I’ve been playing soccer at a high level since I was 5 years old. My natural talent took me far, earning a spot playing a year up in professional academies with the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC, and later earning a scholarship to compete in NCAA Division 1 level at Manhattan University Men’s Soccer.

One of the greatest honors of my career was being selected to represent the youth United States National Team, an opportunity reserved only for the very best players in the country. Competing at that level gave me the chance to test myself against elite talent, and it pushed me to see what it really takes to reach the top.

Soccer also gave me the opportunity to live what many only dream of. Traveling across the U.S. and playing internationally in countries like Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. Along the way, I had the privilege of playing alongside top talents like Tyler Adams and Tim Weah as teammates at New York Red Bulls. From our generation, only Tim and I were later called up to represent the U.S. National Team. I also faced off against some of the world’s biggest stars, including:

• Vinícius Jr. (Real Madrid CF)

• Moises Caicedo (Chelsea FC)

• Willian Pacho (PSG FC)

• Alphonso Davies (FC Bayern Munich)

These experiences opened my eyes: while talent opened doors, my fitness, discipline, and physicality were holding me back.

At the highest levels, players weren’t just technically gifted, they were faster, stronger, sharper, and had the stamina to dominate for 90 minutes. At AJAX camp in the Netherlands, I saw kids as young as 7–8 years old already training multiple times a week with specialized programs focused on speed, agility, reaction, and coordination. That’s when it hit me, fitness wasn’t an “extra,” it was the foundation for success.

For years, I struggled in this area. I was always last in fitness testing, and no matter how good my vision, passing, or dribbling were, it was hard to showcase my talent if I couldn’t last the full game. But once I committed to the exact soccer-specific fitness training I now teach, everything changed. I went from being the slowest and least fit to the fittest player on my team, consistently finishing first in testing and outlasting everyone on the field.

That transformation didn’t just change my game, it changed my life. And now, I’ve built a program to help the next generation of players unlock their true potential.