. After captaining the team and almost promoting to the second tier, he impressed many people. He then went on to sign for Ekenäs IF in the second tier of Finland. After another impressive season, FC Haka signed him, and he captained them as well. Through his lead, hard work ethic and clear commitment, he helped take FC Haka to the first tier of Finnish Football. As you will hear in the podcast, Jacob is a very disciplined and dedicated individual who will and has done whatever it takes to get to the next level. The three tips that he gave for anyone trying to make it to the next level in sport is: always look to do more than the people around you, find things that people aren't willing to do and do them, and be a coaches' player, a player who the coach wants to play! If you want to reach out to Jacob, you can hit him at Instagram @jbushue17. Enjoy the podcast!
Simon Gefvert is a 22-year old outside back or winger currently playing for IK Sirius in the Allsvenskan (Swedish First Tier). Though, it hasn’t been an easy road for Simon. He has had to go through a lot of ups and downs and work very hard to get to where he has gotten. Last year, he was playing in Sweden’s Division One (Third Tier) and after an excellent season, he made a jump two leagues. Simon is a very disciplined, dedicated and committed footballer and human that looks to take his life and game to the next level with every chance he gets. From the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep, he is doing something to make himself better. Simon is a big guy into reading books and journaling in the morning and night to make sure he is reflecting properly. His top 3 tips for you to become a professional are: make sure you self reflect every single day, don’t compare yourself to other people and always try to do extra and focus on the small details that will make you better. The top three books Simon recommends are: Atomic Habits, Genius Foods & Relentless. If you want to follow Simon on social media and/or ask him any questions, you can hit him on Instagram @simongefvert.
Sheldon Tweedie is a 22 -year-old Center Attacking Midfielder or Winger who is from Australia currently pursuing a professional contract in England. Sheldon has been on a journey to sign his first professional contract for about 2.5 years now, and he does a great job depicting the journey through his famous YouTube channel. Within that channel, you will find a true and transparent guy who shows his day-to-day life and the true process of chasing a professional contract. As you will see and hear in this episode, he has enjoyed the many experiences that he has had traveling all over the world pursuing this dream of signing a professional contract. He has met so many great people and learned so many things along the way. Sheldon has spent a lot of time in England, Spain and in the US and he believes his best chance to achieving his dream will be in England due to the similar language and the fact that he has a right to live and work in England. Sheldon has learned a ton about the ins and outs of the game and what truly goes on behind the scenes at a professional football club and what it really takes to make it to the next level. Sheldon gave 4 tips at the end of the episode that will help you along your journey to sign a professional football contract: 1. You have to be mentally strong through it all. 2. Be grateful for hard things because they will only make you better. 3. Enjoy the journey. Enjoy the process. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. 4. Do it for you. If you are doing it for someone else, you won’t truly enjoy the journey. I really appreciate having Sheldon on, and I am confident in him that he will achieve whatever he sets his mind to. If you want to reach out, I am sure that he will be glad to help you out and answer your questions. The best place to reach out to him is @sheldontweedie on YouTube and Instagram.
Sidney Rivera is a 26-year-old Professional Footballer currently playing as a Forward for the Bangladesh Police in the Bangladesh Premier League. Sidney played college soccer at Old Dominion University. In 2015, after a successful senior season, Sidney got drafted by Orlando City of the MLS. After not being given the, he was loaned briefly to Louisville City of the USL Championship. After Louisville, in 2017, Sidney made a move to Puerto Rico FC of NASL, where he scored 5 goals, and had a successful season. The following season, NASL was disbanded and many players were on the search for a job in the USL or the MLS. Unfortunately for US Soccer, there were a lot of players without a job come the following year. in 2018, Sidney dropped his ego and took a chance with Atlantic City FC of the NPSL, where he got housing and meals, but he had to work an additional 6-7 hour shift as a bartender to be able to live. In 2019, Sidney got a call from a message on Instagram from someone who offered him a trial in Vietnam. Sidney was a little skeptical about the opportunity, but after doing his research, he deemed it a worthwhile risk to take a trip out to Vietnam. After doing very well, he was told that he would sign. But, as we both know, in the harsh world of soccer, sometime things fall through, and that's what happened. Though, after making some noise, and impressing an agent, Sidney was invited to Bangladesh for an opportunity in the Bangladesh Premier League. Without thinking twice, Sidney took his opportunity, and is off to a very successful campaign, where he is averaging 1 goal per match. In the interview, you can hear how serious Sidney is about mastering his craft and all of the sacrifices that he has made to get to where is now and where he wants to get too. The 3 pieces of advice that Sidney wants to offer you to have the best chance to become a professional or maintain the level of being professional are: 1. Always Believe in Yourself. 2. Work Hard & Have Perseverance. 3. Be Smart in Your Work & Your Decisions and Enjoy the Process.
