Category Archives: Family

Family, FC Porto, Learning, U20-MNT, Uncategorized

Portuguese Quarantine

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It’s nothing short of weird being quarantined in a foreign country. Foreign-ish. I don’t really like to use that excuse anymore because I feel like I’m really well adapted, plus Portugal reminds me a lot of Mexico. It gives me comfort sometimes when I’m out and about and certain parts of the city are identical to Mexico. The first couple of days went by so slowly, it seemed like it was a week’s worth of time packed within one day. Our apartment is a good size but I share a room with someone and even just a few days in, I already felt like I was losing my sanity. Thankfully, there was a first team player who happened to get loaned out about a month ago. He happens to be an Argentinian who gets along very well with my also Argentinian roommate. Long story short, he left us his car and his house. We packed up our stuff to stay for a couple weeks minimum and headed over to the crib. It’s looking like it’ll be about a month until we go back to training and that’s if everything goes well. The countdown’s on.

2020-04-21T17:12:00

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until

Back to Training (Supposedly)

As I’m writing this, we’re about 23 hours in and this is about as good as quarantine gets. Space away from roommate, space to do my own thing, FaceTime friends and family without overlapping conversations as my roommate screams while playing Fortnite. It’s been really nice. I had forgotten what it’s like to have a little space to breathe. Yesterday we headed to the supermarket, masked up, to stock up on groceries since the only downfall of this is that we’ll have to cook. Thank God that people in Portugal haven’t resulted to panic buying like some people in the states have. I would honestly have no food to live off of if that was the case. The cafeteria where we usually get our food from at Casa Dragao, is closed right now. All my teammates have gone home, and my national team teammates (most) that play in Germany or England got to head back… without having to quarantine upon arrival, so I’m a little jealous. Shout-out Leo (Sepulveda) if you’re reading this, because it’s way worse in Spain and he hasn’t been able to go home so I can’t even complain. He’s been helping me by telling me what to stock up on and what to cook and stuff. That’s the bro. We stocked up on groceries and I cooked my first meal in a while. Easy to make spaghetti. Simple, healthy and always filling. Haven’t cooked in a while and honestly, forgot how much I hate cleaning up after and washing the dishes. That night, I went to sleep kind of late but woke up early the next morning to do the workout Porto sent us, plus, I want to keep my body on the same training schedule time-wise as we’re usually on. I was only going to spend about an hour out there but ended up staying for two because I got a hold of the ball. I could have stayed outside forever with the ball honestly, especially now that there’s nothing to do.

Johan fiddling with the ball 031820 (Porto, Portugal)

After, I finished with some stretches to make sure the legs don’t tighten up too much. I’ve struggled with my hamstring lately so I’m using this time to really take care of it, especially when we’re just sitting around, your muscles tend to tighten and tense up so it’s always good to do light stretches to increase flexibility. Highly recommended for any athlete, and you can do them while watching TV or doing nothing now that you’re in quarantine.

I’ve really been enjoying the space I have compared to normal, but it’s no secret I’d rather be home right now. I talked to the people in charge here but they don’t want to let me go until a date is given for return to play so we’re waiting on the federation to say something. I doubt they’ll let me go back, so kind of just have to deal with it. It sucks because, although I wouldn’t necessarily be able to go out with my friends, at least I would be in my city and with my family. Also, I don’t want to be stuck here if things get worse and it’s summer. Then, there would really be no point in me being here. I have a good relationship with the doctors here due to my past injury and they’re constantly checking up on my mental state, and I’ve never struggled with that (thank God, but if you do struggle with that reach out to someone) but it is weird being here and not playing with the team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5Daw1n7KFY
The World’s Most Unforgettable Smile

By the way, at time of writing it’s Ronaldinho’s 40th birthday, he’s one of the greatest of all time and helped a lot of us fall in love with the game with that contagious smile. Let’s honor him by watching some of his greatest moments. Oh and go subscribe to my podcast on YT, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Also, follow us on insta @chum.chat . We’re honestly pretty good for a trio of 18 year old. Give it a listen… you probably have nothing better to do.

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Family

Nutrition and Chumchat

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Nutrition is an integral part of one’s health and growth and more so for athletes. Having two young athletes living away from us has presented its share of challenges. As parents, we always want to ensure that our children’s nutrition is adequate for their age and activity levels.

To be honest, both boys have always been very disciplined and have understood the importance of a balanced diet given their lifestyles. However, we know there are way too many food choices available. Even as an adult, it’s hard to discern what’s best for our bodies, that feeling magnifies for a couple of teenagers and this is where they sometimes need our assistance.

In Johan’s case, he currently has no need (or desire) to cook as Porto takes care of that aspect of his life. Similarly, Louisville also takes excellent care of Jogo; however, Jogo loves to cook frequently (more so recently). As you can see from his hobbies, he finds cooking therapeutic as well fulfilling…and this is where we (mom) come in.

