High Ladder To Climb is a feature for the Brotherly Game. Current Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) defender Tyler Ruthven gives readers insight into the life of a player in America's lower tier leagues. His updates will be about his continued quest to make it to MLS. Follow him as he details his day-to-day trials and tribulations based on the life he is able to live through the constraints of his job - and paycheck.

This entry is long overdue, but I must admit my mind has been on other things of late. It's said that winning is a habit and I strongly believe in that saying. If I have learned anything over my first two seasons as a pro it's that losing is a habit as well. I remember one analogy, in particular, from the movie "The Replacements" where Keanu Reeves refers to being in quicksand and that harder you try and dig out, the deeper the hole becomes.

We currently sit at 0-5-1 (that's five losses and a draw). The worst part of our record is that we are 0-4 at home. I am learning - as I did last year as well - that it takes a tremendous amount of mental homework and toughness to keep to your routine and believe in yourself during times such as these. It  would be way easier to just throw it in and say that this isn't possible we aren't capable of winning. Maybe its my genes, but I am not wired that way. I feel that the second you decide that there is no light at the end of the tunnel, there is no more room for growth.

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High Ladder To Climb is a new feature for the Brotherly Game. Current Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) defender Tyler Ruthven gives readers insight into the life of a player in America's lower tier leagues. His updates will be about his continued quest to make it to MLS. Follow him as he details his day-to-day trials and tribulations based on the life he is able to live through the constraints of his job - and paycheck.

A lot has happened since I wrote the first blog.

We had our season opener last Saturday against NSC Minnesota, reintroducing pro-soccer to Atlanta for the first time since the Silverbacks closed up shop in 2008. I will be honest with you I had NO idea what to expect going into the game. We played well, very well. Dominating possession and putting on a entertaining display for the packed house on hand. It was so nice to get that hyped up feeling again, something that's been missing since the end of the Harrisburg campaign last year.

The atmosphere was fantastic, up until we coughed one up on a set piece in the 93+ to lose. Forget the result, there were a ton of positives to take out of the first game for an extremely young group. I had my girlfriend and all my friends and family in attendance and it was a blast to represent the city I group up playing in on the professional level.

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High Ladder To Climb is a new feature for the Brotherly Game. Current Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) defender Tyler Ruthven gives readers insight into the life of a player in America's lower tier leagues. His updates will be about his continued quest to make it to MLS. Follow him as he details his day-to-day trials and tribulations based on the life he is able to live through the constraints of his job - and paycheck.

Before I get started here, I just want to say that I do not fancy myself a writer in anyway. This would be first attempt at anything resembling a "blog".That being said let me introduce myself a bit.

My name is Tyler Ruthven, an American defender trying to work his way up the confusing, complex, US soccer ladder to get a chance to play in the MLS. I am 22 years old and graduated last year from the University of South Carolina (Go Cocks). My father played in MLB for a while and I would like a legacy half as sweet as his. After expecting an invite to the 2010 MLS combine and promptly not receiving one - I was apparently some sort of alternate - I began the exhausting process of trying to play D2, or D3 pro soccer in North America (I'll get more into that later).

Life in the lower tiers of pro soccer in America is not glamorous at all. A lot of Philly fans may see my name and say (sarcastically) "I'm sure life is tough, your dad is a World Champion". I have always prided myself on not using that to benefit myself professionally in anyway, not that it really would matter in a sport other than baseball.

I am currently staying at my parents' house trying to save money to get myself a place closer to the stadium. I have to buy my shoes for the first time in years, and man that is not fun. My agent has tried several brands to at least give me shoes, but companies have little interest endorsing someone in my current status. I will be doing some coaching on the side for my childhood club coach to help pay the bills. I buy generic brand everything, and eat a ton of pasta and grilled chicken.

More on the life style and how it all started (post-college) for Ruthven after the jump.

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