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.