Life is Funny. Life is Hard. Life is Amazing.

The worst thing that ever happened to me became one of the best things that ever happened to me.

Since the age of 16 that has kind of been how I have lived my life. I have tried to embrace that the only constant is change.

My mom always used to say, “You are challenged because God knows you can handle it.”

I have also always tried to treat people kindly. I probably even go overboard in that regard, but it is a point of pride for me to try and really know people, or at the least, treat all with respect.

I was once at the point in life though of “What’s the point?” and now since 16 I have daily worked to not be there again. That’s not to say that there have not been struggles. There have been many.

But I have refused to let one night in August of 1997 define me.

On that night my life completely changed forever and even on the edge of turning 40 it is still one of the most pivotal moments in my life, but instead of giving in and deciding my life was not worth it, I have decided to try and live out God’s plan for me.

My wish is that nobody ever has to be “ganged up” on like I was and beaten to the point where doctors tell you and your family that “You were lucky; a few more punches and…”

It did not make sense at the time and even to this day it does not since almost 25 years later I still have never met the individual who started the process, but it happened and the next few days and weeks were pure torture.

That’s when my life changed too. God’s plan was sending me to Southside Christian.

People to this day ask me why I have such a love for Southside Christian even though I only attended for my junior and senior academic years of high school.

It’s because from day one they embraced me and considered me a part of the family.

I was incredibly depressed at the time and I really did not even want to play soccer anymore, but on my first day at Southside Christian there were a few soccer players waiting for me to arrive. They did not wait for me to come to them.

I was a Sabre within minutes.

Coming into Southside Christian, I was a pretty good soccer player, but I could have cared less about school too. I figured I would just do enough and get a soccer scholarship.

I probably would have, but that was not the point. At Southside Christian, I began to understand that if I wanted to make something of my life I needed to also focus on school.

It’s funny to many that only know me now, but there was a point that many believed I might not finish high school. Thanks to so many at Southside Christian, not only did I graduate, but I did so while earning a college scholarship.

In fact, after one year in college that turned into a full scholarship when combining my soccer and academic scholarships.

I went on to graduate from North Greenville with honors. I followed that up by finishing with a 3.6 grade-point average in graduate school from Middle Tennessee.

As I prepare to turn 40 on September 27, I have really thought about all of this of late. I hardly ever think about what happened to me at 16 for obvious reasons, but I have wanted to of late because despite everything going on in the world around the COVID-19 pandemic, I have realized that the world keeps spinning.

The saying goes that “Life is funny.”

If you know me, you also know that I try to find the positives in everything. I also can find a joke in almost anything. We obviously all have to be professional sometimes, but at the same time, if you take things too seriously then you are missing out on life in my humble opinion.

I never fully knew anything going through college other than I wanted to work in sports. I never really even knew what that meant other than I also knew I loved writing.

I have been blessed through the efforts of many to get me here to now be going into my 16th full-time year of working in college athletics.

That started with me being the youngest NCAA Division I Sports Information Director in the country at Presbyterian College and has since led me to stops at USC Aiken, UNC Asheville and now the Conference Carolinas league office. In addition, I had the opportunity to be the Executive Editor for the official publication of the University of South Carolina Gamecock Club.

I have hosted a YouTube show with Steve Spurrier. I have worked the Masters for Augusta National. I have served as the analyst on the SEC Network for South Carolina men’s and women’s soccer games. And that’s just listing a few of the things that I have been blessed with the unique opportunity to do over the last 16 years.

All of that is great, but it also pales in comparison to meeting my beautiful wife, Amy, and then having our children. Watching Alexander (12) and Brynlee (6) grow up is our greatest joy.

At 40, I know I never would be where I am today without the efforts of my own parents, but I also know I am incredibly blessed and thankful for my entire life (the good and the bad).

I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me next.