Day 44 – Derry City FC

Early morning for all. The team didn’t arrive back until 1.30/2am last night, so for them it was even earlier. Fortunate enough, management had brought a few boxes of cereal, some loaves of bread and tea and coffee so that everyone could begin their mornings right after a short night. A 30 minute video analysis of EA Cup opponents, Limerick FC for the semi final on Monday before the players were split. Those who played last night stayed and did recovery, massage, ice baths, treatment etc. and then the subs, myself and two others went out and trained. We started with a passing drill, then some possession, a bit of crossing and finishing, and then finished off with passing sequences leading up to finishing. A fairly productive morning and good to get the legs going. Although my ankle was on my mind, I did not feel it during the session at all which was nice.

A nice shower and icing of the ankle before we headed home. I was able to watch more of the Blackcaps vs Zimbabwe test match, and also the Super Rugby Semi Final between the Lions and Highlanders. A little more reading of my book and then I headed outside just to see what I could do/keep busy with around the house. As much as I wish we had a lawn mower so that we could tidy the place up, we don’t so for now all I could do was weed one of the boxes out there. Nothing productive is growing in there, but at least weeding it gave me something to do and made a difference to the look of it.

I kept myself fairly busy in the evening, with the sun finally coming out also. I enjoyed a very good dinner. The sunset was just as lovely too. Watched a show on tele and then sat outside and read a chapter in the dimming light. It was finally clear enough that there were stars out, which I always enjoy gazing at!

Day 43 – Derry City FC

Today was game day, however this time I wasn’t traveling with the team to Sligo. Wardy and Conor left the house to meet at the hotel at 2pm before they departed. I had the afternoon to myself where I got a few errands done down at the local post office in Carrigans and had a restful afternoon. The ankle wasn’t too sore and I was able to comfortably walk around.

The Derry game against Sligo was on TV, however the T.V. in the house didn’t have the channel, but I managed to find a stream online. It wasn’t the greatest performance as neither team really grabbed ahold of the game. Derry had some very good chances, but not enough of them to put them away. Sligo also had a few good chances. 0-0 was probably a fair outcome, however it is not the result Derry would have hoped as the team continues to push and keeps its spot for European Competition next season.

Once the game was over I was able to have my weekly catch up with my parents via FaceTime. For the last 4 years I have been away from New Zealand, I have been able to either Facetime or Skype them at least once a week to catch up and fill them in on all the happenings. As always it was great to see and talk to them. Funnily enough, during our talk they bought me a book for my kindle which I got for my birthday, however they are still technically challenged sometimes. Eventually I received the gift email of a book and I was able to add it to my kindle. The book is Fully Committed: The Ben Sigmund Story. Ben was a footballer from back home who took a fairly different path to becoming a pro, but being a true Kiwi, he continued through tough times and found the passion for the game again which often alluded him. It is a story that as I read, I continuously relate to, and therefore it is often difficult to put down. Before I went to bed I read at least 5 chapters.

Day 42 – Derry City FC

This morning dawned another raining morning. Not much changes there. The regular pre training routine along with a 30 minute video analysis session. Once we got on the field and warmed up we were split up. The match day squad of 18 went off and did their thing preparing for Sligo Rovers, while the rest of us, mostly youth players, went off and did our training session under the eye of the youth coach. The session consisted of possession, mixed with two sets of running to make sure we got the fitness needed because we weren’t consistently playing matches on the weekend. During one of the possession games I unfortunately rolled my ankle pretty sharply, but a little bit of time and I was on my feet. It certainly was tender and I had to tread lightly and watch my turns. Once we finished training I went straight to the Physio just to get it checked and make sure that it wasn’t any major ligaments or anything. Ice and rest will do it good.

Training Ground

We came home after training and stayed home for the afternoon and into the evening. My Visa research, and part time job research continued. The rest of our evening was uneventful.

 

Day 41 – Derry City FC

Today the routine was flipped. We were in the gym this morning to do our workout, foam rolling and stretch before we headed back to the training ground for training. I enjoy this a lot more, because the body isn’t fatigued when going into the gym and I prefer that to allow me to push myself. Plus it allows us to be done once we finish training.

