WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:04.360 Talk about a dude who is all over the planet. Man, 2 00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:07.160 we actually caught you in one place. Welcome back to 3 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:07.639 my friend. 4 00:00:08.039 --> 00:00:09.759 I'm home just for a little bit. 5 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:13.439 Oh well, so all right, so recap you so last 6 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:16.160 time since the last time you were here, and I 7 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:18.039 know that you need that cafe to get you get 8 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:18.679 gashed up. 9 00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:19.960 This early in the morning on a Friday. 10 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:21.640 Second one. 11 00:00:21.239 --> 00:00:24.359 Man, Uh, so what have you been? What have you 12 00:00:24.440 --> 00:00:24.960 been doing? 13 00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:25.280 Where? 14 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:26.280 Where have you been? 15 00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:26.559 Sir? 16 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:28.480 We have missed you. What have you been up to? 17 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:31.199 Man? 18 00:00:31.719 --> 00:00:32.679 Did uh? 19 00:00:33.479 --> 00:00:36.679 Did Orlando with the family a couple of weeks ago? Uh? 20 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:39.520 For spring break for the kids. So that was Universal 21 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:43.240 Studios and all that kind of stuff. We got home 22 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:45.479 and then from there the next week, I had a 23 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:48.679 trip with my girlfriend to Chicago that we do every year. 24 00:00:50.520 --> 00:00:55.960 And after that, man, after that, probably just running around 25 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:56.719 like crazy. Man. 26 00:00:57.280 --> 00:01:01.159 Uh huh, and uh, you know it's it's that time 27 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:04.319 where when we caught up with party last time. He 28 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:06.840 said that things have now expanded into the state of 29 00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:09.959 Ohio and that's because out of calendars and things and 30 00:01:09.959 --> 00:01:13.400 how calendars are different. This is turning into the fourteen 31 00:01:13.480 --> 00:01:16.400 month a year thing for you and Greg, which for 32 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:19.400 you in cap which I know that you had wanted 33 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:21.079 to do. What's it like having to do this now 34 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:22.799 fourteen months out of the year, in three hundred and 35 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:23.599 eighty days a year? 36 00:01:23.640 --> 00:01:23.840 Now? 37 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:31.840 Man, I thought a nineteen hour workday, person, So I 38 00:01:31.879 --> 00:01:34.879 get my you know, five six hours of sleep every 39 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:39.519 day and then yeah, back to it started early this morning. 40 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:43.319 All right, so run me through a nineteen hour day. 41 00:01:44.519 --> 00:01:46.920 How are you getting twenty six hours of work into 42 00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:48.000 a nineteen hour day? 43 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:54.480 Man? It is waking up extremely early, having some time 44 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:56.719 to myself, getting everything I need to do to help 45 00:01:56.760 --> 00:02:00.719 myself feel good about myself, kind of that sense of accomplishment. 46 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:04.439 So it's running every day, working out every day. I'll 47 00:02:04.439 --> 00:02:07.719 do that for the first you know, hour or hour 48 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:10.199 and a half of my day. That's it sucks waking 49 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:13.080 up and doing it. But once I'm finished and I 50 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:16.240 feel kind of, you know, ready to tackle the whole 51 00:02:16.360 --> 00:02:19.680 entire day. And it just depends. Sometimes you have kids 52 00:02:19.719 --> 00:02:22.520 who want to do a mentoring session right before school. 53 00:02:23.560 --> 00:02:26.560 Sometimes you have kids who are homeschooled and can do 54 00:02:26.599 --> 00:02:30.560 a mentoring session like right after this. You know, it's 55 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:34.400 it's it's kind of sporadic throughout the day, and then 56 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:36.479 usually I kind of have like a lunch break where 57 00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:40.120 I'll kind of wet. I'll meal prep or procrastinate in 58 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:42.360 a positive way around the house and doing laundry and 59 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:44.599 getting all the kids stuff cleaned and all that kind 60 00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:46.919 of stuff. And then uh, if I have a little 61 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:49.400 bit of time, then I might go back to the 62 00:02:49.400 --> 00:02:52.960 gym and do like a core circuit or whatever, dude. 