Jack Blake is a 25 year old center midfielder who is currently playing for the Real Monarchs in the USL Championship (2nd Tier in the US). Jack is originally from Nottingham, England. He grew up since the age of 9 in the prestigious Nottingham Forest Academy. After having trouble breaking into the first team, he went on loan to Mansfield Town in 2013, and made his pro debut at 17 in League Two. After a couple of games, he came back to Forest. Unfortunately, he still couldn’t break into the first team. After some thinking, he thought it was best to take a different route with his football. He had parents living in Arizona, so he decided it may be time to take his football to the US. He booked a one way ticket to the US and began sending his highlights and resume to as many clubs as you could have. In 2016, he signed for Minnesota United. After enjoying some time there, he made a move to the Jacksonville Armada, followed by another move to the Tampa Bay Rowdies. In 2018, he went on loan to the Real Monarchs. After enjoying his time there, he signed a deal with them officially in 2019. 2019 proved to be his best season as a pro footballer, as he appeared in 27 games and scored 11 goals, as well as taking home a USL Championship title with his team. Jack is a top professional, and treats himself like one on and off the pitch. I am sure you will learn as much with this episode as I did, as he drops some excellent practical tips for on and off the field. Jack also has an excellent YouTube channel where he just reached 25k subscribers! If you want to reach out to him and find out more about him, go over to his Instagram @jackblake_94.
Jake Rozhanksy is a 23 year old Professional Footballer who plays as a winger for Hapoel Afula in the Liga Leumit (second tier) in Israel. Jake is originally from Germantown, Maryland. He played 1 year of college soccer at the University of Virginia before transferring to Maryland University to finish up his college career. Jake had a great career in college as a footballer, and enjoyed himself on the social and academic side. Unlike many players, Jake was grateful for his experience in college and cherished it as a footballer and as a human. After college, Jake got some interest from teams in the US, but after taking a trip to Israel the previous summer and playing in the Maccabi Games, Jake got a direct offer from Maccabi Netanya in the Israeli Premier League. Without hesitation, Jake took the offer, and so his career began in Israel. During his first season with Netanya, Jake grew a lot as a footballer and a person. He found it a combination of difficult and exciting to be out of his home country and out of his comfort zone. After spending some time at Netanya, he signed a loan deal with Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem of the Liga Leumit (second tier). After a solid season, he signed an official deal with Hapoel Afula, where he is currently playing. Jake points out many times in the interview that you need a balance of 'professionalism,' being strict and disciplined, but also being able to enjoy your life with friends and family. On his off time, Jake likes to read books (he recommends 'Think & Grow Rich' by Napoleon Hill), stretch, take walks on the beach and hang out with friends and family on his off time. If you would like to get in touch with Jake, ask him some questions and ask his opinion on things, reach out to him on Instagram or Twitter @jroz12.
Matt Sheldon is a 27-year-old Professional Footballer originally from Portland, Oregon who is playing for FC Tulsa in the USL Championship (2nd Tier in the US). In 2016, Matt signed his first professional contract with the OC Blues in the USL after a short 6 month stint in Germany. After a good season with OC, he signed a contract with Saint Louis FC in the USL. After a good start to the season, he came up with an “groin/abdominal injury,” in which he needed surgery. This kept him sidelined for many months, and he didn’t know if he would ever return and be the same player. But, the most important thing was that he believed in himself and he knew if he did his rehab correctly and was disciplined in every aspect of his recovery, he would come back stronger. After not playing for a couple of months, he wanted to get some game time, so he took an offer that he had in New Zealand with Waterside Karori. Something that was very tough for him and much different because after playing in the USL, he felt like he dropped a level in “professionalism.” Though, he looked at it as a huge learning experience and a big part of his growth as a person and a player. This also allowed him to gain confidence again in his body and his mind to be able to perform at a top level. He got a ton of hate from his large YouTube & Instagram audience, but that gave him even more motivation. After gaining that confidence, he came back to the USL in 2019, signing a contract with the Tulsa Roughnecks. After a very successful season, he resigned in Tulsa with FC Tulsa; a newly rebranded team. In this episode, we get into what Matt does on a daily and a weekly basis and how he prepares himself to be the best player in training and every game he plays. I believe the most important thing we talk about is the “highs” and “lows” of the game and how you can not let emotions get the best of you. Many of you probably know him for his notable YouTube channel with over 300k subscribers and Instagram account with over 140k followers. He does an excellent job showing his behind the scenes and “day in the life” of a Pro Footballer. He does an excellent job showing the roller coaster of professional soccer and the ups & downs that you will go through on this journey. Give him a follow @becomeelite and shoot him a question. I am sure he will be glad to answer!
