Day 4 in Barcelona -- Classification and Opening Ceremonies

Pictures from the Opening Ceremonies

Today I became an official member of the US Paralympic National Team with my classification. Classification is a series of tests that new athletes have to go through in order to figure out how disabled we are. First, we are put through what is essentially a physical, with doctors poking and prodding at different muscles in order to understand our levels of activation. Afterwards I was lead onto the field so that they could see how I moved in game like situations. They had me run with and without a ball, juggle, hop on one foot, hop on two feet, and do an agility ladder. The testing took about a half hour, and once it was done I was feeling fairly winded.

Doing some agility drills

 After my testing was over, the classification officials decided that I am a 6 out of 10, meaning that I have mild cerebral palsy throughout my entire body. This diagnosis came as quite a shock to me because I’ve always felt like my right side is able-bodied. However, I’m not complaining. In competition there needs to be at least one five or six per team on the field at all times, so the more fives and sixes a team has, the more options they have in regards to strategy. So, in a way, I’m actually helping my team by being more disabled. That’s just the way our sport works.

Running with the ball

Aside from classification, the other important event that occurred today was the opening ceremonies of the tournament. About a thousand fans showed up, and it was really cool to see so many people there to welcome us to the tournament. We arrived outside the stadium about a half an hour before the opening ceremonies while fans filtered in to the stadium. Just as I was about to pass out from the heat, we were ushered into the stadium by our team of friendly volunteers. When it was finally our turn to go, we strolled once around the field, and then took our seats behind the southern goal and waited patiently while the organizers gave their speeches. This part of the ceremonies took an especially long time because each speech had to be repeated in three different languages; English, Spanish, and Catalun, which is the native language in Barcelona and is essentially a mixture of Spanish and French.

Going through classification and taking part in the opening ceremonies made me feel like I am now a true member of the team. Now it’s time for me to do what I came here to do. Play soccer and make my opportunities count.

The tournament where we are playing this week

Barcelona -- Day 1 -- July 23, 2013

Today we arrived in Barcelona. This is my first international tournament, and I am both nervous and excited. As I expressed in my last entry, it is truly an honor to be chosen for the squad and I am ready to make the most of this great opportunity.

Getting ready to leave for the airport (with my mom and brother) !

We arrived at the airport at 10 am Barcelona time, which is 2 am back home in Colorado. I was absolutely exhausted. At the airport we met some tournament volunteers who were there to bring us to our hotel. Once we arrived at the hotel there was just enough time to quickly get settled and then we left to for a quick practice.

My roommate for this tournament is our starting goalie, Keith Johnson. Keith has been on the team for nine years, and has participated in two Paralympics, Athens in 2004 and London in 2012. Having a veteran as a roommate for my first tournament is very nice because he can answer any questions that I have, and I have a lot of questions.

Keith Johnson, Goalie, US Paralympic Team

Keith Johnson, Goalie, US Paralympic Team

After we got settled in we left for a short practice. Everyone was tired from an extremely long day of traveling, so all that practice involved today was a quick warm up and then a possession drill called 5 v 2 to get some touches in and get our legs under us. Once we finished practice we jumped in the pool for a while to cool off our muscles and to relax.

After swimming we had about an hour of downtime, and then we left again to go participate in a study about Cerebral Palsy. In the study there were five different stations, and at each station, we were asked to do three different movements that all used one specific muscle group. The stations focused on quickness, balance, jumping and strength, and there was also a station that took our body measurements. The only downside to all of the tests was that by the time they were finished it was already 9 o’clock and I was starving. Thankfully, that’s just about when dinner starts in Spain. Dinner tonight was pasta with cream sauce, chicken sausage and bread with butter. Everything was delicious. It’s now 10 o’clock and I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in 36 hours. I guess it’s all just part of living the dream.

Pre-Barcelona -- July 21, 2013

Last Friday night, I found out that I will be going to Barcelona to compete with the team in the 2013 Intercontinental Cup.  I went in for my end of camp meeting with Coach Hoffman, and the first thing he said to me was, “I’ve decided to take you with me to Barcelona.”  

There is no doubt in my mind that I am ready for this experience, and even if I don’t get much playing time, I’m still going to give it my all.  No matter how this tournament goes, it will still be the biggest moment of my soccer career so far, and the knowledge that I’m going to Barcelona as a member of the US Paralympic Soccer Team easily makes the eleven years that I’ve played this game completely worthwhile.

I would like to thank everyone at the NSCD for instilling in me a true love of sports, because without the success I had there I never would have been able to stick with it and achieve even this much.  I would also like to thank my coaches in Boulder, especially Hardy Kalisher with Boulder High and John Welsch with FC Boulder for pushing me to be the best player possible.