63 00:02:53.319 --> 00:02:57.120 And then and then after that, uh, my kids usually 64 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:00.479 have training every single day, so it's my day through 65 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:05.520 Friday training, whether it's from six pm to seven thirty 66 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:09.080 or finishing at eight, and Mom will do me a 67 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:11.159 favorite to pick them up from training. I'll take them too, 68 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:14.599 and then my days really start at like seven thirty 69 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:18.240 eight every single day and they go until about eleven thirty, 70 00:03:18.599 --> 00:03:22.479 So eleven thirty sometimes eleven forty five, just depending on 71 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:25.240 where that kid is in the world. I mean, we 72 00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:27.639 have we have a new MINTI from that's in Singapore 73 00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:32.000 right now. Whoa twenty four? Was it? No twelve hour difference? 74 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:37.400 So you know, sometimes like yesterday I mentored him at 75 00:03:37.400 --> 00:03:41.560 a thirty am, it's a thirty pm on his end. 76 00:03:41.639 --> 00:03:46.599 So it's it's interesting, it's it's we were We're able 77 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:49.960 to fill so many spaces within the states. I think 78 00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:52.759 I think I just did this a couple of weeks 79 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:54.840 ago for our marketing team. I think we have about 80 00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:59.360 forty one states of kids that we mentor so you know, 81 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:01.319 it's it's pretty cool man. 82 00:04:02.599 --> 00:04:02.919 Uh. 83 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:04.879 The last time we talked, I think it was up 84 00:04:04.919 --> 00:04:07.439 to her in and around two hundred and fifty different mentees. 85 00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:09.319 Does that sound anywhere close? 86 00:04:10.039 --> 00:04:12.800 We're probably passing a thousand here in a little bit. 87 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:16.519 Wow, how do you keep it all straight? 88 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:20.120 I have a much better memory than Parky. Let's just 89 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:26.959 say that I'm the Parky. I always help you. Parky 90 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:31.199 is like the outside of the box, you know, idea 91 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:36.839 and also like the logistical like or sorrys the logical thinker, right, 92 00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:42.199 just like very you know, well spoken and and and 93 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:46.040 it has different ideas and kind of myself. I'm like 94 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:50.839 the motivator and the go getter, and you know, I'm 95 00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:53.800 the I'm the people's the people's person. I'm I am 96 00:04:53.800 --> 00:04:57.879 definitely the salesman of our of our crew, and Parky 97 00:04:57.959 --> 00:05:00.879 is the one that that that is the idea behind everything? 98 00:05:01.079 --> 00:05:05.920 Were you always that kind of personality when it came 99 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:07.240 to even. 100 00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:10.319 Even in the locker room. Yeah, even in the locker room, 101 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:13.040 I was the goofball. I was the one making fun 102 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:18.240 of everybody, making people laugh doing stupid stuff. That's always 103 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:21.000 that's always been me to to just kind of always 104 00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:23.600 have small you know. It's I think it's especially for 105 00:05:23.639 --> 00:05:25.720 those guys, and that's I think that's where a lot 106 00:05:25.720 --> 00:05:27.480 of people they always see me and they're like, man, 107 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:32.199 we thought you were such a big agle. They really 108 00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:34.279 don't get to know me, uh what they see in 109 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:39.079 the game. In the game, I completely transformed, right, you know. 110 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:41.040 I had that kind of chip on my shoulder and 111 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:44.959 kind of lunatic mentality and so many other things that 112 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:47.720 that kind of defined me as a player. But but 113 00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:51.439 in the communities anyway, anyway, and where I can be, 114 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:56.439 I'll always be that motivator and you know, goofball. I mean, 115 00:05:56.639 --> 00:05:59.800 I see miss Abs. I was at silver Backs doing 116 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:02.160 and event for the Hispanic community for about one hundred 117 00:06:02.199 --> 00:06:04.600 and fifty kids. It was funny soccer in the streets. 