|
Age: 27.
Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla. Now lives in Madison.
Occupation: Satellite meterologist at the University of Wisconsin.
Current team: Mid-Town Kids, coed indoor team at BreakAway Sports Center.
Soccer experience: Started playing at age 5, played at Nease High School and one season at NCAA Division II Florida Tech (2002). However, hadn't played regularly for 1½ years until recently joining this coed team.
Favorite rec soccer moment: "Not really. Nothing that's a big memory, no. Sorry."
Boots: "adidas, from Dick's. I don't know what the name of them are. If it's there, I'll use them at this point. No point in buying $100 spikes when you don't play that much."
Who's the best player you've played with or against? "Probably the best guy I played against was in high school, it was Eddie Johnson, who plays for the U.S. national team right now (and is on loan to Aris Thessaloniki in Greece from Fulham of the Premier League). He played at Flagler-Palm Coast High School (in Bunnell). He was good. He wasn't the best on that team at that point, but he was still good. He was just fast, he was quick and had some skills, but their whole team was pretty stacked. ... I didn't realize (how far Johnson had progressed) until they played in the World Cup in Germany (in 2006) and he got on the pitch and looked good and I was like, 'Eddie Johnson. That sounds familiar.' And then they said Palm Coast, Fla., so I knew it then."
Why do you play? "I just love the sport, it's good exercise, it's good fun. Meet new friends, good friends, hang out. Afterwards, go and have some beers, it's a social kind of environment. I just joined this team from a guy at work I know, and I played with them the last few years."
Do you have an on-field pet peeve? "Whining. The guys that complain, but then they do the same stupid things. Like they can't take a hit, but then they come back and start hacking you."
Are you a soccer fan? Do you follow a specific soccer league or club? "Yes. I watch a lot of soccer. Barcelona is probably the team I watch the most, in the Champions League. The U.S. team, and I watch a little bit of the MLS, not too much. But the Fire, I've been watching them a little a bit. ... I'm trying to get to go to South Africa (for this summer's World Cup), but it's probably not going to happen because the funds are a little short. "
Does your team have a rival? "I don't some of the names. I know a few faces, let's put it that way."
What aspect of your game needs work? "Right now, a lot of things. Probably my touch and my fitness. I'm definitely out of shape, and the touch is just really bad. I've lost a lot of my dribbling skills. And my shots, I think I was 1-for-15 tonight – and that's being generous."
|