Michael Hartmann is a 25-year-old Professional Goalkeeper originally from New Jersey, who is currently playing in the Finnish 1st Tier (Veikkausliiga) for FC Haka. Mike played 4 years of college soccer at Caldwell University in the NCAA Division 2 in America. After spending 4 years, he got a chance to go out to Norway to chase his dream of being a professional. Unfortunately due to work permit issues, he couldn't sign in Norway. Instead of sitting and dwelling, he started reaching out to professional teams in Sweden via Facebook. After doing this for a couple of weeks, he landed a trial in Division 2 (4th Tier) of Swedish soccer with FC Linköping City. After a successful trial, he signed with the team. The following season, he helped the team promote to Division 1 (3rd tier) of Swedish soccer. This year, he and the team just missed out on the chance to promote to Superettan (2nd Tier) of Swedish soccer. After 3 solid years there, Mike made a move to FC Haka in the Finnish 1st Tier. Mike is one of the most disciplined individuals that I've run into on this journey. I was so happy to see him sign this contract, and can't wait to see him succeed and keep on moving up the ladder in professional football. On his off time, Mike works to learn more about the human body and optimizing performance. Give him a follow on his up and coming instagram @trifromancesportstraining. If you have questions, reach out, and I'm absolutely sure that Mike will be glad to answer!
Samuel Kroon is a 23 year old professional footballer playing as a winger who plays for Halmstads BK in the Superettan (Swedish Second Tier). Samuel is originally from Stockholm, Sweden, where he grew up playing. He was constantly looking for ways to make himself better and develop himself as a player to get to the next level. Samuel started his professional career in the lower leagues of Sweden. He played 4 years in the Division One (third tier) of Sweden before signing this year with one of the biggest clubs in Sweden. He also was a big part of helping his club Umeå FC to get promoted from the third tier to the second tier of Swedish Professional football. I have known him for about 4 years now, as he has turned into one of my best friends. He is one of the most professional and disciplined individuals who I have come across. Even when he wasn’t playing for big clubs, he was constantly looking for ways to improve himself and create a professional environment around himself. Take a listen to this episode to hear a day in the life at Halmstad, how he eats, how he trains in the gym and how he recovers his body to prepare himself for the day to day life in a professional football environment. If you have any questions, please reach out to him on Instagram @kroonnn or on Twitter @Kroon_Samuel.
Zev is a 26-year-old Center Midfielder originally from Malibu, California who is currently playing for Åtvidabergs FF. Zev played his college soccer at Valparaiso in Indiana before he signed his first pro contract with the Sacramento Republic in the USL after impressing at an open combine. Zev made a couple of moves throughout the USL before signing his first contract in Sweden in 2018 with Varberg BOIS. Zev is well known for his high work rate, work ethic, leadership skills, passing ability and vision on the field. As you will hear in the interview, his obsession with the game and becoming a better player is obvious. He will do and does whatever it takes to make him better on and off the pitch. He also runs his own podcast and Instagram @znextstep & @znextstepexperience. Check those out and make sure to send him a message if you have any questions, as he’ll be very glad to answer.
One of the best conversations I have ever had with a great dude. Jared is a 24-year-old defensive midfielder or center back originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, where he grew up playing academy soccer. He started his college career at Georgetown in 2013, where he stayed for one season before transferring to Wake Forest University. In 2017, Jared signed his first pro contract with the Charlotte Independence in the USL. After a tough season dealing with a nagging groin injury, he wanted to play consistently. Jared had a friend recommend for him to go play in Sweden to further develop his game. In 2018, Jared returned back to the US to play with Tormenta FC before heading back for another stint in Sweden. In September 2019, Odenbeck signed for the NISA side Stumptown Athletic, located in Charlotte, where he is currently playing. Jared shares some golden nuggets in the podcast, and I am sure you will love this one. Tune in for a LONG & DEEP conversation. Find Jared on Instagram @jaredodenbeck and on Twitter @JaredOdenbeck. He’s a great dude and I am sure, if you reach out, he will be more than willing to guide you in the right direction.
Conor O’Keefe is a 24 year old goalkeeper originally from Macclesfield, England, who is currently playing for Europa Point FC in the Gibraltar Premier League. Conor spent most of his footballing career in England, with a stint as well in Madrid Spain. As he finished off his youth team contract with Macclesfield, he took the opportunity to study and play football at the prestige Loughborough University. After he graduated, he signed with Europa Point FC in the Gibraltar Premier League. If you would like to get in contact with him, he is always open to answering questions. You can get in touch via Instagram @con_okeefe1 or through his YouTube Channel; (which has 19k subscribers) @Conor O’Keefe.