118 00:06:04.600 --> 00:06:07.120 Was right across from us, and I've done that event 119 00:06:07.639 --> 00:06:10.720 a couple of years ago as well, or visited as well, 120 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:14.720 but that this one was by a group called Alianza. 121 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:18.720 They do Hispanic tournaments all around the United States, and 122 00:06:18.759 --> 00:06:20.120 they invited me to be a part of it here 123 00:06:20.120 --> 00:06:22.680 in Atlanta, and I think it was a success. So 124 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:26.360 now I might be wearing another hat and having the 125 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:30.360 opportunity to travel with them and go. I mean, like 126 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:33.759 I think, after them meeting me and you know, seeing 127 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:37.720 that I am a Mexican American player who played in 128 00:06:37.879 --> 00:06:42.000 both countries and had success in both countries, I think 129 00:06:42.040 --> 00:06:44.160 it's it's cool to kind of be that, you know, 130 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:48.240 bridge for them as well, especially within the Hispanic communities. 131 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:51.639 There's so many, so many around the States and just 132 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:54.240 providing them the opportunity, and so they do a really 133 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:57.920 good job in getting partnerships and sponsorships from all different companies. 134 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:01.480 That one was sponsored by Kings Hawaiian Kings Hawaiian Bread, 135 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:03.920 and I had about one hundred and fifty kids from 136 00:07:03.959 --> 00:07:09.639 ages four to fourteen, So it was it was really 137 00:07:09.639 --> 00:07:11.160 cool to be a part of that. And once again 138 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:14.160 I'm the guy that's like when I got there, they 139 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:16.240 were like, you know, we don't know what you can 140 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:18.319 do if you just want to hop in and be 141 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:20.759 with the kids. And then about three hours later they 142 00:07:20.839 --> 00:07:24.600 were like, wow, you're amazing with kids, and I'm like, well, 143 00:07:24.839 --> 00:07:26.279 that's what I do. That's what I do for a 144 00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:28.839 living man. So I gotta be got to I gotta 145 00:07:28.879 --> 00:07:31.959 be something with what I'm good at. So but I'm 146 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:33.720 like the type of person that I mean if I 147 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:36.319 see a kid walking by and they have you know 148 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:39.439 today in today's world, shoes never have laces or anything, 149 00:07:39.720 --> 00:07:41.279 and I'll walk by and I'll be like, dude, your 150 00:07:41.480 --> 00:07:43.920 shoes are in tight and no, They'll look down, and 151 00:07:44.439 --> 00:07:47.240 that's I'm always I'm always doing something that's you know, 152 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:50.040 making one of their friends laugh or you know, whatever 153 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:51.759 it is, tapping them on the shoulder and looking the 154 00:07:51.800 --> 00:07:55.519 other way, you know, all those little little things. 155 00:07:56.079 --> 00:08:00.680 When it comes to a locker room that needs that. 156 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:04.399 I would imagine, though, that's a fine line, especially if 157 00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:07.680 you're not doing well or is doing as well as 158 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:12.439 you would like. How do you navigate keep maintaining your personality, 159 00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:15.879 knowing everybody in the locker room, knowing that you're serious, 160 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:19.839 and navigating those rough patches with all of the different 161 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:21.839 personalities that are there in the locker room like that. 162 00:08:21.959 --> 00:08:23.879 Yeah, it's uh, it's a it's a fine line, and 163 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:27.079 it's a balance, right, you have to know. Yeah, you 164 00:08:27.160 --> 00:08:29.680 obviously you get to know personalities and know who you 165 00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:34.200 can mess with and and joke around with. You know, 166 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:37.159 it's you pick, you pick and choose, you pick and choose. 167 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:39.159 There's always going to be that one guy that might be, 168 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:42.480 uh a goofy punching bag that you might need in 169 00:08:42.519 --> 00:08:45.519 the locker room. And and our time there was it 170 00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:48.200 was mister Mikey Ambrose. Mikey Ambrose was the punching bag 171 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:50.720 for all of us and and and in the in 172 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:54.399 the like most loving way, but just the banter was 173 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:57.960 always through Mikey or Chris McCann, Harrison Heath when he 174 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:01.360 was there as well. You know, you need those guys 175 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:04.279 that are going to just lighten your day if you're 176 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:07.399 having the crappiest day and you go into the locker 177 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:09.120 room and you just have those guys. And I was 178 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:12.159 definitely one of those guys that bridge of different languages 179 00:09:12.200 --> 00:09:15.519 as well, where I got joking all sorts of different languages. Right. 