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When we think about Thanksgiving, we usually think about delicious turkey, a couple of days off from work/school, and avoiding arguments with that "one" family member (admit it - it's true, haha). But this year, we wanted to shift our focus towards the true meaning - remembering what we are thankful for. When you step back, it can almost be overwhelming on all the blessings around you. So this year, we decided to create our first "QTSD© Top 10 Thankful List". It may not cover everything, but it's a great reminder of how many amazing people/things have played a part in our soccer journey along the way (and we couldn't have done this without). So here we go (in no specific order)! 1) OUR HEALTH - Above all, we're thankful for our health. So much goes into soccer training, and without it, this company would never have happened. Whether recovering from soccer injuries to avoiding illness during the busy winter months (aka a Costco sized hand sanitizer bottle), we're thankful for each day that we get to spend on this planet Earth. 2) OUR COACHING TEAM - It takes a special team to do what we do. Our QTSD© Coaching team is full of passionate and dedicated educators of the game. Every coach that has put on a QTSD© jersey is someone who wants to improve the lives of their athletes, both on and off the soccer field. We have different personalities and favorite professional teams (some that may be misguided - cough cough Coach Jacob's love of Christiano Ronaldo comes to mind), but that is what makes our team so unique. Simply put - we love soccer, and we love helping educate our QTSD© Athletes.
3) OUR QTSD© ATHLETES & FAMILIES - Without our QTSD© Athletes and families, we wouldn't exist. Period. Their trust in us to help them in their soccer journey is irreplaceable and something we take very seriously. We are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to work with them on the soccer field each week and are excited to see what the future holds for each!
4) OUR MENTORS - We all had mentors growing up that helped us discover our calling in soccer. Whether a rec coach when younger (Coach Joe Cocco), personal mentors (Nate Booker and Lucas Martorana), professional mentor (Coach Tony Earp), we've all had a coach that shifted our love and passion for the game in a better way. We are thankful for every one of those people as they pushed us (knowingly or not) towards who we are today. 5) OUR SOCCER FRIENDSHIPS - Soccer is so much more than a game, and we cherish the friendships we've been blessed with over the years. We can't even start to list all the athletes, families and fellow coaches that we have learned so much through just through coaching. Soccer is truly an amazing sport that has brought amazing people into our lives that we may not have met otherwise. 6) OUR "YEAR ONE" FAMILIES - When QTSD© started, it took the trust of a couple of families that wanted to see us succeed. Special families that saw two young coaches trying to change soccer for the better in Columbus while helping young athletes navigate life. Those families were critical for us in the beginning, and we're incredibly thankful for them! 7) OUR SPONSORS - We are incredibly thankful for our sponsors and affiliates. The opportunity to work with similar-minded organizations and businesses is something that has continued to help us reach more athletes and help change their lives through soccer. 8) OUR ADVOCATES - These are our amazing families and athletes that believe in us so much that they are our "marketing." Whether athletes who "took" 100+ business cards to give to their friends or families who always tell their friends/co-workers about the QTSD© Soccer Training experience, we couldn't be more thankful for the testimonials these families give daily. 9) OUR PERSONAL FAMILIES - We're thankful for our families, the ones who have shown support of our dream over the years. They've continued to love us even when bored of our constant soccer conversations, enduring soccer in the snow, and dealing with our continuous "coaching mode" when off the fields. Without their support, this could not have happened. 10) THE SPORT OF SOCCER - Simply put, we are thankful for soccer. Soccer has taught us so many incredible life lessons, and without it, we're not sure where we would be today. A game of "just kicking a ball between two posts" has helped shape us as people, and we're incredibly thankful for it! Simply put, soccer is in our blood, and without all of YOU, QTSD© wouldn't exist. We are incredibly thankful for every one of you who have played (and continue to play) a part in the QTSD© journey. And we're even more excited to see where the journey is heading!