3. "Raise High the Buff and Blue": Experience & Networking
Before I continue with my career in the Premier League, I want to take a few steps back to university. I decided to move from the UK to the USA in 2009 to go to university in Washington DC - a city school called The George Washington University.
I was keen to reinvent myself - at school I’d been one of those kids who was neither popular nor unpopular - unremarkable is probably a good way to describe me. I’d been a bit of a computer nerd, a gamer and someone who was happiest in a dark room with a screen. Nothing wrong with being that person, but I felt that going to America where I didn’t know anyone could be time for a complete “brand refresh”. In fact, I went from being unremarkable to “that British guy” and quickly was the centre of attention - something I grew to relish.
My philosophy at uni changed to “always say yes” when invited somewhere. Before, I’d make excuses as to why I couldn’t do something to a point where I stopped getting invited, preferring to watch a box set in my room. At uni, my outlook was different - even if I don’t enjoy this, it will be a story to tell and new people to meet. I forced my introverted teen self to become a partial extrovert. Even today, I don’t really class myself as an extrovert - I am really comfortable speaking in front of an audience or on camera, but the thought of going into a room of people, not knowing anyone and having to speak fills me with dread. But I’d happily speak to a few hundred people on stage - it’s weird. Through this policy I did some things I never thought I would: canvassing for a US political campaign, going to a gun range, starring in two rap videos (these will never see the light of day again!) - my point is that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and don’t regret any of it.
The GW Club Soccer team is probably the one I’m proudest of, the first time I’d really run a team and been able to put across my vision over a number of years. I worked them hard to massively increase professionalism - we had minimum attendance limits, matching full uniforms, schedules, planned sessions - all for the first time. I was strict - probably stricter than I’ve ever been in my career - we once drove to an away game 3 hours away with less than 11 players to make a point that we didn’t wait for anyone who was late. Not everyone came along for the ride and a few players ended up leaving - but those that stayed benefitted and not only did we have a great team that won a lot of games, but we also had a great group of guys, many of whom I’m still good friends with today. This is probably my earliest experience that showed me that what happens off the pitch will affect what happens on it. We weren’t necessarily technically better or had better tactics/coaching than the opposition, but we were better organised. We were early for every game, warmed up as a group, wore identical kit, ate together, had in game refreshments - a plan. Other teams would look at us and the way we presented ourselves and we gained an early psychological advantage, not only in their heads but with us going into the game knowing we were better prepared.
GW Club Soccer vs Georgetown, 2012
One of the things I was keen to do was to get involved on campus as much as possible. American colleges have a huge extracurricular scene and I made sure I got involved in everything. In my 4 years at uni, I achieved all of the below and more:
President of GW Cricket team that competed in nationals in Florida for the first time.
President & Head Coach of the club soccer team, taking them from outside the Top 1000 ranked nationally to 24th in 3 seasons.
Started & ran an organisation (The GW Club Sports Council) for 3 years which brought together all the 32 student run club sports, combining budgets and lobbying power which helped massively improve the student athlete welfare.
Ran for student senate and won my seat.
Ran for Student Body President as a fictional character and got nearly 1000 votes, including having to enter a debate as this character.
Studied at the London 2012 Olympics through an unbelievable behind the scenes class.
Coached a local girls high school team
Hosted a radio show on student radio
Was a blogger for a university publication
Invited to the White House to see President Obama speak
Interned at the FA and Southampton FC in the summer holidays
Worked on the British BBQ Championships in the summer holidays
Got my USSF D & GK Level 1 soccer coaching licenses
Worked on the crew of 2 Indianapolis 500 races
GW Cricket 2009
The point of this list isn’t to point out how amazing I was - but to point out that I got INVOLVED. I took everything I could from the university experience and committed too it fully - though not really in an academic sense. I got my degree with average grades but honestly have never been asked what my GPA was at college by any employer. And after this - I still couldn’t get a job on graduation.
My mistake had been in hindsight that I was so consumed with improving my own experience, working hard and gaining all these different skills was that I’d not really developed my network. My network was all college kids and I’d not spent time reaching out, learning from those more experienced than me and earning their trust.
I graduated in 2013 with a longer CV/resume than I have nowadays and assumed I’d get all the big Premier League clubs fighting over me. This didn’t happen - I ended up taking the advice from the GW Sports Management Professor Lisa Delpy Neirotti - who advised the class “by not being willing to relocate for your first job, you’re turning down jobs you haven’t even been offered yet”. I said to myself I’ll give it a few months of being open to moving anywhere in the English speaking world before moving home to the family farm.
Eventually I got a chance - which I’m eternally grateful for - from Peter Wilt and the Indy Eleven. My brother had known someone who knew the owner, Ersal Ozdemir, who he asked to look at my resume. I got the call, asked if I could come meet Peter for lunch to interview. After a grilled cheese together, he offered me the job and I started a month or two later. I’m sure I wouldn’t have got the job without a lot of my prior experience, but I’m 100% sure I wouldn’t have got a chance to show what I can do if I hadn’t had my network come through for me to put my experience on the table in front of them!