Live India, Love Football

For the past 30 years, football has not only been my favorite activity, it has served as my passion, my profession and my access to experience the world.   I have deep gratitude to existence for wiring my internal software in a way which allows me to enjoy and excel at this game both on and off the pitch.   Now I feel that I’m entering a new phase in my life. Maybe I’m expanding, maybe I’m evolving, maybe I’m just open to something new.   Those who have been reading this blog over the years would know that sometime around early 2011 I became interested in exploring spiritual aspects of life through prayer, yoga, meditation and personal growth. This search continued over the past few years and has created a gateway into the mystique, a dimension where only time and space exist.   Now I’ve arrived at this extraordinary crossroad where on one side I see the enriching and always exciting world of sport and on the other side I see a blissful path towards self-gr...

The other day I was invited to Sagar School in Rajasthan to serve as the “Chief Guest” for the students’ inter-house athletics competition.     I happily accepted as it’s hard to refuse the intriguing combination of an Indian road trip and speaking to hundreds of youth about sports.   I roped in two of my colleagues to come with me as roadtrips are certainly more fun with others and we made the couple hour journey to the Alwar district of Rajasthan. Now I must say that Sagar School is not just any school, it’s a 180 acre resort tucked in the middle of nowhere housing around 400 students and staff who have access to some of the most incredible infrastructure in the Indian education system. Ok, so back to the title of this post. Being “Chief Guest” at an Indian school function is definitely something that everyone must experience.   As “Chief Guest” you are treated with an extraordinary amount of respect, it’s almost embarrassing at times.   They send a ...

For those of you who actually read this blog, you will know that one of my favorite non-football trips to make is to the Nisarga ashram in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh.   I typically make the overnight train journey to this little piece of heaven two times a year and fully unwind with the support of guided meditations, enlightening discourse, nature walks, organic food and beautiful people from all over the world.                                         So last week I was at the ashram fully immersed in Himalayan bliss when I find out that I am meant to present to the AFC Medical Committee at the Indian Football Federation House the day before I was scheduled to return to Delhi. Although my immediate thought was to humbly request one of my colleagues to deliver the presentation on my behalf, I quickly dismissed that thought when I realized how great of an opportun...