In lieu of today’s holiday, I decided to list out some of the things about this wonderful sport that I am thankful for. I’ve played soccer since I was a young child, and it has continued to morph and become an important part of my life as I’ve aged. From all the moments that come with supporting my team to being able to talk with strangers, this is why I’m thankful to be a fan of the beautiful game.
Kevin & LADS Podcast
First and foremost, I wouldn’t be writing this without Kev and Martin making the commitment to start and manage a podcast. It comes with significant work and it’s been awesome to watch their podcast grow. As a result, they’ve established a platform where American soccer fans can help grow the game and interact with more relevant content.
I saw a post earlier in 2019 that LADS wanted more writers for their blog, and that was all I needed to see to give it a chance. I’ve written dozens of blogs since and have been fortunate enough to feature on 4 different podcast episodes. I’m kind of living a dream I didn’t even know I had - to have friends, family, and strangers alike genuinely interested in hearing/reading what I’m doing gives me such a proud feeling.
Kevin, you are the man and I am so grateful to have befriended you and helped contribute to the brand. I can’t thank you enough for the opportunity. This dude’s a workhorse and I’m really excited to see what he continues to produce moving forward.
Tottenham Hotspur
How could a team that doesn’t win any trophies give me anything to be thankful for? The Spurs have been a lifeline for me - when other things in my life aren’t going well, it’s so therapeutic to forget about everything else and get excited about a Tottenham game. The support and togetherness that this team has given me cannot be compared to anything else in life. I’ve made many friends due to my support of Tottenham and they will continue to be part of my identity for the rest of my life.
Strangers
As recently as Monday, I overheard some Brits talking on the Metro after the Ravens-Rams game and happened to hear someone say “Norwich City”. That’s all it took for me to interrupt and continue to talk about football for the rest of the drive home. It was clear they were surprised by my knowledge, but most importantly, it was an instantaneous talking point. It killed time while we rode home, and our different perspectives made it so easy to talk the whole way home. To me, it was so cool that we had these Brits supporting the NFL (They knew their shit about the NFL too, I was impressed) while I talked their ear off about the Premier League. I have encounters like this all the time - this wonderful game has helped me socialize and stand out.
US National Teams
The sense of togetherness that the US national team brings cannot be compared to anything else in my life. Regardless of the varying levels of support, every fourth summer (insert 2018 World Cup joke here) is amazing as we watch almost every American come together in support of our team. It’s been exciting watching the growth of women’s support as well. While we still have a ways to go, I’m grateful to live in a country that shows so much hope and promise with its teams.
Friendships
Most importantly, I am grateful for all the great people in my life that I likely would not be close to without football. I am good friends with a stranger I met at EDC who was wearing a Tottenham jersey. I’ve stayed close with some of my best friends from growing up because we consistently have the Champions League or Premier League to talk about. Kev and I talk on a regular basis. The list goes on and on. The benefits of social media are often overlooked amongst all the negativity, but I’ve felt the good that comes with it so much as I’ve gotten deeper into my blogs and featured on the podcast. Thank you so much to anyone who supports this. Happy Thanksgiving y’all :)