See, when they both lived in Frisco (about an hour away from us), their nutrition was easy to manage (and even influence). Mom would cook additional portions that they would in turn freeze, transport to their home and eat at will. During the weekends, the boys would come home and we would just all eat together (all smiles).

Nowadays, we leverage technology to increase Jogo’s nutritional IQ. We not only help him with cooking but also with shopping. I must say, it works extremely well. The videos also serve a secondary purpose as they help us practice my native language. Warning, the video below is in Spanish.

Spanish Rice Cooking: 03.15.20 (Keller, TX)

Remember that carbohydrates are an athlete’s main fuel. Their body changes them to glucose -a form of sugar- and stores them in their muscles as glycogen. A diet rich in carbs is important. In the future, we will be adding more videos about other support methods (ex. grocery shopping) and hints to help young athletes and their families with managing/influencing nutrition remotely. As with anything you do in life, do it with a passion.

Matthew 6:21

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also

In other news, the chums have been doing really well and continue to increase their follower base. This week’s guest was NFL’s Hunter Rentfrow. Give them a listen when you can and susbscribe to their YouTube channel or Spotify. Enjoy

Chumchat Season 1, Episode 10: Talking Shop w/ Hunter Renfrow (Las Vegas Raiders Star WR)
Family, FC Porto, International Competition, Learning, Louisville City FC, U19-MNT, U20-MNT

COVID-19 & missed U20/U19 MNT callups

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In these times of uncertainty, we sincerely hope everyone is safe, healthy and most of all, enjoying some down time with family. We would like to take this opportunity to share some recent family anecdotes which initially appeared to be disastrous, but are proving to be beneficial. We hope you find them comforting and perhaps they help soften the impact of the current Coronavirus adversities however those may be affecting your personal lives.

One of the hardest things that the Gomez’s have had to adjust to in the past year has been living away from our oldest children (especially Johan). Yes, technology facilitates certain things but you can’t change others such as the time difference. Although both Johan and Jogo left home when they were 16 and 13 respectively, they were both within a manageable driving distance from us (if they ever needed us). Also, we would see them at least once a week and when we did, we were ALL HAPPY; we miss that. Nowadays, we see them once every 2-3 months and it becomes especially worrisome (nostalgic even) in turbulent times like the ones taking place now.

Johan being in a country where the COVID-19 confirmed cases climb up exponentially every day, far away from us, makes us feel helpless. Honestly, it’s a humbling feeling that tests our patience thresholds. Yes, we worry sick about him because in the end “that’s what us parents do best“. On the other hand, Jogo being twelve hours (driving distance) away, seems to be within reach if an emergency comes up but he’s still far. In the end, we trust that the Lord will guide them appropriately.

If you happen to have your children close to you (more so during these challenging times), give them a hug, tell them how much you love them and reminisce about life events with them. Go through old pictures/video together. Not all of us are THAT fortunate right now. Before you know it, your kids will be gone building their own legacy and chasing their own dreams.

I will start closing this post on a positive note. Although football is full of sacrifices as some would say; it’s also full of rewards, ironies and some fortune. Sometimes luck is on your side yet others it isn’t. See, in less than two months, Johan has been called up twice for different U20 MNT camps and guess what? He has been unable to attend either. Some would say, that’s terrible luck (maybe so). For the first camp in January, as you some of you already know, he was injured just days before he was scheduled to fly out to Florida. In hindsight, the unexpected additional down time gave him and his friends time to give birth to another life project: Chumchat and discover perhaps another talent. The second U20 MNT camp (in Portugal) was cancelled a couple of days ago and although Johan was disappointed, he recognizes that this down time will present new opportunities once again. In the end, football is only a small part of our lives right now and we must seize each day. “Carpe Diem” Johan until the next opportunity, then, be prepared.

Last but not least, Jogo was invited with the U19 MNT to Spain for an international tournament. As a family, we were looking forward to enjoying watching the boys represent the US crest simultaneously. Unfortunately, the tournament also got cancelled. While that was unfortunate, Jogo is using the unexpected additional down time to continue excelling in his new high school and familiarizing himself with his new life in Louisville. We try to teach the boys that in the face of adversity, it’s how you bounce back that determines the ultimate outcome and molds your character.

The Gomez’s are resilient to “bad luck”, adversity but most of all, remain hopeful that there will be brighter times ahead of us. For all of you, stay resilient, healthy, and faithful out there. This will inevitably pass and life will return to “normal”. Make the best out of these times. Until next time. #theGomezWay

1 John 5-5

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

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Español, Family

VERTE PARTIR duele TANTO…

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ENGLISH

…a pesar de que irónicamente te hemos visto partir de tantos aeropuertos en docenas de ocasiones, sin embargo, esta vez fué emocionalmente agotador.

