Episode 62: Bayer Leverkusen Youth To Saving Shots From Landon Donovan; Persistence Against Adversity w/ Devala Gorrick

Episode 62: Bayer Leverkusen Youth To Saving Shots From Landon Donovan; Persistence Against Adversity w/ Devala Gorrick

Welcome to the 62nd episode of the In The 11 Podcast! Today, Brendan Griffiths is joined by

Devala Gorrick as they chat about Devala’s journey starting overseas at an early age in some of the biggest European football academies which prepared him for the transition into high level College Soccer. His youth experience instilled a mindset of work ethic and dedication to his craft that he brought into the collegiate environment and further set him on a path to persevere through his pursuit of a professional career. We chat about the pro career that has brought Devala all across the world, from Thailand to Sweden to Colorado and beyond and how through it all he remained true to himself, pushed outside of his comfort zone and wrote the story of his career through the game he loves.

Being the new guy:

Devala shares how he disagrees that players have to go through so much trouble as a new player. He does retract the thought of lenience though by saying that a player has to be a sponge, absorbing all the information they can and learn. But more so, he also shares that a player has to know how to respect. Being the new guy, an outsider at first, he says that you have to have the humility to be able to stay and learn. There’s also the nuance of unsaid and unwritten rules in a club. Playing to these rules helps everyone on the team know that you’re there to stay. Simply being courteous and humble goes a long way.

The business with soccer clubs:

Devala shares how he evaluates his pay and his ability and compares those to someone that he thinks is near his level and checks what’s different, especially if someone is earning more than him. On that premise, he explains how clubs are out to make money too, and as much as everyone benefits from being a club, whether a player or behind-the-game personnel, and that they aren’t equally given compensation as other sports are. From that point, Devala shares how he tried to get clean sheets and was deemed to be valuable for the club which gave him more bonuses.

About Devala Gorrick:

At age 16 Gorrick was sent to Vienna, Austria to house and train with the academy of Austria Wien football club. He spent 2 months with the academy and played matches with the U-16 and U-17 teams. He gained coaching and mentoring from the renowned coach Christoph Daum.

After playing goalkeeper for Santa Fe High School he began his college career with Tyler Junior College in Texas. He then transferred his junior year to Barry University in Miami where he was the starting goalkeeper his Junior and Senior year posting a 1.73 GAA and was honored as Defensive player of the week on four occasions and also added to the Athletic Deans list. He received his degree in 2009 in Advertising.Gorrick started his professional career at Bayamon FC in Puerto Rico. He started 10 games, posted 5 shutouts with a 0.70 GAA. Gorrick played an important role in helping lead Bayamon to be Puerto Rico Soccer League Champions...