It has been 18 years that I have been involved in professional soccer and what a ride it has been!

I have seen players moving to new teams, franchises changing hands, clubs going under and championships being won.

The professional life has been great but it comes with great sacrifice as well.

The 2007-08 (indoor) season for the Baltimore Blast had its ups and downs, but we found a way to win another championship, making it the fourth in six years for the club and my third in the five years being in a Blast uniform.

As many may know, we are soon to be playing in a new league, called the National Indoor Soccer League (NISL).

The league will have the same rules, but with a new direction.

It will kick off this weekend with our season opener at home against the Rockford Rampage, a newly-formed team.

We don't know much about the Rampage, so this should be an interesting game for us.

They have some players who we have never seen before and it will be tough for us to get a read on the type and style of game they will play.

Saturday's opening game is not only the start of the season, but one that carries great hype. With us winning the championship last season, that means we will be getting our championship rings and having the championship banner ceremony.

It is a moment that every player has been waiting for and one that carries great emotions.

It is always a great feeling winning a championship and the joy of doing it as a team, the joy of watching every player holding that trophy will be a memory that everyone will carry until the last days of their lives.

To go through all the hard work and sacrifices makes these moments the greatest in the world and are ones that no one can take away or tarnish.

As far as me playing this season, well let's say that I will be having a main role with coaching and if the team need me to play, then I will be available.

I am training with the team every day, so if needed the transition should be easy.

I still have the legs to play the game but we need to focus more on the development of the younger players and yes, let's not forget that I am old.

I am confident that after this season I will be announcing my retirement with the game. Eighteen years is enough!

Because the ceremony is before the game on Saturday, we must maintain our focus and not get complacent.

A new season starts and we must be ready to do it all again.

With five new additions, including two strikers, two midfielders and a defender in the squad, we should be able to make a push towards another championship this season.

As we are the defending champions, people would be expecting us to be up there at the end.

We are a focused group and do understand that we cannot relax because of our accomplishments in the last six seasons.

I will be in Bermuda next week to kick off the Hope4Life programme when we will be visiting schools, the prison and other facilities.

It will be a long week, but I will find pleasure delivering the message on drugs and violence.

I can only hope that the message will be well received and help change my young people's understanding of what great value they have in life.

Until next time!