This blog will be about Nick Humphries remarkable story and what he did. His journey was amazing and is doing great right now👍
He is a youtuber. A footballer. Founder. He is known well for his 100 day challenge to a pro contract, where he quit his job as a private banker to chase his dream of a professional footballer. He shared his journey on youtube and to this day he has recieved more than 3 million views and 40,000 subscribers.
Nick Humphries is the founder of TrainEffective.com, which is a online platform with content from analysts in the Premier League and the FA. This blog documents his insane story from being an amateur player to an entrepreneur and creator
HIS FOOTBALLING JOURNEY
From 2009-2012
Nick had two years left of high school and was a son of an expat living in Europe. He moved to Budapest as a teenager which for him was a huge cultural insight. Everything was different for him as it was back in his home in Australia, from the food, people and snow in the winters. The big thing that really caught his attention was how crazy people were for soccer.
Nick Humphries always loved playing and watching matches, but that was pretty much it. He was just an average player that grew up playing for his neighborhoods local team and school. Many kids dream of playing soccer professionally in Europe, but the thought of does so never really crossed his mind. Nick said that he has no reason to beleive he can. He never represented his nation or country so thought it wasnt possible.
ONE DAY his life had changed forever! He picked up a self help book called " The Magic Of Thinking Big ". In the book the author talks about how to make your dreams a reality. Nick never thought of playing at a high level but after reading that book he learned that theoretically you can achieve your dreams with belief, hard work and also persistance.
The one major thing that Nick loves about football is the passion. He said there is nothing better than hearing the chants and roars from the crouds and fans in a packed stadium with more tham ten thousand of supporters watching. On his free time he would search videos on youtube of the chants and roars of the soccer crouds and said he even got tears in his eyes from watching because it really touched him.
Nick thought one day and said to himself, " Nick, imagine if you were a professional footballer, walking through the tunnel to a packed stadium. Imagine scoring a goal and celebrating with thousands of your home fans." He never got so excited from that thought than he was at that time about his life and the possibilities. So in 2009 at 16 years old Nick Humphries decided to go aftet his dreams and become a professional soccer player.
At that time ( 16 years old in 2009)
Nick had:
• limited ability
• no connections
• millions apon millions of kids that were better than him and in good academies
• family and friends thinking he was crazy
But one thing he had that was above all was desire and belief 💪
The next 6 months, Nick trained and worked harder than he has ever and imoroved his game alot.
To get to a higher level you need connections. So Nick started to email dozens of professional clubs in England. From that he got one relly from a team that was 5th tier in England. The coach said that Nick could train with them so he flew over to England and trained with the U17 team and was told that he wasnt good enough after 2-3 training sessions ☹
He then brushed that expiernce off and went back home and started to grind his butt of again to improve more.
He then came across another book called " The Outliers" where the author explains that it takes roughly 10,000 hours of good practice to achieve mastery in a field. After Nick read that book he doubled and even tripled his training that he was training at least 20 hours a week. Atleast 12 of these hours were spent on a local field with just his soccer boots and a ball. In the snow, rain, wind, sunshine, it didnt matter and he set to complete the 20 hours every single week! If Nick didnt do 20 hours of training a week, he would punish himself with more hours. It took insane dicipline for Nick. One time nick missed an entire week of training due to a holiday with family in France so the week he came back he trained 40 hours!!!
Eventually the work started to payoff
Nick attended a few training camps over that summer and met a few players that were on athletic scolarships at US colleges. At that time Nick said to himself " hey, if they can do it, why shouldnt i give it shot?" And so he spent some time to make a highlight video of himself anf sent it to coaches in the US. A few weeks later Nick recieved $100,000 + scholarships in offer. Unfortunaley he declined all those offers because they were in locations in the US that he didnt want to play in and leagues he didnt want to play in so he decided to stay in Europe.
By December of that year, Nick was invited to train with the U17 Austrailian National team who were preparing for the world cup. Nick wasnt even really "invited" to go train with them but was able to go from the emails that he has been sending and they offered him to train.
It was an amazing opportunity for Nick. Training in a full-time environment, where the balls and field were perfect and the kits were layed out nicely. That was motivation for Nick but sadly after two training sessions, the coach thought Nick was nowhere near the level to compete.
When you dont make the team, most people give up. Nick has failed so many times in the time period of "trying to make it". But each time he was unsuccessful with a trail, but Nick never got his head down... he just took the opportunity to get "feedback".
He always asked coaches what he needed to do better amd what he needs to improve on. After every trials he asked for more feedback so he can continue to improve. This method of reviewing what you can do better each week was making him better each week.
Fast forward to July 2011, the month of his 18th birthday. Out of the 100s of people that he was trying to make connections with he now had a few stable contacts that wanted to help him out.
His 4th trial with another team. He went and performed well but again was unsuccessful.
Then another guy arranged another trail with a team in hungary. That team wanted to check Nick out for the senior team. Nick was scared shitless at that trial because there were so many players there that played for their respective senior national team. There were even players who played along side Samuel Eto ( at one point was the highest paid player ). Nick trained nervousily but good enough so that he could play a friendly match that the team organized. In that match Nick had one of the best matches in his life where he played the whole 90 minutes, scored a goal and created chances fir other players. He was one of the best players of that game in a professional level.
After the game, the team offered Nick a senior team contract but not under the conditions to be in a safe position. It was a shinning moment for Nick because just 2 years prior to that he was nothing and now was worth something in soccer.
Long story short, 14 months later he lived in Amsterdam, Netherlands
He has a six week trial with a team. He trained with their reserve team who play in a league with some of the best in the country. Once again, he failed to get into the team. Like usual, Nick asked the coach for feedback on what he can improve on. He usually is used to hearing a list of things to improve on but this time he onky heard one thing: Strength.
Once Nick improved that all his weakness are gone and the decision was only on him to improve.
Just waiting and searching for the next opportunity to arise.
Nick also got offered to play professionally in Europe.
His story is so amazing and showed that he went from a little average boy playing ameatur to getting offered a pro contract.
His story shows that you dont need special abilities or natural given talents oe the best teams and coaches. You dont need to be a human being from Mars to reach big goals.
You can achieve ANYTHING you want in life through hard work, never ever, ever, ever giving up and matching all of that with belief.
It's also about working smart too. Your hard work needs to be directed in the right places. Making connections is one example. Someone who can mentor you is priceless.
Seriously, from one friend to another, you can make your dreams become reality. Trust me! You can do it! And I know that sounds so cliche, but greatness is not some illusion that only a special few among us can achieve.
Nick doesnt play pro right now but has his own online soccer training platform that I use and has helped so many people improve their game. He also is the owner of the London soccer camp that I want to go to this year.
Thanks you for reading this post. Please upvote and resteem and dont forget to smile 😁