Hardy Kalisher, Head Coach, Boulder High School

John Welsch, Technical Director, FC Boulder

Lastly, I would like to thank my teammate on the Paralympic team, Chris Ahrens, for always being there to coach me and make me a better player, attitude and all. Someday I will have to be a leader for our younger players, and I hope that I can do as good of a job for them as Chris has done for me.

Chris Ahrens, US Paralympic Soccer Team

These last nine days have been a welcome break from the constant soccer, and I will leave home tomorrow refreshed and ready to continue the pursuit of my dream of being a Paralympic soccer player.

Thanks again to everyone who has followed my journey up to this point, and I will be sure to keep you all updated throughout the tournament.

Day 21 -- July 7, 2013

The Team before we walked onto the field at halftime

One of the reasons I absolutely love playing soccer for the US Paralympic National Team, aside from the companionship that comes with being on the team and the thrill of competition during training, is all the cool things that we get to do when we’re not training. In the last few days, I’ve been able to experience several interactions with the US Men's National team, and it makes our training time even more valuable and focused.

Watching practice at Qualcomm Stadium

The first cool thing that I got to do on Thursday of last week was watch the US Men’s national team train at Qualcomm Stadium ahead of their match against Guatemala. It was incredible to see the pace that these players train at, and to see how physically sharp and mentally strong they are. They played 10v10 possession on a condensed field, and the teams were still able to keep the ball for a few minutes at a time. To be able to do this, you need an extremely in-depth knowledge of the game and exquisite connection with your teammates, which these players displayed throughout the training session.

As awesome as it was to watch the US Men’s National Team train, the most memorable part of my day on Thursday was when Jurgen Klinnsman, the head coach of the US Men’s National Team, came over and spoke to us after practice. He talked a lot about what they were doing in practice, how possession on a condensed field was going to prepare the players to face Guatemala, a team that likes to put pressure on the ball and tighten the passing lanes. He also talked about the importance of taking training and friendly matches seriously. He said that if you don’t take training seriously, you won’t be ready to seize your opportunity when it comes, and sometimes you only get one chance. To finish the conversation he said that he’d be pulling for us in our upcoming trip to Barcelona, which was a really cool thing to hear from a person of his status.

Jurgen providing advice

Jurgen talking to the boys

The next day, we went back to Qualcomm Stadium to watch the US take on Guatemala, which was a really amazing experience. Our seats in the first half gave us the perfect view of the field. Coach Hoffman told us to watch how they executed what Klinnsman was talking about in regards to possession, and after a slow first twenty minutes, they started to find their groove.  The coolest part of the night for me was when we walked out on the field at halftime in front of a crowd of 25,000 people. That experience made me feel like our team is a valued part of the US Soccer Federation, and that they truly respect what we are accomplishing. All said, my experience Friday night was one that I will cherish for the rest of my life, and I hope to have many more like it throughout the course of my career.

Before the game

The US Men's National team vs Guatemala

The US Paralympic Team on the field during halftime

Day 14 -- June 30, 2013

This is my first camp that we have played actual games, and I finally got to see all of the preparation that goes into games when you are playing at an international level. Even though today was just a friendly against a local San Diego club team (who have just returned from Hawaii after winning the U-20 Nationals), we prepared for it like we are going to prepare when we are in Barcelona for the Intercontinental Cup. I still don’t know if I’m going to Barcelona or not, but I need to attack practice every day as if I am already on the team.

Preparation for the game actually started last night, with a team meeting. We held the team meeting in the visitors center at 7pm to discuss everything from how we should be hydrating, to when we should eat, and of course, what is our strategy for the game. We prepared for the game as if we were playing the Ukraine, our first opponent in Barcelona and the second best team in the world. Because the Ukraine boasts such a strong team, we prepared to play a mostly defensive game. Then the goal was to  respond with a counter attack when we get the ball, pushing up the field with quick one and two touch soccer.

Game Strategy

Walking around the grounds

The next day we were able to sleep in and eat breakfast at 9am instead of seven because our game was at 5:45pm. After eating breakfast as a team we went for a walk around the training grounds to talk strategy and stay loose. After the game walk I went to the ice bath to get my legs ready, and then I went back to my room and took a nap. In advance of a big game it’s very important to stay off your feet so you don’t wear yourself out. It's also very important to stay hydrated. This means drinking small amounts of water throughout the day, because if you only drink water during training, you’ll sweat most of it out during training.










