I'm back in Baltimore after a successful trip to Bermuda for the Hope4Life programme, where we visited four schools and two of the prisons.

As I stood in front of both sets of audiences crying my heart out in my search for the answers to the destruction of our young people's lives and their talented minds, I'd realised after speaking about my life and who I am, they became more interested in my task and the goals of Hope4Life.

This is what leads me to this week's topic.

Some may not understand where the passion for what I do comes from, some may just see the final outcome of who I am today and guess what my life was like.

Today I want to let you know about me.

I chose to share this information with you because I have learned from my faults and mistakes in my life and this what made who I am today.

I am not afraid to tell you who I was back then because it was those experiences that gives me the knowledge about life.

As I give my testimony today I want you to understand that the road I had chose was not an easy one and that there is a higher percentage of people being successful by getting themselves educated.

My readers, who stands before you today was a young boy that tried to find his way when living at the sunshine league, who stands before you was a young man abused for many years, who stands before you was a 17-year-old that was a part of a gang in Bermuda called the 'Bad Boy Posse'.

Who stands before you was an angry man that got locked up in South Carolina jail, who stands before you was a uneducated man that dropped out of college because of no goals in life, who stands before was a young man that was shot at and felt life was worth nothing, who stands before you was a lost man that tried drugs just to keep up with the his peers.

Who stands before was a young man that had no desire for success, but never liked to fail.

After learning from my mistakes in life I am proud to let you know who stands before you now, and that is a man that has a dream of being successful, a man that use the game as a safe place, a man who had to be a champion to make all his short comings of life go away, who stands before you now is a concerned man who cries out for young people to find hope, before you now is a man that pleads for fathers to stand up and in brace their young ones.

Who stands before you now is a father still learning the rules of parenting, who stands before you now is a man that wants the best for others, a man that would give everything to save a young life no matter what the cost, who stands before you now is a man that needs to be educated more, who stands before you my readers is me and I stand before you to let you know that I will make mistakes in life because I am human

We all have roads we have to travel to be successful, I for one have a long way to go before I reach my destination.

With soccer being my life and my safe place it allows me to express who I am.

It is a place that makes every bad time feel like it is the greatest moment, it is my only place I have that allows me to be free and creative.

My people I ask you to find your safe place and hold it close. Be in control of your life and let know one steer you away from your dreams, challenge yourself to be great no matter what or who stands in your way.

I ask you all a question, a question that many successful people would not answer because they may be afraid of what people may think of them.

My readers, now that you know who stands before you I ask you this question: Who stands before me?

You know who I am, now who are you?

Be not afraid to open yourself up to others who need your help, if they know you have lived life with some struggles they are more willing to open up.

Until next time!