Andrew is a 25 year old keeper originally from Liverpool, England. He grew up in the Liverpool Academy before moving to play at Macclesfield Town, where he signed his first pro contract. Unfortunately, he was released from Macclesfield when his 18 month contract ran out. After that at 18, he thought it was his time to hang up his boots. Eventually he found out about an opportunity in Sweden through the League Football Education program in Sweden. 3 weeks after being released from Macclesfield, he was on a plane to Sweden. He signed a contract in the sixth tier of Swedish football to get the love back for the game. After 3 months with the team, he made a move to Friska Viljor in the fifth tier of Sweden. After helping them to promotion, he made a move to the fourth tier club IFK Östersund. Luckily enough for him, he got an opportunity with the premier league team in the same city (Östersunds FK) to join them for a 1 month loan after one of their keepers’ got injured. He was then named on the bench for several of Östersunds’ Europa League qualifying matches (against clubs like Galatasaray & Arsenal). After impressing on his loan spell, Andrew secures a permanent deal with the club. He went front training 2-3 times per week to being back to full-time. As you will clearly here in the podcast, Andrew talks several times about being ready for the opportunity when it comes, and no matter what League you are in, you need to be training and have the mindset like you are in the first League. As he clearly states, football is a 24/7 job and you can not expect to make big moves if you don’t treat it as such. If you want to get in touch with Andrew; shoot him a message on Instagram @andrewmills2.
Steven Enna is a 24 year old striker originally from Kansas City, Missouri who is currently playing in the 1st Division (Second Tier) in Denmark for FC Fredericia. Steven grew up playing in the Sporting Kansas City academy and played his college soccer at Drake University. Steven earned his Master’s while at Drake, but Steven wanted more from the game. Steven always knew he wanted to play professionally but never knew how to go about it after college if left undrafted. He reached out to a friend of his, and found out about AX Soccer Tours, which is a combine where you can play and show your ability in front of Professional Coaches from Europe. After doing well over 3 days, he was invited to Denmark for a trial. After the 10 day period, he proved his worth and signed his first pro contract. He is really enjoying his time so far in Denmark and his team is doing very well in the league. Give this episode a listen to hear one of the most positive guys I have ever met. There are many things to take away from this episode, but I think the most important part is how positive Steven is and how he looks at the bright side in every situation. Be sure to follow Steven on Instagram if you have any questions and to follow along with his journey @stennafc.
Darius is a 19 year old originally from Miami, Florida playing professionally in the Faroe Islands as a winger or a “10.” He always knew deep inside his heart that he would sign a professional contract. That being said, it wasn’t easy, he went through many trials and tribulations. He wasn’t sure if his dream was going to come to a reality but he kept putting in the work. Eventually he found out about a combine offered about 3 hours from his home town with AX Soccer Tours. He gave it his absolute all and after performing very well in a couple of trial matches, he was sent a direct contract. The coach from AX told Darius that he knew he was something special within the first 10 minutes of watching him. Give this episode a listen for some motivation and inspiration.
Great to have a good friend and one of the hardest workers that I’ve ever met back on the podcast. Andrew is a 24 year old Central Midfielder originally from Atlanta, Georgia. He just finished his season in the USL League One with the Chattanooga Red Wolves in Tennessee. In this podcast, we go into great depths about the mental side of the game, and how to handle failures, deal with obstacles and keep yourself on the path of being a true professional. If you want to learn more or talk more to Andrew, you can reach him on his Instagram @andrew_moullin or on his training page @amoullin_training.
Kaelon is a 24 year old centerback originally from Atlanta, Georgia who just finished up his 1st year as a professional in Iceland. Deservingly enough, he was named the player of the year. After undergoing many “no’s” and many hard times, he could have easily quit, but NO, he persisted and kept working. He knew what he wanted. He wanted to sign a professional contract and after many hard months, that opportunity finally came. When the opportunity came, he grabbed it with both hands and ran with it! Take a listen. If this doesn’t inspire you, I don’t know what will.
Kyle McLagan is a 23 year old professional footballer originally from Kansas City, Missouri who is currently playing in the first league (second tier) in Denmark for FC Roskilde, and is currently in his second season with the team. His journey was quite a special one, and it just shows that if you know where you want to go and you have the goal in mind, and you do everything in your power to get their day in day out, you wolle eventually get there! If you’d like to reach out to him, he’s @kyleclags on Instagram. Enjoy this one!
Eric is a 23 year old striker/winger who is originally from St. Louis. He is currently playing for JK Trans Narva in the Estonian Premier League. Before this year, he played for 2 years at Xavier University and 2 years at UMKC. After being recognized at the PSC combine, he got two offers to play professionally; one in Malta and the other in Estonia, which he jumped on right away. In his first year professionally, he has been super successful. He has 7 goals and 6 assists in 23 games. When you listen to this talk that we had you will notice how disciplined he is and how his mindset is top-class and I am sure you will see him at the top some time soon. If you want to connect with him, the best way is through Instagram @ericmcwoods.
