Each week, the United Soccer League takes a unique look at what it takes to be a professional player and much more with the stories coming straight from the source in the series “From the Pitch”. This week, Real Monarchs SLC midfielder Jack Blake talked about what it is like to move himself and his family across the country halfway through the regular-season. To view Blake’ full write-up titled “Next Stop: Salt Lake City”, click the following link: http://bit.ly/071918BA.
To say 2018 has been an eventful year would be a huge understatement.
Before I start on 2018 I will take you back to November 2017. My wife, Lou, was four months pregnant and I just had the most successful year of my career to date with Jacksonville Armada FC.. I won the league’s Young Player of the Year award, and had just signed a new contract with Armada.
Our life as a family was stable, secure and exciting.
Little did we know, over the next few months everything was going to be turned upside down.
Let’s fast forward to December 28, 2017. Lou and I flew back to Jacksonville from our offseason vacation in England. Just a few days after the wheels had touched down on the runway of Jacksonville airport, I had received news that Jacksonville Armada were not going to field a professional team in a professional league in 2018.
Immediately, my heart dropped. I cannot describe in words the whirlwind of emotions and uncertainty around that day. I found myself asking, “What do i do now?”. My wife was now six months pregnant and was due to deliver in Jacksonville in early March, and I was not attached to a professional soccer team.
At this point, it was sink or swim.
During the second week of January, the opportunity to go on loan to Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL arose. I grasped it with both hands. I knew that joining such a prestigious and historic club, in a stable and successful league, was a tremendous opportunity for me and my family.
Now, after such a turbulent few weeks, my career and livelihood was back on track. That breath of fresh air lasted just four days.
On January 19, 2018 my wife went into labor, more than six weeks prior to the due date. There is no doubt in my mind that the stresses and uncertainty swirling around us was a huge factor in Lou going into labor early. The day after was the greatest day of our lives when our beautiful son Leo was born at five pounds, five ounces. It’s true when they say that ‘the darkest night comes before the brightest morning’! Being premature meant that Leo stayed in the Intensive Care Unit for three weeks in which we could visit him 24 hours a day. Technically homeless, Lou and I both stayed in the hospital and once Leo was released we made the trip down to Tampa to settle into our new home, new city and new life.
Everyone at the Rowdies, from the kit man and physios to the players and management had welcomed me into the group. Preseason went extremely well for me and the team. I had quickly established my role as one of the starting central midfielders and the stability had returned to my life. So much so, that my contract with the Rowdies had been turned from a loan into a permanent contract.
On my league debut for the club, I scored and contributed to a 2-0 win at North Carolina. It was a very proud moment for me and my family as that same week, my Grandfather back in England had sadly passed away. It was an emotional feeling scoring and dedicating it to him.
April and May of 2018 was a difficult time for everyone at the Rowdies. We had not been picking up results and due to the brutality of the business, a change was enforced. Our centre back Neill Collins stepped up to become the new manager.
It was definitely an unusual dynamic to have a teammate become your boss, but Neill transitioned into the role and he had the respect from everyone in the locker room. A few weeks later I got a phone call from my agent to say that Real Monarchs SLC of the USL were interested in taking me on loan. The Monarchs were top of the Western Conference and I knew immediately that this wasn’t an opportunity to be overlooked. I had not been getting as much game time as I would have liked at the Rowdies, so it definitely made the decision easier.
At the end of the day, at the age of 23, I knew that I needed to be getting regular minutes and developing as a player. With that comes the sacrifice to constantly move my family around the globe in the pursuit of my dreams.
Once I had made the decision that we were destined for Salt Lake City, being an international player, I had to wait for the approval of my visa status that was being switched to The Monarchs.
Once that process was successful there was a frantic rush on in the household to ensure we moved from A to B with all of our belongings. My wife absolutely despises moving so for me it was quite eventful watching her panic if we had remembered to pack everything.
In all seriousness though, a loan is a lot more than just a web update and the switch of a jersey; it comes with a whirlwind of emotion and adjustment into a completely new environment on and off the field.
For me, it means entering a new locker room and getting to know the culture around the club which can bring challenges in itself.
Entering the locker room half way through the squad seemed a little daunting at first. Other than one player on the roster, I didn’t know any of the players.
I suppose it was like the first day of school!
I guess the thing that made it an easy transition was the players personalities; each and every one of them introduced themselves to me and i quickly found common ground with everyone to build a relationship on and off the field.
For my wife, the move to Utah meant leaving behind friends and the comfort of the city she got to know really well in Tampa. What not a lot of people understand is that it is very difficult for the family of any professional athlete to feel comfortable and at ‘home’. The constant change in group of friends, apartments, and environment can definitely affect the happiness of our families. It is something that my wife Lou has dealt with extremely well and continues to deal with.
The best piece of advice I would give to any professional athlete and family is that ‘Everything happens for a reason’.
It sounds a simple and uncomplicated piece of advice but sometimes that is the easiest way to look at life.
Whether it is a faith in religion or a belief in fate, life can sometimes be out of our control. I am in an extremely fortunate position to be able to travel the world with my beautiful family and play the game I felt i was always destined to. I only look at these changes in environment as opportunity to learn, grow, and improve both as a footballer and as a person.
With Salt Lake City being the next destination on the map, excitement was in the air once again. Almost the complete opposite of the spectrum to Florida, ‘the beautiful game’ has once again given me, and my family, the opportunity to explore another breathtaking part of the world.
With Leo’s third city in five months and first airplane journey on the horizon, I don’t think that his first word will be ‘uneventful’! On June 19, the Blake family touched down in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the next chapter in our ever-evolving lives.
What made it easier for us was the people at Real Monarchs SLC. We were put in touch with the team administrator from day one who has been magnificent with making the process as smooth as possible for us. Everyone who I have gotten to know since walking through the doors of the training facility on the first day has been phenomenal in welcoming me and my family into this great club.
We were immediately taken aback by the sheer scenic beauty of our new city and it didn’t take us long to feel settled in. I successfully completed my medical at the club the following day and was introduced to all my new teammates and staff involved with the Real Salt Lake organization.
Just a few days later I made my debut for the club. It was a very proud moment to put on the Real Monarchs jersey and once again represent my team and my family name.
All the fans gave me such a warm welcome as I came on in the 60th minute. As I stood celebrating the win on the field after the game with my teammates, taking in the mountainous view, I couldn’t help but have a refreshing sense of pride for what my wife and I had overcome in 2018. It only left me feeling stronger and hungry for more success.
As I sit here writing this article in our new Salt Lake City apartment, it has given me time to reflect. I am so thankful to be able to play the sport that I have dreamt about ever since I was a child. I am also so grateful for my wife’s endless and unwavering support to share the same dreams as I do.
I hope to continue to achieve my dreams and to simply make my family proud.
