Worth a read….

Just going through my usual ritual of checking in on the world of soccer, catching up on the news, and seeing what people have been up to on Facebook. I ran across two articles which were interesting and worth a read.

The first one is on TechFlash, and speaks of the lessons learned when starting a new business and useful marketing practices. Here it is.

The second is from the New York Times, and the most recent Op-ed from Thomas Friedman, focusing on America’s position in the world today, and the continuing influence it has, even during such troubled times. A good read.

An article to say thanks….

Steve Clare, the editor of Prost Amerika, allowed me to say thank you to the Seattle Sounders supporters for their support on his site, Prost Amerika.

Here is a link to the article –

Thank You But Not Goodbye

Here are a few more articles from Steve -

End of an Era
Schmetzer pays tribute to Danny and Leighton

Thanks Steve…..

Thomas Friedman’s article on government and VC partnership

When I was reading TechFlash this morning, I was directed to a Thomas Friedman article regarding government investment in VC firms. I have always listened to Friedman with great interest since my first semester in college, when I was introduced to his book “From Beirut to Jerusalem”. What Friedman sets forth in this op-ed is an intriguing idea. His rationale is that government should be using their money to be innovative, seeking out the next Google, rather than give life support to a dead corpse, such as GM. As an entrepreneur myself, I would welcome any monetary help to push my ideas forward. The issue I would be most concerned about, would be the extent of oversight and governmental control needed in this situation. If private innovation is using public money, there will be rules, and more rules, and more rules, for everything we do.

The start-up community is a collection of dedicated individuals with ideas. We work tirelessly to resonate our idea with the buying public. There is no book on how to accomplish this success. Each case is different. Each individual and each business idea differs from the other. Restrictions, guidelines, and policies would have to be thrown out of the window. VC firms and entrepreneurs must be allowed to let their creative juices flow, without bureaucracy looking over their shoulder if anything like this were to ever work.

Enough of my baffling. Here is the link to Friedman’s article -

www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/opinion/22friedman.html

President Obama’s forum for change…..

I have just been watching President Obama’s public discussion on what the country needs to do in order to initiate the change that we so desperately need. It was exciting to see so many politicians, from both parties, sitting in one room with a common goal. Of course, you never quite know what you are getting in the world of politics. Was it just a show? Was it just a ploy to gain some notoriety or votes? I think we all hope that our representatives are doing what is best for the country, and not what is best for themselves.

President Obama has initiated some daring new plans in the past few weeks, notably the economic stimulus package. There has been much debate in political circles, in the press, and on the streets. It is exciting that Obama has passed one of the biggest economic packages in history, but whether it will work or not, we will have to see. We need something to jump start the economy. The Dow Jones was down another 250 points today !!!!!

The end has come…..

I am coming to the end of my first week of retirement, and I’m only 29.

Last week, following my release from Sounders camp, I decided to retire from the game. It has been a long and difficult few months with many ups and downs, and my decision was smothered with doubt and resistance. Soccer has been the corner stone of my life for as long as I remember. But I am settled in Seattle, getting married this year, and have a deep desire to begin something new and exciting. I will always be involved in the game. To what capacity, I don’t know. But it will always be a huge part of my life.

Taking the recent past away, soccer has given me nothing but great memories and great friends. I have developed character traits that would never have evolved if it wasn’t for the game of soccer. I now hope to use my experiences and skills in the wider world, and give a little back. I was fortunate enough to have experienced many great things, and I think it is vital that up and coming athletes have the same opportunity to prosper and enjoy whatever sport they love.

Thanks to everyone I know for all your support over the years.