George is a 27 year old center midfielder who is currently playing for Hapoel Hadera in the Israeli Premier League. George played college soccer at Uconn before getting drafted to the Portland Timbers in the 2014 MLS Superdraft. George featured with the Timbers and Sacramento Republic during his time in the United States (2014-2015). In 2016, got some interest from a club in Denmark while playing in the US. He took this opportunity with a vengeance and 3 great seasons in the Danish Premier League with Viborg FF. In 2019, he made a move to his club in Israel where he is currently at. One thing that really stood out to be in this great conversation with George is the fact that he talked about how important it is to integrate and "gel" with your club right away, and not to act like you are some "superstar," even if you were signed to be that 'big time guy'. We talked about how important it is in Europe to play as a cohesive unit, and not play as a "bunch of individuals." George also pointed out that you have to get your mind off of football sometimes, and not every waking and thinking moment has to be football. He specifically said "when it's time to train, you train and take care of the business. When it's time to take off, you really need to unplug and live your life." Give this episode a listen for some excellent insights, and if you want to connect with George on Instagram, his handle is: @ivan_fochive & his Twitter is: @ivan_george6. Enjoy this one!
This years’ 1st round, 14th draft pick Akeem Ward comes on the Pod to discuss how he lives his day to day life with DC United, a team that he grew up supporting and working as the ball boy. Akeem played one year at the JUCO level for Hastings before transferring to Creighton and playing 3 years there. These 3 years at Creighton were a wake up call for him. He realized he had to step his game up and get rid of the fear he had to make it to the next level. His spring season with Creighton was rough, but from there, everything was “uphill.” This slight setback at Creighton prepared him for where he is currently at in the professional game. Listen to this podcast to hear how dialed in Akeem is with everything on and off the field and how he prepares to continue to improve and take his game to the next level.
Leo Folla is a 23 year old Centerback originally from New York who is currently playing for the Chattanooga Red Wolves in the newly formed USL League One. He has had quite the journey up until his first professional contract with the Red Wolves. Leo grew up playing his youth soccer in New York. After getting rejected from University at Albany after high school, he took it in the chin and tried his luck with a “JUCO” school in Iowa. He realized it wasn’t for him and decided to go back to NY to prepare for his next opportunity. Little did he know, the U Albany coach wanted him the next year. After seeing the “college experience” of tons of parties and not much football, he decided to finish his last 3 years of school at Saint Francis in NY. Listen to the rest of this conversation to see how dialed in and discipline Leo is. You can hear that he would and will sacrifice anything for the game and is willing to do anything to make it to the next level. Super grateful to have another great dude like this in the pod. I know that you guys and girls will LEARN A LOT from this episode!
Was great having Jason Johnson on the Podcast. He is a 28 year old winger from Happy News, Jamaica who is currently playing for Phoenix Rising FC in the USL. Jason played for 3 years at VCU before being drafted to the Houston Dynamo. After that, he went on to play for the Chicago Fire, San Antonio FC and now the Phoenix Rising. Surprisingly enough, Jason started playing the game at the age of 14. In the podcast, he shares what he thinks got him to the level where he’s at now. A lot of that includes his mindset, how he approaches the game, and all that he’s learned from players that he has played with including Didier Drogba. Enjoy this one & don’t be afraid to leave a review!
Kevin Politz is a 23 year old defender from New Jersey who is currently playing for the Greenville Triumph in South Carolina. He spent 4 years studying and playing at Wake Forest. After graduating he signed his first professional contract with the New York Red Bulls. In this episode, he shares some very very interesting insights into how the Red Bulls train and how they look at training, and the differences between how his current team trains and how Red Bulls trains.
Had a great time chatting with Lucas Stauffer in this episode. Lucas is a 23 year old outside back/winger who is currently playing in the 4th league in Germany. He played 4 years of college soccer at Creighton University before getting drafted by the Vancouver Whitecaps. Unfortunately, he was released after a couple of weeks. Though, he ended up finding a good solution when he signed with the Red Bull’s II. After a solid season with the Red Bull’s, he had a couple of offers in the USL, but he wanted to test himself, so he bought a one way ticket to Europe. After spending time in Denmark, Finland & Germany- he found his best opportunity in Germany, and that’s where he’s at currently. Lucas likes to keep his training, nutrition and recovery simple, but he makes sure he is consistent. Y’all know; that’s what gets results!
Was a blessing having Nico Olsak on the podcast. Nico was born in Argentina, but ended up moving to the US at a young age to “chase the American Dream!” He played 4 years of college soccer at Belmont University (a small Division 1 school in Tennessee). He always had the dream of playing professional soccer, so he took his chances at an open combine. He had a good chance at Rochester Rhinos that fell through. This was one of the first obstacles you ran into during his career, and he used it to fuel him. At 22, he made a jump to Israel through a family friend connection, and the rest was history! He started in the third tier, and within two years, he was playing in the first tier for Maccabi Netanya. He just reached a great milestone of 100 appearances for the team, and he has been blessed to wear the captains’ band. You will definitely definitely enjoy this one. Definitely many golden nuggets from this one.
