As Johan Cruyff said, “It's like everything in football - and life. You need to look, you need to think, you need to move, you need to find space, you need to help others. It's very simple in the end.” I agree wholeheartedly with Cruyff! I play the beautiful game to enjoy life and with that comes enduring friendships, meaningful community, character formation in adversity, learning to sacrifice for the greater good of the team, mental fortitude, and the personal challenge of learning how to discipline and dedicate myself to being tested in competition and in life. I love a good laugh, and my time with family and friends is always filled with sarcastic banter, play, and enjoying good stories, food, and fun - and of course, my dog Hubble. I also enjoy family road trips and international travel (France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, and Spain), gaming, and zipping around neighborhoods on my G4 GOTRAX electric scooter. Like Phil Foden of England and Manchester City, I wear number 47 in honor of the life of my grandfather Ronald Ray Blanton, who passed away at the age of 47. Though I am a work in progress, my greatest strength as a footballer lies in character, in my dedication to improvement and my commitment to the team, above all. I’m a versatile player, with my greatest impact coming as a central, attacking, and defensive midfielder, with experience at left/right back, center back, and even a false nine. What does the team need and how can we work together to achieve more than we have before? More than a childlike dream, my ambition is to play professionally and to make an indelible mark on the world through character, with humble confidence, creativity and self-expression, and the enduring power of what people can accomplish when they work together. Or in the spirit of Cruyff and the words of Dani Rojas, from one of my favorite shows, Ted Lasso, “Futbol is life.”