Discover how football became my universal language, my emotional anchor, and the driving force behind SportsEQ.
From a very young age, football became my sanctuary. I first discovered this at the age of six, when my family moved to Spain. Amid the chaos of adapting to a new school, new language, and new culture, football was my constant. It was the one thing I could rely on to bring me joy and stability.
Football became my emotional anchor, my go-to activity whenever I felt overwhelmed or lost. The field was where I could truly be myself, free from the pressures of adapting to a new environment.
Over the next six years, I attended a number of different schools and lived in as many houses and locations. Each time we moved, the challenges of integrating into a new community loomed large. However, football made these transitions smoother. It was my way to break down barriers, and allowed me to connect with others.
No matter where I was, the rules of the game were the same, and that familiarity was comforting. Football taught me resilience and adaptability, skills that have proven invaluable throughout my life.
Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with three heart conditions, which later became four. This diagnosis was a turning point in my life. It forced me to delve into the psychology of resilience and positivity. I began to understand the mental strength required to navigate life's challenges, much like the mental fortitude demanded on the football field.
I realized that the lessons I had learned from football—perseverance, teamwork, and maintaining a positive attitude—were crucial in managing my health. Football had prepared me for this battle in ways I hadn't fully appreciated until then.
Two years after my diagnosis, I was struck by lightning! Yes, it's true, sometimes I still don't really believe it. It was a life-changing, defining experience, and I distinctly remember feeling like I had a choice. In that crucial moment, I chose to stay. I decided, I didn't let go. I attribute this decision to the resilience and never-give-up attitude I had cultivated through football. All those years being my safe space, it once again came to my rescue, yes, my children, and my wife were at the forefront of my thoughts at that specific moment, they gave me strength, but I have no doubt, the mental focus to break the barrier, visualise them, and push through, came from the beautiful game.
In those seconds, everything I had learned on the field came rushing back to me—the pressure moments, the resilience, and the spirit of never giving up. It was a profound realisation that football had equipped me with the mental and emotional tools to face even the most extreme situations.
I've been training kids, adults, and amateur and semi-professional football teams since I was 16. But after my lightning strike experience, my approach to coaching changed. I didn't just want to train and educate; I wanted to mentor and inspire.
SportsEQ was born out of this newfound sense of purpose. I wanted to show others how football could be more than just a game. The transferable skills—resilience, teamwork, and emotional management—are real and applicable in every aspect of life. Now, we are ready to take this mission to the world and help as many children as possible harness the power of football to navigate their own life's challenges.