Episode 50: Here's to Fifty

01/24/22 • 41 min

1 Listener

Welcome to the 50th episode of In The 11 with Brendan Griffiths. Today we have a special episode with Brendan looking back on what he’s achieved so far with the In The 11 Podcast. This episode has got to be the most personal that Brendan has created. He talks about what the podcast was a product of, what his relationship with football actually is, what he went through and how it has affected his mental health. Brendan expresses his gratitude to all of his listeners that made In The 11 a success and lets it be heard that whoever is listening that is going through a dark time as he is, he wants them to know that they are not alone. More details from Brendan on the most honest episode yet so stay tuned!

What could have been:

Brendan shares that the pandemic was the reason why he didn’t push through with playing in Germany. He actually signed with a club in Bremen, Germany, but decided that it was not the best course of action given that there’s a pandemic. The sudden change of plans actually gave way for Brendan to try out something that he’s always been interested in, and that’s how the podcast came to fruition. He wanted to provide a platform for the community especially for the listeners who would like to become professional football players.

Brendan’s growth along with In The 11:

The podcast was a two-way street. It provides educational and inspirational content for the community as much as it also helps with Brendan. He’s realized that the sport cannot be a crutch of some sort, that it should not be the only thing defining him after the most recent dark time he’s gone through and now he’s more open to other possibilities and these would not have been even thought of if he did not push through with the podcast. Brendan also stated that as much as this podcast aims to inspire and help aspiring professional football players, this is also his way of communicating with every listener to let them know that the mental toll of the sacrifices and the ups and downs in the industry is not something that they have to go through on their own.

Outline of the Episode:

[00:36] Looking back at In The 11
[02:22] The podcast is for the community
[09:40] What the podcast has grown into
[15:11] The story behind the episodes
[18:55] How the time away affected Brendan
[26:56] Brendan’s realization about needing and loving the sport
And many more!

Connect with In the 11 Podcast!

Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/inthe11pod

MYSTERY SPORT: https://www.mysterysport.com/

AT CHECKOUT USE CODE: inthe11

Follow the Show: https://linktr.ee/inthe11

Subscribe to the Show on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIKaXh28XlDY-NaJEuCPJw

Email the show: [email protected]

Check out Ship It Studios!: https://www.shipitstudios.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

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What could have been:

Brendan’s growth along with In The 11:

Outline of the Episode:

[00:36] Looking back at In The 11
[02:22] The podcast is for the community
[09:40] What the podcast has grown into
[15:11] The story behind the episodes
[18:55] How the time away affected Brendan
[26:56] Brendan’s realization about needing and loving the sport
And many more!

Connect with In the 11 Podcast!

Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/inthe11pod

MYSTERY SPORT: https://www.mysterysport.com/

AT CHECKOUT USE CODE: inthe11

Follow the Show: https://linktr.ee/inthe11

Subscribe to the Show on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIKaXh28XlDY-NaJEuCPJw

Email the show: [email protected]

Check out Ship It Studios!: https://www.shipitstudios.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

MANSCAPED

Shop Now at: https://www.manscaped.com/ Use...

Previous Episode

Episode 49: Dublin To Greenville, Trials To Game winners And Everything In Between ; a chat w/ Jake Keegan

2 Recommendations

Welcome to the 49th episode of the In The 11 Podcast! Today we are joined by Jake Keegan Stiker for the Greenville Triumph and former player for the likes of Forward Madison, FC Edmonton, Galway United, St. Patrick’s Athletic, FCA Darmstadt and Binghamton University.

How the career started: Jake’s career was met with a lot of “no’s” early on as he partook in 9 trials before finding a club to call home. He reflects on those times as some of the most stressful and difficult in his career but also ones that he remembers very fondly. As he continued to grind his way through the professional soccer world he began to find success through the help of grit, determination, hard work and a few connections that provided some lucky breaks.

About Jake Keegan:

Played 4 seasons of NCAA Division 1 soccer at Binghamton University, He became the school’s all-time leading Division 1 goal scorer and was drafted in the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft by the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.~On September 1, 2013 Keegan signed with FCA Darmstadt in the Verbandsliga, the 6th division of German soccer. After being drafted by the Philadelphia Union in January 2013, Keegan trained with Maccabi Haifa (Israel), FC Lustenau (Austria), Harrisburg City Islanders (USA), New York Cosmos (USA), Austria Lustenau (Austria), FC Hard (Austria) and Usinger TSG (Germany) before signing in Darmstadt.