We ate lunch as a team again, followed by some more rest, and then it was time for the game. We headed to the field at 4:45pm to get warmed up and take a look at our competition. We knew that we were in for a tough game with the Nationals Champions. We played three twenty minute periods, and I finally got some playing time in the third one. Even though they were much bigger, faster, and stronger than I was, I did my best to keep attacking and trying to make plays for the team. Sadly, I was unable to score. Despite that, I still feel like I was able to take away some positives, and I will try to improve in the next two games. Even though I’ve been training on this team for three years, my performance the next two weeks is what determines whether or not I go to Barcelona.

US Paralympic Team with the U-20 Nationals Champions, fresh from their win in Hawaii

Day 11 -- June 27, 2013

In the time since I’ve been writing this blog about my experiences during camp, I’ve received a lot of
questions from family, friends, and coaches who want to know more about the team. Therefore, in today's entry I will to answer some of the most frequently asked questions. If you have other questions, please write them in the comments and I will attempt to answer them in another post.

1. Are you currently trying out for the team?  Or are you already on the team?

Although I have not played any international games, I am considered to be part of the player pool because I’m old enough to travel and have been to multiple camps. This is my ninth camp.

2. What other teams train in Chula Vista? 

There are many other teams that train here, including men’s and women’s rugby, track and field, beach volleyball, BMX, and archery. One team that came in for a short time was the women’s alpine ski team, who were here to do some offseason conditioning, which is basically running and strength training. We were lucky enough to scrimmage with them yesterday morning.

After a scrimmage with the US Women's Ski Team

3.  What's the average age of the other players?

The average age of the players on the US Paralympic soccer team is about 24, with the youngest on the team being me (16), and the oldest being the Captain, Josh McKinney (33 ish). I will try to do a profile of Josh in a later entry.

4. What qualifies you to be a member of the US Paralympic soccer team?

In order to be a member of this team, you need to have either Cerebral Palsy (CP), which is a condition caused by nerve damage. CP usually results from hydrocephalus (water on the brain) or a stroke. Another way you can become a member of the team is by suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). This means any sort of severe blow to the head, ranging from an extremely bad car accident to being hit by a bomb in a tank while serving in Afghanistan. We have players with both types of TBI injuries and players with CP on our team. I have CP, and have had it since I was a baby.

5.  How long are you going to at the camp?

During the school year, training camps only last about a week, but because we have a tournament in Barcelona on July 23th, we will be here for almost four weeks, from June 17th to July 13th. This is the longest camp of my career.

6. How many players are on the team? 

There are approximately thirty players in the player pool. Each one of those players are in contention a spot o the traveling team. However, only fourteen get to travel for a tournament at any given time. My goal is to be one of those fourteen at the end of camp, heading to the tournament in Barcelona.

7.  Does you play soccer every day, all day?  Do you get to do anything else?

We have training twice a day, from 9-11 in the morning and 4-6 in the afternoon. On some days we have weight training instead of soccer practice. In between training sessions we are free to do whatever we want. Some of my favorite things to do in my free time include, reading, watching TV, shooting hoops, or just taking a nap.

The basketball hoop behind the AT&T Center

Day 9 -- June 25, 2013

I am officially a third of the way through the longest camp of my career on the US Paralympic Soccer Team. At this point in the camp, we are too far away from the end of camp to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but far enough into it that we are starting to feel fatigued. Therefore, tonight I’d like to talk about motivation.

Josh McKinney

The ability to find motivation somewhere deep within yourself when the lights aren’t on and nobody is watching is what separates the truly great athletes from the mediocre ones. Anyone can work hard and push themselves when the pressure’s on. However, if you don’t work hard in the times in between the big games, you won’t be ready to take your opportunity and it will pass you by. Practice today showed me exactly what it will take if I want to become an important member of this team. We played a 45 minute scrimmage with a two touch limit, and the captain, Josh McKinney, put me in as a midfielder, which meant that I got a lot of touches, but at the same time I had to do a ton of running. The running wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t also have to deal with getting pushed around by the older members of the team. For me, that’s what is really tiring. I’ll push back, but they’re so much bigger than me that all it really does is make them angry.

A battle in the middle

In order to be successful playing against people like that, I need to be sharp mentally. On offense I need to see the holes in the defense before they open up, anticipate where there will be time and space to play, and most importantly, always know where I’m going with my next pass. On defense I need to anticipate runs into the box, close down players with the ball, and cut off the opposing teams passing lanes. Tonight I was able to find the motivation necessary to do each and every one of those things, and my team was able to come out on top with a 5-3 victory. I had one assist for one of the goals. Above all, the most important thing that I was able to take from tonight’s practice was the knowledge that when the going gets tough, I have the ability to dig deep and get a result, which is exactly what I’m going to have to do if I want to make the squad for Barcelona. All in all, today was a pretty good day.