Blog 8

Choices > Sacrifices

To be an elite athlete, you have to make sacrifices on a daily. If your goal is to become a professional, you must dedicate your life to your sport and your passion. And if sacrifices are too hard for you to make and you start resenting yourself afterwards, then you were simply not built to be a professional athlete.

I have lived and breathed for soccer since I was a teenager. Since the first time I wore the Quebec Soccer Federation jersey at 13 years old, I knew soccer would be the most important aspect of my life. Looking back to almost a decade ago, I never thought I would be where I am today. However, if I look at all the sacrifices I have made to reach the highest level, I know I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

I was still a kid when I understood what I had to do to be GREAT. I have had teammates ask me how I was able to sacrifice things like social time and nights out so easily. To be honest, these were not sacrifices because they were never part of my lifestyle. Getting good nights of sleep, working hard, eating well and maintaining focus are the things I needed to do. I chose to never compromise on that.

At the age of 14, I moved away from home to attend the best training center (National Training Center or CNHP) in my province. Despite what people may think, it was one of the easiest decision I have ever taken: I knew this was the move I needed to make to advance my soccer career. Leaving my family and friends was a sacrifice I had to make, and maintaining relationships is extremely hard. It was hard then, and it still is to this day. As a teenager, you want to have a lot of friends, you want to be popular, you want to experience things, etc. But beside that, you also miss your family and you lose friends who do not necessarily understand your level of commitment. 

If you could ask some of my old coaches to describe me in one word, I can bet they would all say: PROFESSIONALISM. I believe work ethic and dedication are what makes the greatest athletes. Doing the right thing all the time is hard. It takes commitment and accountability. Through the years, I tried to surround myself only with people that challenge, teach, and motivate me. My closest friends are people like me, who are on their own mission. Maintaining relationships is hard; I moved away from home when I was 14, and then went to college in Memphis, and now I am in Finland until November 2019. However, I know whom I can count on, and I believe in quality over quantity when it comes to my relationships.

When you are committing to a goal, you must understand what choices you make to move forward. At one point, the word sacrifice becomes foreign. There are no sacrifices anymore; just one goal and a clear path to it. You will value a good night of sleep over a night out because you know you have to workout the next day. Moreover, you will know who supports you, because they will celebrate your effort to become better instead of judging them negatively.

The journey to become a professional athlete is not an easy one. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. But I can guarantee you: IT’S ALL WORTH IT.