Was great having Taylor on the Podcast. A truly inspiring footballer with a great attitude on football and on life. Taylor is a 24 year old striker from Jensen Beach, Florida currently playing in Sweden for Lidköpings FK. She played College Soccer at UCF for two years before transferring to FAU for her last 2 years. The beginning of her journey was in Peru for 4 months, which she described as “interesting,” and definitely a great experience. She then had a trial with a Champions League team in Romania that ended up falling through due to her needing hip surgery, which caused her to be off the pitch for 9 months. During this time, she realized how much she really loved the game and what it meant to her. Though it gave her some much needed family time and time to learn about herself as a footballer and a person. After her surgery, she came back stronger and just recently resigned for another year with her team in Sweden, where her and her team hope to get promoted to the highest. Guy or girl; you will learn a lot from this podcast. If you wan to contact Taylor, her Instagram is: @taytown17 and Facebook is: Taylor Townsend. She would love if you reached out if you had any specific questions for her.
Day in the Life of Kyle Knotek Ep. 21. Kyle Knotek is a 31 year old midfielder going into his 10th year as a professional, and currently playing for FC ŠTK Šamorín in the 2nd league in Slovakia. He started his journey to becoming a pro by playing college soccer at NIU for 4 years. This is when he ran into one of his first obstacles to becoming a pro, and what has led to his determination and drive. The coach had him playing left back because he didn’t think he was good enough to play center midfielder. He actually was coming off the bench as the captain of the team. After that year, he went to a USL combine, and after not getting picked up, a Japanese GM invited him to play in the second league in Japan. That was quite an experience for him as no one spoke English and he actually had to leave due to the Tsunami. After his stint there; he signed in the USL with the Dayton Dutch Lions. After that season he spent one year in Finland. After his year in Finland, he spent 3 years in Sweden and helped his team get promoted. After 3 good seasons in Sweden, he caught the eye of a team in Slovakia, and that’s where he is now. I really encourage you guys to sit down and really listen to this episode here. I truly learned a lot, and he is one of the best dudes I have met so far in the game. If you would like to contact him, reach him on Instagram & Twitter @Kyle_Knotek, as well as on Facebook @Kyle_Knotek. Enjoy & happy listening!
Dion Acoff is a 27 year old winger originally from Fontana, California. He is currently playing for SJK in the Veijkausliiga (first tier) Finland. He signed his first professional contract with Thróttur Reykjavík in the third tier in Iceland when he was 23 years old. After two successful seasons with them, he was signed by Valur Reykjavík; where he played in the Europa League and Champions League Qualifiers. Believe it or not, Dion actually quit playing soccer for 1 year after graduating from UCSB. He went into personal training, but was really missing the game. This is when he ended up getting a call from a friend, and his agent, who sent him to Iceland. The rest is history!
Jesse Edge (24 years old) originally from New Zealand has been on his football journey for 6 years now. He signed his first professional contract in the Serie C, before moving on to play in the Eerste Divisie (second tier Holland) with Achilles. After his stint in Holland, he played in the first league in Slovakia, and is now currently back in Slovakia with a second league team with big ambitions to go to the first league. He is also a New Zealand International. In the pod, we get into many great things, including; cold showers, the benefits of the sauna, meditation, how to do a technical session without getting burnt out, and many other great topics. Enjoy it!
My brother Guilherme Machado came on the Pod a couple of days ago. It was fantastic to hear his journey. Definitely, one of the most inspiring ones I have heard. He was born in Brazil, and started playing Futsal at the age of 6 years old. That's right, the football that is played on a small pitch that is very high paced, and excellent for your touch, and playing at speed.
At the age of 17, he got a chance to come to the USA, and play at Limerick College. Without much hesitation, he took the risk! That was the first time he started playing football on an outdoor pitch. After a tough freshman season, and not playing much, his coach began to question himself, and actually asked G "why did I even bring you in?" Even though G wasn't too happy about this comment, this lit a fire under him and started his journey to becoming a professional football player.
He is now 23 years old, playing professionally in the third division of Portugual. After undergoing ACL surgery, and injury problems, he would sometimes question himself, but no matter what, he kept on going, and look where he is now. This is just the beginning Ladies & Gents.
In this episode, we also talk about: -The importance of networking, and building real, meaningful relationships. -The importance of believing in yourself no matter what! -How to contact agents, and get your opportunity. -The importance of nutrition.
To get in contact with him:
Instagram: mmachado_gui
John Hollinger- a 24 year old goalkeeper originally from Fairfax, Virginia comes on the Footballer's Journey Podcast all the way from Denmark (where he is currently playing).
He played 3 years of college soccer at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY and 1 year at Palm Beach University before embarking on his journey to become a Professional Player.