180 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:19.159 So I mean, if Elena and Ida wants to pay 181 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:21.600 me right now and just be in locker room for 182 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:25.200 for banter and try and turn things around, I would 183 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:26.919 definitely say yes, I'm not going on the field. I 184 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:29.120 don't think I would survive, but just to be in 185 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:31.039 locker room and kind of be with those guys and 186 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:34.200 get a get the morale up and and and change 187 00:09:34.200 --> 00:09:36.720 the change the error a little bit. Uh. That's it's 188 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:39.399 so it's so needed, especially in times like these, because 189 00:09:39.960 --> 00:09:44.399 you still you still need that that managing role of 190 00:09:44.679 --> 00:09:47.200 guys that are gonna be you know, there's gonna be 191 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:49.759 guys that are ticked off and pissed off all day 192 00:09:49.799 --> 00:09:51.879 with what's going on right now, and you gotta you 193 00:09:51.879 --> 00:09:53.759 gotta find a way to kind of get them back 194 00:09:53.799 --> 00:09:57.080 into the mix of what they're doing. For me, it 195 00:09:57.159 --> 00:10:00.759 was almost like a message of you know, you get 196 00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:02.799 to do what you love every single day. You know, 197 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:06.559 like that happiness and that joy of stepping on the field, 198 00:10:06.600 --> 00:10:09.440 there is no there's no better escape. And so I 199 00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:12.039 think that that for me was something that I always 200 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:15.279 lived by. But yes, the fine line for me was, hey, 201 00:10:15.320 --> 00:10:18.679 when when it was serious and it had to be serious, 202 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:23.200 I was probably one of the most serious. So you know, 203 00:10:23.240 --> 00:10:25.440 I was willing to put willing to put my life 204 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:26.600 on the line for whatever play. 205 00:10:27.159 --> 00:10:29.919 But then when you have, say, like what's going on 206 00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:35.519 right now, and you are almost afraid to be yourself. 207 00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:38.960 How do you push past that to regain who you 208 00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:43.120 are toward the successes that you know, that the that 209 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:45.720 your club whomever you were talking about here, but yes 210 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:48.759 we're talking somewhat about Atlanta United. How do you get 211 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:50.679 out of that quicksand how do you push all that 212 00:10:50.679 --> 00:10:53.440 stuff away? How do you push through being afraid to 213 00:10:53.440 --> 00:10:55.960 make a mistake? I imagine these are conversations that you 214 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:57.039 have with mentees too. 215 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:02.759 Yeah, it's once again, I think you still have to 216 00:11:02.759 --> 00:11:05.559 find kind of that why, that why and who. I 217 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:09.039 think that's that's always important, especially for pros. Those guys 218 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:11.600 they have to realize their why every single day, who 219 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:14.440 they're doing it for, Why, why are they doing it? 220 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:18.360 Even if they're in rough patches, because that's that's that's 221 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:21.080 the whole reason that they're there. It doesn't matter if 222 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:25.000 you're a fifteen million dollar player, if you're a you know, 223 00:11:25.480 --> 00:11:28.080 sixty seven thousand dollars player, it doesn't matter. You're you're 224 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:31.919 you're you're still a guy who needs to needs to 225 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:36.240 understand the opportunity at hand and and just to be 226 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:39.080 where you are. You know, I have I have a 227 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:42.919 young boy, I have a young boy that we actually 228 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:45.879 kind of created an exercise together about two months ago, 229 00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:48.279 and he has been he's been on Real Monarchs for 230 00:11:48.279 --> 00:11:50.759 the past two years and he's played two games. And 231 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:52.559 this is coming