Chicago’s Giant Red Ball…

Day 32 Post Surgery

Today was a typical rehabbing day for me.  I got up at 5:30, ate some breakfast, washed my face, and left to get on the bike for 45 minutes before an hour and a half rehab session.  In the evening I completed another 45 minute bike session and did my own stretches and light rehab work.  Usually in between the hours of rehab I try to get some work done and today was like any other day.  I worked on editing a MontzTV episode, completed some soccer camp business that needed to be done, and I saw a giant red ball stuck between a bridge and a post in downtown Chicago!  The third part is way out of the ordinary.

Giant Red Ball stuck in Chicago

I am sure most of you are wondering what in the world a giant red ball is doing stuck in downtown Chicago, why is Jared blogging about it, and how does that relate to soccer.  So here it goes!  The giant red ball is not stuck it was put there by an artist named Kurt Perschke and he travels the world placing this ball in different unusual spots; he calls it art!  I am blogging about it because I have decided that besides just talking about my comeback from hip/groin surgery to professional soccer it would be cool to let people in on some of the interesting and cool things I see occasionally.  Now, I can relate it to soccer by saying both a giant red ball and a soccer ball have the word ball in common.  For those of you that did not find my joke funny (hopefully you saw the humor in it!!) and need more reason as to what that ball and soccer have in common let me give it another shot.  Some of the best coaches will encourage players to express themselves on the field by having a certain style to their game.  Style and self expression are great qualities to have in soccer because it makes you unique and shows you love what you do! 

Red Ball artist interviewed

Expressing yourself on the soccer field is like a photographer expressing who they are in a picture, a painter displaying their style on a canvas, or even a guy traveling the world sticking a giant ball in different awkward places. 

I would be willing to bet that 99% of the people he told about this project in the beginning just laughed at him.  After believing in himself and his style his perseverance paid off! Now he is an award winning recognized artist and gets all expense world trips doing what he loves courtesy of Target (his title sponsor) because he believed in himself.  If your ever in a situation where you decide you want to do something great and original like become a professional soccer player, discover a cure for a disease, become a writer, or whatever your dream may be and people laugh at you and say you can’t do it; think of the guy with the giant red ball and know it can be done!  Anything is possible if you believe in it!

Keep livin the dream (whatever yours is)!!! JM

p.s.  If you want to see more about the giant red ball check out www.redballproject.com.

Tags: Giant Red Ball, hip/groin surgery, Kurt Perschke