Opportunities are never lost; someone will take the one you miss.? ~Author Unknown

A year ago the?training center, Athletic Lab, that I had spent the previous 3 years pouring every ounce of my being in to (read the story here) to get off the ground was finally doing well and reached what business owners call the ‘tipping point.’ I also had a really sweet part-time coaching gig at NCSU and for the first time, life was starting to be semi-comfortable. Then 365 days ago I flew to Vancouver and left all that behind. My first day?on the job for Whitecaps FC?was cold and rainy (as would be my next 3 months in Vancouver). I was 2,500+ miles away from all of my friends and family. I was immediately thrown to the fire. I’d arrived at the hotel where I’d live for my first month in Vancouver at 2:30 in the morning. I got a ride in to practice with another coach, and led the warmup and a short fitness module just minutes after being introduced to the team. I was accustomed to coaching for 8+ hours each day in addition to administrative work and everything else under the sun. Now my actual coaching was confined to 20-30 minute segments within each session, an advisory role for the session layout, and 2-3x / week weight training sessions. It was definitely a change of pace. For the first month or two the job was a little unfulfilling at times. And I sometimes questioned whether I’d made the right move. But flash forward a year, and the ride has been amazing. My role in the club has increased by the day and I now play an integral part with the team in both coaching and sport science. I still don’t work anywhere close to the 90+ hours / week when I was at Athletic Lab so I’ve been able to use my time for professional development (something that had been put on the back-burner for my last 2 years in NC), traveling and family time. Athletic Lab has continued to grow as well. I could’ve stayed back and played it safe. 10 years later I likely would’ve regretted it.

Some highlights of my last year….