from a kid who was captain on 232 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:56.120 was captain on every single Realitalt Lake age group from 233 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:58.840 like you four teens all the way up. Was the 234 00:11:58.840 --> 00:12:02.120 captain on every team. And it's been a pro for 235 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:04.879 two years and has played two games. That's it. And 236 00:12:04.919 --> 00:12:11.039 so you know, it's it's interesting to like even try 237 00:12:11.080 --> 00:12:14.000 and find a way to motivate players like that. You know, 238 00:12:14.039 --> 00:12:16.200 it's you have to find a way to where they 239 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:20.159 can be put in a good mindset and being patient 240 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:23.480 and still going to practice and enjoying themselves and not 241 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:26.600 being doubtful of why why am I doing this? 242 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:26.919 Why? 243 00:12:27.159 --> 00:12:30.480 Like you know, just getting them always back to home 244 00:12:30.519 --> 00:12:33.000 base and understanding I think their why and who they're 245 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:35.759 doing it for. That's that's the most important thing for 246 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:38.720 all the guys that are even at AU right now. 247 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:42.519 It's that chemistry is going to click at one point. 248 00:12:42.559 --> 00:12:44.399 You just got to have to continue to be patient 249 00:12:44.519 --> 00:12:47.600 and you know, see see I see if it will 250 00:12:47.639 --> 00:12:48.000 work out. 251 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:49.879 But god, that's got to be one of the most 252 00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:54.159 anticipation I would think of. Result has to be one 253 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:56.960 of the most frustrating things for an athlete at any level. 254 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:01.120 You know it's there, it's not there now, but you know, 255 00:13:01.159 --> 00:13:04.080 if you if everybody says, okay, stay the course, be 256 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:07.000 you shake off you know all the negatives, what happened, 257 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:08.720 you can flush it, learn from it, and move on. 258 00:13:08.840 --> 00:13:10.919 That's got to be one of the most frustrating. 259 00:13:10.360 --> 00:13:14.240 Things to know that it's there and then balance the 260 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:17.759 idea of I know it's there, but I don't want 261 00:13:17.799 --> 00:13:20.080 to mess up and make things worse for everybody around 262 00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:23.039 me because of the situation. It just it seems like 263 00:13:23.080 --> 00:13:25.559 that there's almost like a vicious cycle there that you're 264 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:26.480 trying to avoid. 265 00:13:26.759 --> 00:13:31.320 Yeah, it's the mentality as well. I think in the league, 266 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:37.039 just from personal experience, is it's such a different standpoint 267 00:13:37.080 --> 00:13:40.519 than playing in Mexico at that time right now, not 268 00:13:40.600 --> 00:13:45.000 now because pro Rail doesn't exist anymore, right but like, 269 00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:49.720 the mentality I think for most people who plan the 270 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:53.320 league is that Okay, if things aren't working out, then 271 00:13:53.480 --> 00:13:57.120 you know, we have this whole year to build on 272 00:13:57.240 --> 00:14:00.519 what might be next. And I think that that's a 273 00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:05.919 mentality that yes, there's there's that pressure there, but there's 274 00:14:05.960 --> 00:14:09.919 not that pressure of like there's no tomorrow right and 275 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:12.399 and I think that's that sometimes is something that I 276 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:18.200 think I would say hinder performance but just doesn't give 277 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:22.519 that extra boost I think, or that extra sprint back 278 00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:26.000 or that extra I don't care if I'm hurting right 279 00:14:26.039 --> 00:14:28.000 now or injured. I'm going to get through it. And 280 00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:31.360 I think playing in other places, you know, playing in 281 00:14:31.399 --> 00:14:36.919 those hostile like situations, even individually and collectively of fighting 282 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:40.519 fighting for relegation or fighting to stay up in the 283 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:44.879 first division, those I think that also has a huge, 284 00:14:45.320 --> 00:14:49.159 huge component to how the guys carry themselves each and 285 00:14:49.159 --> 00:14:51.879 every day, how they carry themselves in the games, their 286 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:56.159 type of mentality in terms of getting through these tough moments. 