Our training today had new drills which was good. Some passing drills to get the legs going and then a passing drill that really got the head going and made everyone have to think, which is important. It was important everyone was switched on for the next drill which was challenging and focused on possession through channels. These drills added a new dimension to training and was certainly different to the regular passing and possession we had been doing fairly often. Training finished with a 9v9 game to goal before we were done for the day.

I spent my afternoon researching visas and the various types to make sure that if opportunity does arise, I am ready to get that sorted. I also began the lookout for part time jobs that I could pick up a few hours with to make a bit of extra money and utilize my spare time. Hopefully I can speak to some of the local lads who may know of some opportunities there.

Cooked up a pretty decent pasta bake and chilled out on the couch this evening. Was treated to some nice colors from the sunset too. 

Day 40 – Day Off

A well deserved day off after two fairly tough days of training. As the time ticks by, it is becoming more important for me to have plans in place for all situations that may occur. So I spent this morning researching travel and work visas. However, for 2 hours in which I thought I was collecting information about obtaining a visa for the UK while in the UK, it turned out that it was information about obtaining a visa to go to America from the UK. So back to square one really and more research to be done. It is a process either way, and having some knowledge on what steps it may require will be helpful when time comes that I apply for a visa.

My day was split up with a trip to town with Wardy to catch up with 3 of the other lads for a meal and a coffee/cup of tea. It was an enjoyable afternoon, and one would say we were fairly productive in our talks, sharing business ideas and interests, sharing stories of former friends or teammates who are successful, and just some general chat. For a professional athlete, creating a business is very viable, and I hope that one day I am able to do that. The ideas for those businesses start from a small talk like we had over a cup of coffee/tea and develop with investment of time and money. So it was a nice productive escape from the house out in Carrigans.

A casual evening in at the house, while we watched Dundalk play in the Champions League Qualifying game.

Just a reminder to all my followers that this is a blog with intentions of informing my friends and family all around the world of the journey that I am on. This is not a place where I intend to exploit any tactical or technical insight from Derry City FC. The blogs intent is to simply share my experience. I appreciate the regular viewers/readers and I hope you are enjoying learning about my experience.

Day 39 – Derry City FC

Training Pitch 

Training was very good today. A good field session with various aspects, along with a fair bit of running at the end too. Once again, it was just the senior team, so the numbers were lower which was good, but also the competitiveness and quality was higher. We did a few passing exercises to begin before we went into pressure-possession grids, and played some game like situation games. The session ended with some running that was similar to yesterdays running. As much as it was tough, its all good stuff for me to keep fit.

A quick shower and bite to eat before we met with PFA (Professional Footballers Association) who had brought along a lady who works with professional athletes on their development outside of sport. It was really a session for her to find out what the players were interested in so that they can supply the necessary means of education, workshops, online courses, and employment opportunities once football is no longer their career. For most of the team, they have not gained a University degree and most have only graduated high school at best. Some have part time jobs, some are taking online courses, and for others, football is all their life consists of. It’s a great program to have and get the team involved in, because for so many professional athletes who haven’t done anything other than sport their whole life, it is important they are prepared for life after football. For me, well I have my Bachelors Degree in Psychology, however depending on how things pan out I would love to take classes towards a Masters in Sports Psychology/Mental Skills.

Once the meeting finished, we headed over to the gym. Our gym session today was tough but very good. A balance of power and strength is always what is focused on. The legs were quite heavy during the session, but the benefits are worth it for sure.

Wardy and I headed to the grocery store after the gym and headed home. A relaxing afternoon and then a busy night in the kitchen. With my groceries topped up I was able to get a little creative in the kitchen. It tasted as good as it looked and sure went down a treat.

Day 38 – Derry City FC

The regular Sunday routine was changed today as only the players who played more than 70 minutes in the game on Friday went to yoga. The rest of the bench and other players who didn’t travel, along with many of the U19 squad had a regular training session this morning. It was good to train, because for me especially, not playing 90 minutes each week in a game can leave me to lack fitness, so the extra opportunity to train was very good for me.

A passing drill, then a few possession grids and a few small sided games, before finishing with sprints. The sprints were certainly a blow after a long session, but all good for the body. Shower and then headed on home. Made a good lunch and relaxed for most of the afternoon.