In his first year in Europe, John played for IFK Åmal in Sweden, where he helped his team promote. He is now currently in Denmark, and will be signing in the 2. Division (3rd tier) over there.
If you would like to get to know him more and contact him; he is always open to questions, and would love to hear from you guys and girls.
Instagram: @john_hollinger27
@goalkeeper_faith
Facebook: John Hollinger
Lorenz comes on the Podcast, originally from Westport, Connecticut. Lorenz played 1 year of college ball at UCONN and three years at the College of Charleston. He was the starting right back for all three years at Charleston. He recently made a ‘jump over’ to Europe this year. We talk about his journey this far and how he views the game and then sacrifice he has made to go to Sweden.
Got the opportunity to have a great guest on the Podcast, Jessey Hein. He is originally from Plano, Texas. He played 3 years of college ball at BYU, and 1 year at BYU-Hawaii. Ever since he was a young child, he has wanted to chase his dream of becoming a Professional Soccer Player. He is in the middle of that chase. He is currently playing in the 4th league in Switzerland, and is hopefully going to make a jump up very soon to pursue a contract in a higher league. In this Episode, we talk about the mental side of the game, and the mental side of being in Europe alone. We discuss how playing football overseas is not 'sunshine and rainbows.' There are many more lows, than there are highs, but if you are willing to deal with it, and keep pushing through, anything is possible!
Nadaner is 26 years old, originally from the Bronx in New York. He played PDL soccer with the Westchester Flames before playing 4 years at Boston University. Evin had always had his eyes on being able to play soccer in Europe one day. During his Junior Year of College, Evin went to the Maccabi games in Israel. After winning the player of the tournament, he had many teams interested in him. Though, he wanted to finish up university soccer. Post-college, Evin made his way back to Israel, and spent one season playing Professionally over there. After that, he made his way to Germany, and has been there for about 3 full seasons now, going into his fourth season. His dream is to one day play in the German 3. Liga. Take a listen to hear his journey!
Originally from Massapequa, New York, 23 year old Sean Vinberg decided to make the jump to chase the dream of being a professional footballer. He played 4 years at SUNY Oneonta, before making the jump to play in the Mongolian Premier League. He is currently playing in Germany, and is enjoying every moment. The best part of the conversation is how grateful Sean is of the opportunity to get paid to play the beautiful game. His genuine passion and love for the game also shines through during the conversation. To all you grinders out there seeking that extra push and motivation; I would reccommend taking a listen!
Russell Cicerone is a 23 year old winger, originally from Detroit Michigan, playing for FC Cincinatti in the USL. Russell play at the University at Buffalo and got drafted by the Portland Timbers, signing his first pro contract for the Timbers 2 in the USL, before making a transfer to FC Cincinatti. Russell talks about his typical day in the Life in season, as well as how he looks at movement, nutrition, recovery and mindset to be a professional. Russell believes the most important thing to become a pro is having that competitive spirit and the passion to win at every single thing you do. I enjoyed talking to a good friend and competitive professional. I know you guys will as well. Follow him on Instagram @russellcicerone, send him a DM & he will be glad to answer your questions.
Client Check In Full time college student at Texas A& M in aerospace engineering and also a rugby player. His desire is to play professional rugby. We talk mentality, movement, nutrition, and sleep and how much he eats on the RicFit Plan. He is eating more food than he ever has. He has learned to start focusing on movements instead of muscles, and he feels like it’s “shocking” his body and he is performing much better. He has never had a stronger core than he does now. We talk about how there are no “hacks” or no “shortcuts” to your long term goal. Hope you enjoy this one.
Client Check In Episode 1-Stephen Lipton From NYC Works full time in Financial Services in NYC at Ernst & Young. We talk about the deep lying message behind my approach and how you don’t have to be “perfect” every single second to achieve your goals! He works at a job sitting down all day, so he reached out to me because he saw a lot of the content I have been putting out, and he realizes how much I stress and prioritize functional movement. He realizes everything doesn’t need to be so regimented. If you miss a workout or a meal, it’s fine. It’s about the long term goal! We talk about how fitness is a marathon, not a sprint. He’s lifted his whole life but finds my training completely different in a way, as he is able to engage his core. He realizes that my training takes him out of his comfort zone. We try to attack his weaknesses and triple down on his strengths. He realizes how important feeling good is to him. We go over nutrition, and he asks how I incorporate proper nutrit
Mr.Zac Lubin, stepping in on the podcast at 6'5, towering over everyone. He is a Goalkeeper, originally from Montana. Zac has played 5 seasons as a professional. He is currently 28 years old, playing in the USL with the Phoenix Rising. He has played 2 years in Sweden and 3 years in the USL. Zac and I talk about his journey as a pro and what the "grind" really is, and how beautiful the process really is. In the beginning of his career, he was working multiple jobs, 'grinding' on and off the field. Finally, for the past couple years, he has just been able to focus on football, and he notices how all his hard work has paid off. One thing the really stood out to me about him is how much he loves the process, the process of training, and making himself better everyday. He states: "if you really really want this thing, and you are willing to sacrifice nights' out with friends, willing to skip birthday parties', willing to skip weddings, you can do it!"
