A Brand New Start of It

The legendary Frank Sinatra once sang that he wanted to "make a brand new start of it, in old New York." Well I've come from New York (sort of anyways) to a city that truly deserves the adjective of old - Leipzig, Germany. The city was founded in 1015 (no typo), and so will be celebrating its 1000th anniversary this year. 

Among one of the main purposes of my time here is to discover the differences between American football (soccer) and German football. (It did not take long for me to be told not to use the word soccer here.)  I am fortunate enough to have seen and been around some quality football in the US, and my hope is that that will continue in Germany. 

Back home, I work with the New York Red Bulls. I have worked for two years in their Training Programs, which is basically summer camps for kids around the tri-state area. I have also been a part of a Regional Development Staff, which screens young players who aspire to be in the Red Bull academy. And most recently, I have worked as an assistant to Simon Nee, the Academy's U16 coach. 

Red Bull also owns a team in Leipzig, known as RB Leipzig. Certain restrictions do not allow companies to own football clubs in Germany, so they cannot be called "Red Bull," so instead, their official name is Rasen Ballsport Leipzig. However, there are very few people who do not know what the RB on the jersey actually represents. 

During my time in Leipzig, I will be able to see their organization and compare it to what I know from back home. I have already spoken to many people within the club and must say that they have all been quite welcoming and kind to me. 

RB Leipzig has a home match coming up this Sunday, the first weekend of fixtures since I have arrived. I am quite excited to go to the arena and see the team play.They only have about six weeks left in the season, so I will be catching the end of their run. New York's season has just begun, and I am hopeful that they can continue their success from last season.

 I will certainly have some more thoughts after this weekend. It will be a big one for "Die Roten Bullen." On a side note, I would like to also take a trip to Salzburg, Austria while I am in Europe - another location of a Red Bull club. Red Bull Brasil may have to wait though...