There was something wrong with Blair Gavin when he first arrived at Chivas USA. He’ll tell you as much if you ask him.
He felt rusty or out-of-sorts. The 10th overall pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft wasn’t playing like himself.
“I wasn’t really happy with the way I was playing at the start of preseason,” admits Gavin. “I wasn’t happy with my confidence level. I wasn’t crisp on my passes and I wasn’t trying things.”
But lately, all that has changed. There’s been a spring in Gavin’s step over the course of the last few weeks. He feels stronger, more confident.
What broke him out of the funk?
“I went back to Akron and hung out with my friends a bit,” said Gavin. “That was nice. I had been moving, moving, moving since I got drafted, and I hadn’t really had a break. So I went home, took a deep breath, and then came back and starting playing a lot better.”
Gavin spent three years at the University of Akron, where he scored five goals and added three assists from his defensive midfield position, helping the team to a 23-1-1 record and a spot in the National Championship match in 2009.
Returning home seems to have been just what the doctor ordered. Gavin has since looked a lot better for the Goats since returning.
“I’m happier now,” he admits. “Obviously there’s a lot of room for improvement, but I’m happy where I’m going.”