Wardy arrived home early evening so it was nice to have company again. Time for a good sleep before another big week of training begins.

Day 37 – Day Off

After a late arrival last night I was able to have a wonderful sleep in and lazy morning in bed. It is only me at the house with both Conor and Wardy home for the weekend. Nothing too special in my day.

I filled my day watching two Super Rugby matches, the Crusaders vs Lions and Chiefs vs Stormers. That took up a lot of my time. Other than that, I set up my new birthday gifted Kindle. Still unsure about it but once I have a few books on there, we shall see how it all goes. I also got a good long catch up with Mum and Dad and filled them in on the weeks happenings. Mum was able to give me more advice with attempting to reverse the car, and of course it worked. Once I was done chatting to Mum and Dad, I took Wardy’s car out for a quick spin. As it has been awhile since driving a manual, it took a bit of getting used to again, but it was good. A few more practice drives to sharpen up on my gear changing and I should be good.

Day 36 – Derry City FC

Home alone this morning, however Harry picked me up around 11am and I headed to his place before we reported to the hotel where we were departing from for the away game. I was lucky enough to have a seat because a few of the lads had travelled down earlier the night before to visit their family and stay at home for the weekend. It was just like any away trip really. Nothing too special about the bus. A bit of chat with those around me on the bus, read the paper, and watched as Ireland went by out my window. The only difference however, was the fact that there are no massive motorways, so it was along country roads and through small towns every so often, until we were about 30 minutes outside of Dublin when it moved up to two lanes of a motorway.

We arrived at the hotel where pre match meal, pre match talk, and massages/rolling/stretching would occur. The food was good and I had good conversation with a few of the lads about various aspects of football. Then we went into the pre match talk where the team was named, and the areas to focus on were addressed etc. It was nice to see how it all goes down, and I got to see another aspect to the manager and learn how he  inspires the team on game day. Eventually we were on our way to the stadium.

Bohs Main Stand from the ground 

Once the bus arrived at the stadium and we walked across the pitch towards the dressing room, various players were asked for interviews at random. The match was being televised and obviously they wanted some coverage. So some of us made sure we went away from the lady and the camera. One of the lads, Ryan, who travelled wasn’t selected in the match day squad, so him and I sat and talked while the warm ups and pre match preparation went on.

The game unfortunately was nothing special. Possession was tossed about by both teams and only in patches did Derry play well. Derry scored a good goal after some nice build up after 10 minutes, and defended that lead for the remainder of the game. It was an important win for the team as it further establishes them in 3rd place and puts the pressure on 2nd place. At seasons end, the team in first qualifies for UEFA Champions League Qualification, and the 2nd and 3rd placed teams qualify for UEFA Europa League Qualification. As the title is now fairly out of Derry’s reach, making sure they finish 2nd or 3rd is crucial, so this win was very important for that.

Back on the bus and the 3 hour journey home began. Arriving in at 1.30am, and home and in bed by 2! Not too bad.

Day 35 – Derry City FC

It was another semi regular day of training. The foam roll, stretch, mobility and then video analysis routine was the same. And because of Foyle Cup, we went back to the ground we had been using all week, only for the gate to be locked. So back to the regular training ground. A few passing drills to get warmed up and sharp and then we went onto the main pitch to run through situations that would occur in the game tomorrow. We played 11v11 and the manager would just stop it here and there explaining certain situations. It was fairly informative and productive.

After showering, two hypnotists/magician had come to do a few things with the team, so we watched a few tricks and Wardy got hypnotized which was fun. Eventually we headed for home. A casual afternoon for me, with Wardy and Connor both heading home home before the game tomorrow and would meet the team at the stadium. I did call the manager and see if there was a seat for me on the bus, which there was and I was welcome to come. So I’ll get to see a bit of the Ireland countryside via bus window tomorrow.

Wardy did leave his car behind, which is a manual. I haven’t driven a manual car in 7 or 8 years, and for some reason, I couldn’t get it engaged into reverse. So because of this, I didn’t feel comfortable just driving in because who knows when I might need to reverse it. Maybe on Saturday when I have more time, Ill try again. I felt very disheartened, because it is a skill that I should have. Oh well.

Casual evening on the couch, making a nice dinner for myself and getting a good sleep!