Para ser honesto, se mezclaron muchas emociones … tantas lágrimas derramadas, la alegría de haber tenido el placer de tenerte cerca por unos días. Las despedidas son complicadas; la familia siempre va a ser egoísta por naturaleza y te va a querer cerca “a todas horas”. Algunos de nosotros incluso diríamos que la vida es injusta…en realidad, la vida no lo es, ya que estas son nuestras decisiones y estamos conscientes de que estás alcanzando tu sueño y bueno, al final, eso merma un poco el dolor de tu partida.

Aun así, es difícil explicarle a tu hermana por qué te tienes que ir “una vez más”; y como era de esperarse, lloró todo el camino de regreso a casa. Además, ver a tu hermano sollozar como un niño pequeño no es algo de lo que hayamos sido testigos antes…el vínculo que ustedes tienen es notablemente muy fuerte. La mayoría de las personas tan sólo ven la fachada familiar, pero el trabajo detrás de la cancha es admirable y sólo los que vivimos el día a día, lo sabemos.

A final de cuentas, este estilo de vida es nuestra elección y ese es el alto precio que tenemos que pagar. El adiós de hoy fue más duro de lo normal, ya que no sabemos cuándo nos veremos de nuevo. Hasta entonces, queremos que sepas que eres amado, admirado y muy especial en la vida de muchos. Ve a buscar tus sueños hijo porque acá siempre tendrás a un equipo muy COMPLETO y capaz apoyándote…#theGomezway

Family, FC Porto, International Competition, U18-MNT

Jogo comes home and news

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Jogo comes home for a short period of time after being away for “a few weeks”. The experience has been extremely positive but boy we missed you a ton. Happy half-birthday. We hear you met some interesting individuals while over there….happy half-birthday!!!

Jogo with Josh Sargent

In other news, Johan returned to action and the good news continued flowing his way. The family can’t wait to see what happens next with him. Speaking of family, the surprise visit didn’t hurt either huh? It’s always good to work on your emotional and spiritual well-being just as it is to work on your physical one. BTW, keep chumchatting son, YOLO. Great idea on the FC Dallas HG signing podcast (and great debut by Tanner). Can’t wait on the next guest with the brand new “equipment” :-).

Chumchat episode 7

Finally, thanks for Joana’s shout-out on IG. You are right; she doesn’t get enough credit sometimes so we’ll start incorporating news about her sporadically. She continued footballing and scoring and she also ran a sub 6-minute mile too earlier this week. #theGomezWay

Joana Gomez: Odyssey 3 vs East Texas (1) 02.23.20
Joana Gomez: ACES invitational 02.27.20
Family, FC Porto

UEFA Youth League and more

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Well, the result was a loss in PKs after a hard fought match…not desired but in the end, there has to be a winner (even the keeper got to take a PK)…pretty cool run regardless. Unfortunately, the team won’t get to defend the UEFA Youth League title but I’m glad you were able to play in important matches. I know you are sad for being unable to help out but sometimes disappointment is part of your development. Things always happen for a reason.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Now the focus shifts to the second half of the season… I’ll leave you some material below to cheer you up. Remember there’s isn’t a single activity in life that defines us. Find what makes your journey joyous and stick to it.

Meanwhile Jogo says hello from wherever he’s at this week. That little dude is having all the fun in the world.

Family, FC Dallas

Done at last…in other news

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It is never easy to say good-bye (Instagram icon above) to longtime friends and teammates under any circumstances, but in the end, one must move on to pursue different opportunities when the current setup is no longer a viable option. We are not aspiring to be pioneers, insurgents, or anything of that sort but we know many families are currently on the same boat. For those of you right in the middle of it, know that there are options, but the risk/reward ratio is high. Odds are meant to be beaten; we are ALL in now. Also, know that we are in it together…and in the end, no matter what happens, the friendships will endure all adversities.

Jogo alongside a natural leader on and off the field. Pure class (01.11.20)

As Jogo begins his transition from an important stage of his football career to a new chapter of his life, Johan sets foot again on a soccer field for a light jogging and passing session. Baby steps they say; it was an excellent day today indeed. We are grateful. God’s timing is always perfect.

Johan grinding at Olival 01.20.20

In other news, Johan and his ex-teammates started a new project (click on the YouTube icon below). If you find the content useful, funny, witty, or silly, give them a like or subscribe to the channel. It’s entertaining but what can I say? I am a bit biased.

