Das Anfang

As I write the first post for my blog it has now been 3 1/2 weeks since I left Ottawa to come over here to Germany and start this new adventure. I have already experienced many new things and have felt a variety of feelings. Below is part of the story of how I came to end up in Germany playing football.

I grew up in a military family and the reality of being a "military brat" is frequent postings across Canada and even the World in some cases. Since I already had a few moves under my belt, the move to Germany was not a huge undertaking for me, the move wasn't the scary part; it was and still is what I have left back home in Canada.

When I was younger, I was fortunate enough to live in Southern Germany for 2 years on my Grandparents farm which was near to the Canadian military base in Lahr. The two years I spent living in Grafenhausen were a big motivating factor in my desire to return to Germany as an adult and to experience the lifestyle and culture offered in Europe.

While in my final year at McGill University, I was lucky enough to be offered a Canadian Football League contract with the Montreal Alouettes. This contract was a validation of all the hard work and time that my family, friends and coaches had put into developing me as a student-athlete. I use the term student-athlete because as far back as I can remember; school and sports were dependent on each other. I couldn't have one without the other; I wasn't allowed to play sports without being a good student and I didn't want to just be a student, so for me it was all or nothing.

Most people would say that just receiving that contract is a great honour and something to be proud of but just like any other athlete that wasn't enough for me I needed to make the team.

When I was in high school I was a two sport athlete, I couldn't decide what I liked more football or basketball. I spent all my free time year round practicing for both sports and playing at the highest level that I could. During the summer of 2003, I needed to make a decision what sport to play in University. That summer I was playing basketball for Carleton Ravens Head Coach Dave Smart on a traveling team he had assembled of players from Eastern Ontario. He was recruiting us to go play basketball at Carleton University and for the most part of the team, they ended up playing there and as their record shows winning quite a few Championships. We went to many tournaments in the United States and during that summer was when I realized that I needed to make a decision on which sport to play.

At that point I was being primarily recruited as a basketball player and since I did not have much football experience (I only played football for my high school team, no city or club team) most universities didn't have me on their recruitment radar. I had no idea what sport to choose, I had been playing high level basketball for quite some time and football was still very new to me but through many discussions with coaches, I decided that if I worked hard enough there could be a chance for me to play professional football.

During my time at McGill University, I focused and trained hard at becoming the best football player that I could become but I could never quite shake the desire to still play both football and basketball. Every year after the football season was over I would return to the basketball court and play intramural basketball. I knew some players on the basketball team and we had talked many times about the idea of me trying to join the basketball team once the football season was over.

I was able to resist the allure of the court until my fifth and final year at McGill. At the end of my fourth year at McGill, I was entered into the CFL draft and I was really hoping to get drafted or invited to a training camp as a free agent. Unfortunately neither happened, I was not drafted and I did not get an invitation to attend a training camp.

My goal for my last season at McGill was to get that contract and make a CFL roster but I also realized that this would be my last chance to play elite basketball. In Canada, the Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the governing body and they allow you to participate in university sport for 5 years. I decided that along with training as hard as I can to make the CFL, I would also approach the McGill basketball coach and see if he would be interested in giving me a shot at trying out for the basketball team once football was over.

I spoke to Coach Norman at the beginning of the football season during training camp and he liked the idea but told me to forget about it until football was over. He said that we would deal with the process of getting me back into basketball shape once the football season was completed. In high school, Coach Norman had recruited me to the Royal Military College where he was then coaching, but then he ended up accepting the coaching at position at McGill so I was very lucky to have a coach who had seen me play when I was still a basketball player.

About two weeks into my time with the basketball team, I was offered the contract with the Alouettes and once again I needed to make a decision between football and basketball.

I was always told as a kid that once you give your word to someone or if you start something you need to finish it, never quit something. I had already started practicing with the basketball team and I decided that I wanted to fulfill this dream of playing both sports during my university career. Some of you may think I made the wrong decision to not turn my focus solely to football and believe me many people told me the same thing but I could not let that dream go. I believe that cross training in sports is a huge asset to developing athletes and I firmly believe that some of my skill as a football player comes directly my years playing basketball and soccer.

The first practice with the basketball team was the best and worst feeling I experienced in a long time. When I graduated high school, I was a tall and lanky 6 foot 3 basketball player weighing 191 pounds but over the next 5 years with hours in the weight room and just filling into my frame I was now a 225 pounds football player. The training for football had made me a faster basketball player but I didn’t have the endurance needed for basketball. When we train for speed in football, we train to be able to run at our top speed for 10 seconds whereas in basketball you want to be able to run at your top speed or close to it for at least a 1-minute or 2, but most of the time even longer. As much as those first few weeks were tests for my cardio, the whole time I felt like a little kid, I think between my gasps for air and when I wasn't keeled over from exhaustion, I probably had the biggest smile on my face. I finished the season with the basketball team and then returned to solely focus on making the Montreal Alouettes.

I went to training camp prepared and satisfied with my training, I was confident that I could make the practice roster and work my way into the line-up eventually. Unfortunately, I did not make the team and was released and sent home.

Was I crushed? Yes.
Was I disappointed? Yes.
Were all those people right and I was wrong about playing basketball? I don't know but I am comfortable with my decision.
Would it have made a difference in the long run? Who knows?
Did I let my friends, family and coaches down? I felt like I failed them.

Those are some of the questions that run through your mind on the bus going home two weeks earlier than expected and your dream is over.

Well that dream was.

Dreams evolve and change, and things happen for a reason.

Soon after moving back home I decided that I would go play football over in Europe and go and see what football is like on a different continent. Experience a different culture, reconnect with some family here, travel, eat great food (taste great but not always great for you), make some new friends and take advantage of any opportunity that comes my way. This is how I ended up over here in Monchengladbach, Germany, a city of 250 000 people, learning to speak German again and playing football.


Leave a comment, mention a place to visit in Europe, some type of food to try, ask a question about the blog, football, Germany, anything.