Yael Averbuch, originally from Montclair, New Jersey, is a Center Defender, currently playing for the Seattle Reign FC in the NWSL. Yael was selected in the first round (4th overall) by the Sky Blue FC out of the University of North Carolina (where she set a record of starting 105 games). After a stint with Sky Blue, she decided to move to Sweden, where she played in the UEFA Women's Champions League with Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC. Yael has also played for the US Women's Team at every level. Besides all of her fantastic accomplishments, I brought her on the Podcast because of how hard she works and how much she truly loves the game! She also just released her new app on the iTunes App Store, called "Techne Futbol," where you can download it, and do a 1 week trial. Within the app, she helps you with your individual technical training. An app I highly recommend, especially for young players. Contact her for Questions: Email: yael@technefutbol.com, Instagram: yaelaverbuch
Super grateful to get on the Pod today with another fantastic guest. Kaelyn was born in California, and moved to Minnesota when she was 14 years old. Kaelyn went on to play high school football at Shattuck St. Marys in Minnesota. She continued her career at Creighton, before transferring to Central Michigan for her last 3 years of College. She wanted to continue to play the game she loved, so that's what she did. After a great experience with Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL, she got a call from her agent who found her an offer in Kazakhstan where she could continue to chase her dream with a team who plays in the Women's Champions League (Biik Kazygurt). She jumped on the opportunity, because she knew how much it would improve her as a person and as a footballer. She also has a fantastic blog called www.alongtheway.today where she shares her experience of life overseas. I look forward to seeing her on the big stages very soon! Instagram: @kaelyn_korte
Andrew Jean Baptiste is originally from Brentwood, New York, in Long Island. He played his youth at Brentwood High School (where he won a National Championship), and at Albertson Academy. He was an All-American in High School. He went on to play 2 years at the University of Connecticut, where he also received All-American, and Defender of the year. Jean-Baptiste was selected as the number 8 draft pick in the first-round by the Portland Timbers in 2012. During his debut, he scored a goal off a free-kick from Jack Jewsbury. Baptiste went on to play 31 games for the club scoring twice, before leaving to go to Chivas USA. After Chivas he signed with the New York Red Bulls. After playing with the Red Bulls, he decided to take his chances in Europe, and had three great seasons in Spain and Sweden, before moving to his current club, in Malyasia, where he is playing in the Malyasian Premier League. Not only is this dude a fantastic player, he is an even better guy. Check this episode out!
Jochen Graf is a Striker, originally from Dallas Texas. He is 28 years old and currently playing for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL. He has lived & played in many countries, including; Germany and Sweden. He gives fantastic insight about how perseverance and persistence is what actually gets you to the top! I can say he is a PERFECT example of that, and how the little things done right everyday add up to something big. Please give it a listen. You won’t be disappointed!
Andrew Kendall Moullin comes on the podcast originally Florida, ended up moving to Shattuck St Mary’s in Minnesota and played most of his career there. Many of the footballers I bring on here have similar mindsets but this guy is one specifically that stands out to me. He is a guy I always looked up to because of his work rate, DAY IN AND DAY OUT, if you want to talk about persistence. I thought I worked hard, but nope, not even close to this guy. A fantastic influence for young footballers to look after and follow. He is now playing for Atlanta II as a center defensive midfielder. Take a listen, and let us know what you think!
Had a fantastic time talking with a good friend; Ricky Lopez Espin, a 22 year old for Real Salt Lake in the MLS. He’s originally from Miami, Florida. At 13 years old he moved to Minnesota to play at Shattuck St Mary’s USSDA. I am sure that getting out of his comfort zone at this young of an age has put him where he’s at today. Plus, he encountered the setback of an ACL injury, and kept pushing on. He took it as a learning experience and looked at it positively the whole way through. His positive mindset and positive vibe is the best part of this conversation.
Originally from Northbrook, Illinois, played 2 years in highschool, and spent the next two at a very prestigious highschool; Shattuck St. Marys. Centerback David Abidor went on to play three years at the University of Dayton, and spent his last year at Creighton University. He signed his first pro contract as a Pro in Sweden with Dalkurd FF. After that stint, he went back home to the US, and signed with the Tulsa Roughnecks. Following a successful season with the Roughnecks, he signed with the New York Red Bulls II. He is now chasing the dream out in Finland looking to make a name in Europe!
21 year old Professional Footballer (Sweden Division One) Samuel Kroon tells us about his life as a professional footballer. We cover everything you can think of; nutrition, extra training, recovery, sleep, his team training, freshness, how to develop as a Footballer and get to the next level.