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From the Pitch – "Episode XVIII"

By NEILL COLLINS, Tampa Bay Rowdies, 03/08/18, 10:40AM EST

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Rowdies veteran Collins reflects on motivation entering 18th season

On my first day back for preseason in my first-ever meeting with a new manager, I was once asked what were the top five things that made me get out of bed in the morning?

I didn’t take the question literally, as that would have been an easy answer - my kids screaming and jumping on the bed, demanding to watch Toy Story for the hundredth time. In truth, I found it very difficult to give a straight answer. I found it particularly hard to give five motivating factors as really I only rely on two.

First and foremost: my family. No matter how bad I may feel or how much self-pity I may be wallowing in after a bad defeat or poor personal performance, I will always be ready to get up and go to work to provide for my wife and four children. At the end of the day, regardless of what I do, they will always be my priority. Second, and as corny as it may sound, I quite simply love my job.

I first kicked a ball at the age of five, and ever since then, it has been my mission to be able to call the sport I love my job. I am just about to embark upon my 18th season as a professional, and for those on the outside never lucky enough to get paid to kick a ball around, they might wonder what exactly it is that makes the game so special to me even after all these years on the inside. After doing the same thing over and over, day after day, why did I still feel like a giddy school kid on Christmas morning as I arrived at Al Lang Stadium for the first day of preseason this year, all the while knowing the hard work and pain that lie ahead in the following weeks?

Just like any job, football has its drawbacks - perhaps not as many as most jobs, but there are still a few. Being injured and finding yourself unable to contribute on the pitch can make you feel pretty worthless, as well as not being selected for the team and made to sit on the bench. At times, you can feel about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

"I will always be ready to get up and go to work to provide for my wife and four children. At the end of the day, regardless of what I do, they will always be my priority. Second, and as corny as it may sound, I quite simply love my job."

Traveling and leaving my wife and kids at home alone with no friends or family around for up to seven days at a time is particularly tough alongside suffering heart-wrenching defeats. One of the biggest misconceptions that fans have is that players don’t care. Players sacrifice so many things in their life to try to be as successful as possible, and when we come up short, it can be devastating. Just ask any spouse or girlfriend, and they will tell you all about the emotional rollercoaster ride that professional sports can put you through. Missing out on events with my family or friends due to our intense in-season schedule. Did I mention the traveling?

If you speak to any athlete that has survived the test of time, they will be able to tell you about challenging moments, disappointments and setbacks they have endured throughout their career. It is par for the course, but why do we keep coming back for more every season even though we know the lows will more than likely outweigh the highs? It’s almost akin to that boxer looking for just one more fight.

For me, it is easy. Scoring a last-minute, game-winning goal, securing a hard-fought three points on the road, returning to a jubilant dressing room, or if you are very lucky, winning and celebrating a championship. The feeling that courses through your body when these events take place is like no other. It is like a drug. Once you have had a taste, you are always chasing your next hit.

Joe Cole, my teammate here in Tampa Bay, has won every honor the English game has to offer, yet he is as motivated as anybody to win a USL Championship in what may be his last season as a professional. Like every other pro, he wants that feeling of achievement, elation, togetherness and pride - plus all the other spine-tingling emotions you feel in those special moments just once more.

What makes these moments even better is the people that you get to share them with. When I get asked my favorite aspect of being a professional footballer, I have to say it’s the people I have met along the way that I can now call friends. When you achieve something together as a team, there is a bond that is formed between players and staff that can never be broken.

I was invited to Jody Craddock’s testimonial dinner with the rest of the Wolves 2008 title-winning team a few years ago, and there were many players there that hadn’t seen each other in a few years. As soon as we were all together, there was an energy amongst the group that can’t be bought. The banter was flying back and forth as if we had never been away. We had been through the highs and lows together and managed to come out on top. The respect every player has for each other is immense. These are bonds that will last a lifetime.

In what other job around the world do you get to spend so much time with a group of like-minded people all working towards a common goal with everyone sharing the same dreams and ambitions? Is there any job where you can come in every morning and slaughter your work mates’ clothes, new haircut or choice of footwear all in the name of fun or spend hours on plane journeys sharing stories that have your sides aching from laughter? The most successful teams are most often the most vicious with each other. The closer the group, the more ruthless the banter. No one is safe, but just watch an opponent try to take a shot at someone in the team and you will see just how much players will protect one of their own. He may be an idiot or a clown, but he’s our clown, so back off.

In my first months at Sunderland, we had organized team meals and days out where the masseuse would hand out questionnaires to the players with questions, such as: Worst touch at the club? Teacher’s (Coach’s) pet? Worst dressed?

Many people may think this type of searing honesty would cause a divide or rift, plus mental anguish to the victim, but it actually brought us even closer together as we could all laugh at ourselves. So many ex-pros say they miss the banter in the dressing room more than anything else after retirement. I personally think when the day eventually comes for me to hang up my boots, it will be the competition and the never-ending chase for that next elusive high I will miss most, followed closely by the banter in the dressing room.

As I prepare to climb aboard the proverbial rollercoaster that is professional soccer for the 18th time, I am as prepared as anyone can be for what lies ahead. One of the best things about football is that no matter how disappointing the previous season was, fans, coaches and players always return full of optimism that this will be their year. I am no different.

After all these years, one thing I have learned is to expect the unexpected. You never know what might happen next. The only certainty is that there will be low points and mornings where it takes me a couple of minutes longer than usual to climb from my bed, but I will always pull myself from my slumbers and carry on safe in the knowledge that just as every high can be quickly followed by a low, the next match-winning goal, epic road win or playoff victory might just be around the corner.

"The most successful teams are most often the most vicious with each other. The closer the group, the more ruthless the banter. No one is safe, but just watch an opponent try to take a shot at someone in the team and you will see just how much players will protect one of their own. He may be an idiot or a clown, but he’s our clown, so back off."


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