287 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:58.440 Greg Garza a second cup of coffee, hanging out with 288 00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:01.120 us here on the Friday free kick at BG mendoring 289 00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:04.000 on the two hundred and eighty character app that beyond goals, 290 00:15:04.039 --> 00:15:06.519 mentoring on all the other medias that are social. So 291 00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:09.080 all right, here here's my challenge for you. As you 292 00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:10.840 take your sip of coffee. So because you have to 293 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:13.519 be hydrated for this particular so there's nothing wrong with that. 294 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:20.879 My challenge for you if you were to walk into 295 00:15:20.919 --> 00:15:25.440 that locker room right now and someone tapped you on 296 00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:28.080 the shoulder and it's like, okay, I need you to 297 00:15:28.120 --> 00:15:31.080 talk to them before the match, before they go out there, 298 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:33.840 before the fans, you know, you know they that Mercedes 299 00:15:33.879 --> 00:15:37.080 Been Stadium this weekend. If you had to go into 300 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:40.519 that locker room and wanted to talk to the UH 301 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:44.039 the new wave of Atlanta United, what would what would 302 00:15:44.120 --> 00:15:46.159 you say? I'm not going to say it's a speech, 303 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:49.159 but what would you what would your talking points be 304 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:51.519 in trying to address that locker room to try and 305 00:15:51.559 --> 00:15:53.480 get them off of the schneid they're currently on. 306 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:59.559 So many different ways you can handle it, right. You know, 307 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:02.480 I'm a I'm a I'm a person that I like 308 00:16:02.600 --> 00:16:05.960 to apply apply the pressure. I don't like to take 309 00:16:05.960 --> 00:16:10.639 it away. And I think that's I think that's what's needed. 310 00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:14.960 I think that's what's needed. It's you know, you you 311 00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:22.759 think about what they're going through, that they're they're underperforming 312 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:26.559 in terms of results, but are they underperforming in terms 313 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:29.360 of like are they just crapping the bed? 314 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:30.000 Yeah? 315 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:32.919 You like, I don't, I don't. It's it's a hard 316 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:36.039 one too. It's a hard one to kind of really 317 00:16:36.519 --> 00:16:41.440 dissect because they're doing they're doing great things. There's not 318 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:43.600 there's not things on the field that they're doing and 319 00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:49.399 just like it's shambolically bad, you know, there's there's really 320 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:53.559 good moments that you see and they give you good glimpses. Uh, 321 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:56.240 And then I think sometimes it's just moments of you know, 322 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:59.840 focus and concentration or whatever it is that that will 323 00:17:00.519 --> 00:17:02.440 turn the game upside down. And then you know, I 324 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:04.960 think there's just a might be like a mental block 325 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:11.119 of getting getting it back. So trying to trying to 326 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:14.880 get them on the right, you know track. I honestly, 327 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:17.000 I honestly don't know which way I would go in 328 00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:22.319 terms of applying more pressure and making them understand the 329 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:25.480 the you know, the the level that they have to 330 00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:27.960 lift up to or that's where you have to be 331 00:17:27.960 --> 00:17:29.319 in a locker room and you have to get a 332 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:34.319 feel for how these guys are. Every every every coach 333 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:37.119 that I played for was you know, the best coaches 334 00:17:37.160 --> 00:17:38.799 that I played for. I would always say, we're not 335 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:41.880 we're not coaches. They were good, they were good managers, 336 00:17:42.440 --> 00:17:45.559 They understood the personalities they understood the emotions of everyone, 337 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:47.920 they understood how to get the best out of everyone. 