This past week has been interesting to say the least, and it’s about to get even more interesting in the week to come. Let’s deal with the past before we look ahead to the future. This week, as I eluded to, was pretty intense. It started off strong with a return to drop in soccer. I ended the week before with an absolutely terrible (in my eyes) showing at soccer, letting in just as many as I stopped. It was a huge lesson for me that day, one I had every intention to avoid again. But I went home, processed what went wrong and came back Monday with a vengeance. Monday I returned to proper form. I felt good about making diving saves, and although I still made a mistake or two, they were mistakes I’d rather make at drop in than in a game. On top of that, they were mistakes that you only make once. This time it was a misplay from a cross that ended up as a header in the back of the net with my help. I definitely learned that a goalkeeper should ALWAYS catch the ball if he can, regardless of whether they think they can one touch it out of the zone with a volley… Bad idea Michael…
It got even better though as I had to partake in a one rep max test of strength for a lab through school. We had to test our one rep max bench as part of an Exercise Prescription class. I honestly didn’t have high hopes as I had all but given up on weightlifting back in last September. Add in the Ulcerative Colitis and the possible malnutrition and muscle degradation that can occur and I figured I’d be lucky to get 75% of my body weight. On top of that, I injured my hand, making it hard to grip anything. Yet, to my surprise, I hoisted up 170lbs for a max bench. I almost had 175lbs but couldn’t quite get the weight to go. Maybe next time. I’m pretty happy with my numbers though. I’ve never lifted 170lbs in bench press before in my life. Yet was able to do it that easily. It has begun to reshape how I view weightlifting and physical activity. There has been a shift in trends towards things such as Ido Portal’s movement system and MovNat. Maybe they are on to something. It is definitely something I think I will be exploring in the near future to help supplement my goalkeeper training.
Other than these two events, the week was pretty low key. I’ve been experiencing some pretty nasty side effects from my new medication, but when it comes to getting better, sometimes you need to feel worse briefly before you get better. I’m keeping my head up, trucking forward, and hoping for the best. I just hope I don’t start losing my hair (possible side effect). The new medication after all is a form of chemotherapy in stronger dosages, which I must admit is a little intimidating. But, and it’s a big but, it is absolutely better than surgery. Looking towards the positive!
That was basically it for last week. Three big things went on, and now I have two big things coming up next week. These two things are two big goalkeeper debuts! The first is on Tuesday night as I debut as a Futsal goalkeeper. I played Futsal last semester as a player. It’s fast paced and actually reminds me of a cross between hockey and soccer. It should be interesting to say the least. The second debut is more along the lines of real soccer. Friday marks my first game as an indoor goalkeeper. It still isn’t the big leagues, but it’s one step closer. The nets are a little bigger, but not as big as outdoor and it’s played on turf. Where Futsal is 4v4, indoor is 7v7, and eventually I will play a full 11v11 outdoors. In any case, I am excited to make both debuts this week and a little nervous. In full disclosure of a secret though, I love the nerves. It makes me feel alive in a weird sense. It’s the same reason I love writing tests. I really can’t wait to step in and play. To feel the nerves, to feel the accomplishment, and to make the big saves! I will most likely be adding a page on here to keep track of my games. At least that’s the plan. So if it interests you, definitely check that out in the next few days/weeks.
On closing, I just want to remind you that if you have any questions, concerns, suggestions for the site, or just want to say hi, then head over to the Contact page, shoot me an email. Unless it’s some serious hatemail, you can expect a response in a reasonable amount of time (within 24 hours). I would love to hear from everyone!
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