In other news, the third Jogo scored this beauty of a goal in a tournament this past weekend. We keep working because it is the #theGomezway

Joana with the game winner, Mckinney, TX (02.01.20)
Family, FC Porto, U20-MNT

Injury Days

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“Success is determined by how you handle setbacks“

Being injured as ANY kind of athlete is never ever easy. Being injured overall no matter what you do sucks, but being injured as a professional athlete is even WORSE. If you’re like me, you like to do what you came to do, you like to feel productive, and at the end of the day, you want to do your job. Think of it as being a software coder and having arthritis, or like being an airline pilot and having bad vision. For me, this injury came at an absolutely awful time, but like they say… it could always be worse.

I suffered a stress fracture in my left foot in my second training back from the holidays, and on the last day of 2019 as well. Approximately one week before the u-20 camp that I had been called into that took quite a bit of convincing to let Porto release me for. Originally, the doctors didn’t know exactly what it was since it was relatively small(the fracture) but after getting an X-ray they determined it was in fact broken and that I would indeed need surgery. It was a huge blow for me because I was really looking forward to going to camp to prove myself under the new coach just as I had with Tab a couple of months ago. I’m a pretty positive person though, so I looked on the bright side. My Bulgarian roommate had suffered almost exactly the same injury as me and they had let him go home for two weeks… so that’s what I was expecting as well.

At the end of the day, it turns out that since my fracture was smaller, I have a lesser recovery time, thus me going back home would only delay my recovery by the amount of time that I was home. Obviously it’s easier for him to go back home as well because it takes quite a bit of travel for me to get back to Dallas. Anyway, the surgery went well and I’m 2 weeks in now and my foot is healing nicely, but it has been tough having to watch my teammates train and it always gives you a new appreciation for the game that you love. Sometimes you don’t realize how much you truly love something until you lose it, even for just a little bit. My family more than anything has helped me stay positive because it has been tough mentally, and some of my best friends have been there for me as well, helping cheer me up. All in all, injuries are part of the game. This wasn’t my first one, and although I would like it to be, it most likely won’t be my last one either. For anyone in a situation like mine, the best thing you can do, is accept the situation you’re currently in and make the best out of it. Strengthen other parts of yourself and stay positive through the process. Keep your head down and time will begin to fly by. Everything happens for a reason.

Family, FC Porto, Learning, U20-MNT

Inopportune injury

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You may wonder, is there really a time when an injury is opportune? The answer is a bit subjective. As you may remember, a few weeks back (December 7th to be exact), I posted that there were some good news coming our way; I even stated that it’d be good if the news materialized. As it turns out, I may have jinxed it all.

Injuries are part of an athlete’s life and unfortunately by their own nature inopportune. Players knowingly assume the risks associated with the pursuit of their passion and understand that injuries are sometimes inevitable and inconvenient. However, that inconvenience can reach new levels when injuries are accompanied by either “bad timing” or “high severity”. Unfortunately, in Johan’s case, both were present.

For starters, the injury occurred right before the U20 MNT camp in Bradenton, Florida next week (that was the good news from a month ago) in preparation for CONCACAF qualifying in June. “Timing stinks” would be a complete understatement. The injury could have happened at any other time but it had to take place right before camp…sigh. Furthermore, this was not just a muscular injury; it required surgery (albeit minor) which immediately exacerbated its magnitude.

On the bright side, the surgery went well and Johan couldn’t be in better hands. The procedure is going to speed up recovery and it will inevitably be testing his mental, spiritual, and emotional toughness. As a family, we can’t deny how disappointing the timing and the severity of the injury were; however, we know everything happens for a reason. We now have to regroup and figure out “that” reason.

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us

Romans 5:3-5

In the end, we know Johan will come out of this much stronger and despite the temporary setback, he will overcome adversity as he has done so in the past. He is in great spirits, very optimistic and surrounded by his loving family, friends and teammates. Be patient son. #somosGuerreros = #theGomezway

Family

It hurts so much…

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ESPAÑOL

To see you go …the irony of it all is that we have seen you depart from airports at least a few dozen times, yet this one was emotionally draining. Mixed emotions to be honest…so many tears shed yet so much joy to have had the pleasure of having you around for a few days. Hard to let go, family is selfish by nature and want you around forever, some of us would go as far as saying that life is unfair…life isn’t, these are our choices and we know well you are pursuing your dream and that lessens the pain a little. It is still difficult to explain to your sister why you have to go “once again”; she sobbed all the way home. Also, seeing your brother bawl out like a little kid is not something we had witnessed before…the bond you guys have is remarkably strong.

Most people only see the family facade but the behind the scenes work is admirable to say the least. Yes, ultimately this lifestyle is our choice and that’s the price we have to pay. Today’s good-bye was tougher than normal as we don’t know when we will see you again. Until then, know that you are so loved and that you are special. Go get “it” son; you have a FULL team behind you…#theGomezway

Carpe diem

Horace (Roman poet)