338 00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:52.119 And so I think when you are not when you're 339 00:17:52.200 --> 00:17:54.559 not in the locker room, you're not in that sacred 340 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:57.160 you know, it's it's a sacred place. A locker room 341 00:17:57.240 --> 00:17:59.200 is a sacred place. It's you don't you don't know 342 00:17:59.240 --> 00:18:01.680 what thems are, you don't know what the you know. 343 00:18:01.839 --> 00:18:05.200 I've talked about this with with with Jason as well, 344 00:18:05.319 --> 00:18:07.319 is you don't know what the competitive stress of these 345 00:18:07.319 --> 00:18:10.240 guys are going through right now. And there's there's so 346 00:18:10.279 --> 00:18:13.640 many different things that we don't see from the outside, 347 00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:17.240 and so you know, hopefully, hopefully that's something that you 348 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:20.839 that you can hope and pray that the manager can 349 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:25.119 can really transform and and and help them get out 350 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:27.880 of get out of whatever they're they're going through. Because 351 00:18:28.039 --> 00:18:31.799 like I said, there's from a from a fan standpoint, 352 00:18:32.200 --> 00:18:37.000 there aren't there aren't like you can't look at some 353 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:39.240 of their games and yes, maybe one or two of 354 00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:40.839 them out of the season, but that's always going to 355 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:44.599 happen in a season. You can't look at most of 356 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:47.079 their games and be like they're playing bad, you know, 357 00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:51.599 creed chances or they're not playing that flare and fire, 358 00:18:51.720 --> 00:18:55.000 because there are a lot of glimpses that they do 359 00:18:55.319 --> 00:18:57.680 have that spark, they do have something there, and then 360 00:18:58.920 --> 00:19:01.039 whether it be just sometimes the bad luck that they 361 00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:02.759 have and then just not being able to turn it 362 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:05.880 around in those in those key moments, but you know, 363 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:09.200 I think it's still still a minute of them figuring 364 00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:14.640 themselves out and figuring their chemistry out. I don't I 365 00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:19.799 don't fans. I don't think how lucky we are to 366 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:22.079 have had the chemistry that we had from the very 367 00:19:22.119 --> 00:19:25.039 beginning and our success in our tenor that we had 368 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:27.920 with Atlanta United in those very first couple or few years. 369 00:19:28.680 --> 00:19:32.079 That is something like unheard of. You don't bring guys 370 00:19:32.119 --> 00:19:34.559 that are from all around the world, never played with 371 00:19:34.599 --> 00:19:37.799 each other, speak all those sorts of different languages, and 372 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:43.000 something just clicks. It happens one team out of how 373 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:45.880 many teams, there's a whole brand new team this year. 374 00:19:46.519 --> 00:19:48.960 Look at San Diego, right, San Diego is another team 375 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:50.599 that you can kind of look at and you're like, wow, 376 00:19:50.680 --> 00:19:54.480 like they played some really really good soccer at times, 377 00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:57.559 but they're still getting to know each other and and 378 00:19:57.640 --> 00:20:00.279 so I think, you know, you look back at our 379 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:04.799 success that we had. We were even in chock as 380 00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:08.200 players on the field that we had such good chemistry. 381 00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:13.480 So it's definitely you know, there's so many different angles 382 00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:15.559 that you can look at it well. 383 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:19.680 And you know, you talking to someone who is nineteen 384 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:25.000 versus talking to someone who is thirty two versus talking 385 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:26.839 to someone who's in their late thirties. 386 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:29.200 It literally it's going. 387 00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:31.839 I would imagine it's like going up to each particular 388 00:20:31.880 --> 00:20:34.519 seat in that locker room like you do with your mentees, 389 00:20:34.599 --> 00:20:38.319 like you with you and Cap, and it's like messaging 390 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:42.319 probably has a commonality of theme to it on some levels, 391 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:47.240 but each individual conversation is probably different. Taking that messaging 392 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:49.839 and taking that message and turning it a little bit 393 00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:53.400 and having it applied to each individual person. It's like, well, 394 00:20:53.559 --> 00:20:55.359 you know, if someone knows what it's like to sit 395 00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:58.359 here and go like this and they get it, then 396 00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:00.279 you might not have to do as much much to 397 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:03.279 an individual that might be a little older that has 398 00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:05.720 other things going on in their lives that you talk about. 399 00:21:05.720 --> 00:21:08.079 The competitive stress and the stuff off the field that 400 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:11.720 compounds a lot to how sometimes you act on the field. 401 00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:13.759