On January 29, 2014, Keegan signed with Galway FC in Ireland First Division, the 2nd division of Irish soccer. On December 1, 2015 Keegan signed with Canadian side, FC Edmonton who played in the NASL

On February 4, 2018, Keegan signed with St Patrick’s Athletic who play in the Ireland Premier Division, the 1st division in Ireland. Keegan finished up the season as Pats' top scorer with 9 league goals, 12 in all competitions.

On January 10, 2019 Keegan signed with Greenville Triumph SC who play in USL League One, the 3rd division in the United States.

On January 26, 2021, it was announced that Keegan had signed with Forward Madison FC of USL League One.

After spending the 2021 season in Madison, Keegan returned to Greenville on December 21, 2021.

Outline of the Episode:

[02:18] What made Jake decide to change teams
[07:06] The Jake then versus the Jake now
[09:36] What is the MLS draft
[16:10] What are some of the sacrifices Jake and Brendan made
[19:40] Jake’s experience in the Haifa Trial in Israel
[23:00] How the trials helped Jake grow his career
[27:32] Jake’s advice to players going to their first trial
[33:54] The feeling of when everything’s culminated
[37:31] The thought process of being a forward
[45:04] Jake’s FC Edmonton experience
[47:28] The toughest thing to go through as a player
[51:17] Jake’s relationship with the sport
And many more!

Connect with In the 11 Podcast!

Become a Patron:

https://www.patreon.com/inthe11pod

MYSTERY SPORT:

https://www.mysterysport.com/

(At checkout, use code: inthe11)

Follow the Show:

https://linktr.ee/inthe11

Subscribe to the Show on Youtube:

Next Episode

Episode 51: A Story Of MLS Moments And Doctoral Dreams w Seyi Adekoya

1 Recommendations

Episode 51: A Story Of MLS Moments And Doctoral Dreams w Seyi Adekoya

Welcome to the 51st episode of the In The 11 Podcast! Today, Brendan Griffiths is joined by Seyi Adekyoa where they chat about how sports psychology just might be the next step for Seyi In this episode Seyi shares what you would probably experience if you’re going to pursue a degree while putting in effort for your love of the sport. Seyi talks about the decisions he had to make to be able to balance, if not to focus on just one path that’s been presented to him. If you’re stuck on the same fork in the road as Seyi’s been then this episode will definitely give you ideas and inspiration on how to better handle your situation so stay tuned!

Balancing classes and training:

Right around the time that Seyi was getting pumped to go pro, his classes were starting to conflict with his training schedule. During that time, Seyi knew that he had to make a decision and focus on one road only. In the end, he’s decided to pursue football always with the intention of returning to finish his degree. He shares more about his future plans for his education and his soccer career, more on this episode!

Psychology and Soccer:

Seyi shared that he was working with a life coach during a good part of his soccer career, and having his own background with psychobiology, he understands the importance of the psychological state of the players, coaches, and a team. Seyi shares that a psychologist he worked with also worked with Oklahoma City Thunder and that there are insights from the therapist that has affected Seyi’s perspective on the game, on himself, and on his career. He shares that working with the therapist has been helpful to better understand things like how an athletic person is not always a good fit for the team.

About Seyi Adekyoa:

Seyi signed a homegrown player contract with Seattle Sounders FC, making him the ninth homegrown signing in club history. On March 26, 2017, he made his professional debut for USL affiliate club Seattle Sounders FC 2 in a 2–1 loss to the Sacramento Republic. Adekyoa scored his first professional goal on April 2, 2017, playing for Sounders FC 2 in a 2–1 win over Timbers 2. Adekyoa made his first start for Seattle Sounders FC on May 31, 2017, in a 3–0 defeat to the Columbus Crew. His release from the team was announced on April 3, 2018.

In June 2018, Seyi moved to Danish Superliga side Vendsyssel FF. In January 2020, he moved to Maltese Premier League side Balzan. He returned to Denmark in October 2020, signing a contract until December 2020 for the third-tier Danish 2nd Division club Thisted FC. On April 1, 2021, Seyi joined the USL Championship club Phoenix Rising FC. On August 6, 2021, he moved on loan to the USL Championship side OKC Energy for the remainder of the season.

Outline of the Episode:

[00:01:44] The small world of soccer

[00:04:41] Seyi’s experience with playing in an MLS Academy

[07:32] How did Seyi come to decide which path to take

[00:13:21] The difference between playing for the academy and UCLA

[00:19:22] The tough conversation and resolution

[00:23:50] Seyi’s thoughts upon being signed as a homegrown player

[00:28:20] Seyi’s experience with an MLS club and after so

[00:36:20] The changes in Seyi’s mindset as he tried to advance his career

[00:40:07] Adjusting to the local and football culture in Denmark

[00:47:12] The move to Malta

[00:49:21] The difference between a coach and a sports director