New Club. New City. New Colors.
Charlotte Independence will be my new home for the foreseeable future! I am super excited to be a part of the 704 community and to make as much of an impact as possible. This offseason was a long and difficult one, but it has reminded me never to take things for granted. I am very thankful to have been given the trust for this opportunity during a time in my career when chances were not easy to find, and I am ready to give everything to help this team succeed.
This new chapter is an opportunity for me to cultivate my leadership skills and push my new teammates along through example and my voice. We all want to win trophies, big games, and play at the highest level, and I want to influence those moments as much as possible. Throughout my professional career, I have not been the leader or had as much influence in the locker room that I had been in my Barca Academy days. Yeah, I understand that academy football is way different from the pros, but that doesn’t discount my ability to be an important part of the squad, on and off the field. This season, I am looking to be a stronger presence.
American Legion Memorial Stadium - Home of Charlotte Independence
On the field, I am excited to bring dynamism, consistent production (goals/assists), and lock down defense. My time with El Paso and Monterey showed that I am a dynamic and exciting player but my output didn’t meet my standards. Obviously, some of that was out of my control, but if I play to my ability and let the work that I’ve put in show, this will be a special season. It comes down to being ruthless and playing with intense focus in the most important moments of the game. I will take pride in the ways that I defend against the opposition. I’m an attacking player who plays as a defender but defending with quality and intelligent aggression comes first. Dominating on both sides of the ball is the expectation.
I feel a hunger and a burning desire to prove that I’m the player I believe I am. There is still so much I want to accomplish in this game, and being counted out and overlooked has brought forward a wave of frustration and anger that I’m ready to channel the right way. I’m looking to use those emotions in productive ways that push me to just freaking grind, to sharpen the details of my game and earn every damn opportunity that comes my way. I can already picture the work ahead. Man, this gets me hyped. I already see all of the ways that I am going to work. All of the ways that I will become undeniable. That vision is what excites me most about this new chapter in my career.
On a personal level, I am really excited to explore a new city and grow connected to the community like I did in both Monterey and El Paso. Building real relationships off the field matters just as much to me as what happens on it. I am looking to volunteer weekly like I did last year, except with my girlfriend Ellie! Impacting the next generation is what I want to do, so finding ways to do that in both football and regular life is important to me. There are still moments almost every day where I miss people and pieces of life in Monterey and El Paso. The connections I built there were eye-opening and life-changing. As I get ready to embark on this journey in Charlotte, my hope is to create those same meaningful connections all over again.
Trying new restaurants and searching for awesome libraries are both things that make me antsy. Exploring a new city through food and quiet study spots is honestly one of my favorite parts of moving. I mean, come on, what is better than that?! Also, is Charlotte known for any type of food in particular? If anyone reading this knows the answer, please share it with me.
Charlotte, North Carolina
Bringing We Move to Charlotte is also a huge part of my excitement. I’ve worked really hard to improve and build this company so I can impact as many people as possible. Moving to a new city is a great opportunity to do that. I’m excited to plant new roots, host events, give talks, and welcome new We Move community members here. So hopefully all of you will see more social media posts of speeches, Q&A’s, and new We Move community members while I’m in Charlotte.
Lastly, I will be living with my girlfriend for the first time! It is a huge step forward and one that I am super excited about. I see us getting into a sweet routine together but also being intentional about the small things. Maybe a weekly movie theater (we LOVE a theater) appearance? Bike rides? Working at new study spots? Who knows, time will tell.
Lots of growth and excitement to be had in the 704 over the next months.
