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)
Football has allowed the Gómez’s to visit and experience some amazing places domestically and internationally; in the process, we have met some wonderful people. We are beyond grateful to football for those opportunities. In this particular occasion, we visited yet another historical place packed with pleasant folks. After the initial remote interactions with the Louisville City FC staff, we were confident that we would finally encounter hospitality, honesty, genuineness, openness, and the appropriate development setup for Jogo…and sure enough, Louisville did not disappoint.
The airport
My fathers’s favorite sport was not football; it was boxing. I became a boxing fan at an early age mostly because of him but also because my home country produces its share of good boxers. I remember watching boxing every Saturday night with my father; he’d ask me trivia questions about the sport so I became very knowledgeable at a young age. All that said, when the trip to Louisville materialized, the last thing that crossed my mind was Muhammad Ali’s hometown. However, as soon as we landed in the Louisville Muhammad Ali airport, I felt I had gone full circle in a small (but very intimate) part of my life. My dad would have been happy.
Jogo and mom at the Muhammad Ali airport 03.04.20
The folks
From the moment we received confirmation of the trip until the last handshake; we felt welcome; the hospitality was incredible. It’s not often parents get an opportunity to talk openly to the head coach (especially one whom we admire) and much less his staff (the assistant coach and the goalkeeper coach). They made us feel welcome…special. We were not just a number. Is this how it’s supposed to be? Thank you. In addition to the coaching staff (and in no chronological order), in our first trip, we met the vice president of operations, the club president, the academy director, the public relations team, the chaplain (and his wife), players (Sean, apologies since we were in a rush), etc. Everyone was so genuinely kind and welcoming. Words can’t suffice. They say Texans are famous for their southern hospitality…don’t know, what we experienced that weekend outdoes anything we have witnessed before. We know we landed at the right place.
The stadium
Are you kidding me? A 65 million dollar facility with a capacity of up to 14k fans. It’s not every day that a USL team has its own brand new football dedicated stadium. Being part of the inception of a project magnifies the satisfaction and was a factor in our decision. The attention to detail is incredible; from the shape of the stadium to the locker room soccer tennis area. It’s well thought-out. It’s also not surprising that the folks who made us feel welcome are the same folks behind this magnificent design. The two main supporter groups will be ecstatic. The tifos and smoke bombs setup; everything is built with a purpose. The Lynn Family stadium will be inaugurated by Louisville City FC on April 11th. We are looking forward to an environment packed with supporting fans on our third visit; we have never experienced an environment like that in North Texas.
Having the flexibility to accompany the team to pre-season was the cherry on the cake. Jogo not only had a chance to interact, train and play with the team in Louisville but also traveled with them to Florida to further validate any potential on-the-field development uncertainties. While there, he played a scrimmage against a very talented DC United side and defended some very good players. Get well soon Paul. We need you back on the USMNT.
Jogo defending Paul Arriola in pre-season 02.06.20
The city
In two quick pragmatic trips with packed agendas, we achieved everything we wanted except perhaps more sight-seeing. We’ll be back, there’s no doubt about that. We did manage to use at least one of the famous beautiful bridges that go across the Ohio River (to cross to Indiana to go to Target).
The weather
Is this how cold it’s supposed to get? Texas winter wind surpasses this any day. We experienced beautiful days for football with (guess what?) no wind and we loved it. Incidentally, the colder weather and the quicker speed of play of the team helped Jogo with what he embarked on right after Louisville City FC pre-season.
The farewell
In an already gloomy afternoon (Kobe’s news), the time came to say goodbye. It had to be quick because Jogo needed to return to “his business” and the quick adieu helped. Mom was sad (extremely sad). Everything we have seen far exceeds our expectations; we know deep in our hearts this is where he belongs. Yet as we head back to the airport, a natural sudden nostalgic feeling rushes in. The sadness is exponentially exacerbated by the gloomy cold Sunday night. Feelings are strange and we can’t explain them sometimes; for now, we must manage them. There is no doubt this is the next logical progression in his career. We know Jogo will embrace it with open arms because he is surrounded by an excellent team. Seize the day son. It is time to continue shining.
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.
The tournament did not start well for the team. However, anybody who knows a thing or two about out of town soccer tournaments knows that playing the host team for the first game is always challenging. You end up playing against their crowd, their fields, their weather, their rules, etc. You then factor in the long flight 24 hours earlier, returning from the holiday break, a fragile roster with depth issues and all bets are off. I must say, the scoreline (1-3) for the first game was deceiving. For those of us who watched the game, it had its moments of decent FCD soccer with SIMA gold elite (SIMA from here on) playing very direct and using their speed to create the more dangerous chances overall. It is important to note that going down 0-1 in the first five minutes of the match (on top of my pretexts given above) against a top quality opponent is like ice-skating uphill trying to come back. At the end of the match, the boys and the coaching staff quickly shifted their focus to the second game…
The quality of soccer improved in the second game against Valencia and the coaching staff finally learned their rules (ex. unlimited substitutions and reentries permitted). Furthermore, FCD did not fall victim of overconfidence and there were no early forced substitutions due to injuries (incredible player management by the club on the eve of a U20 MNT camp). Also, Valencia plays a different brand of soccer so it was easier to stick to a ball possession plan. Overall, Valencia was supposed to be the opponent to beat but my guess is that this was not their “A” team. I find it interesting that a Spanish team would fly 11 hours to come play a “meh” tournament in the middle of their season (according to their schedule, they are supposed to play a regular season game in a few hours). Anyway, the final score was a tie with us conceding a soft goal in the winding minutes of the match for the second consecutive game. We really could have used those two points to secure a smoother pathway to the championship game but hey, live and learn…
Given SIMA’s dominance in their first two matches, it was a “do or die” situation for FCD’s third game against Esporte Clube Jacuipense . On paper, the Brazilians appeared to be the least known and most flexible opposition and that was indeed the case. FCD had the majority of the opportunities with our GK and defense having very little to do throughout the game. FCD went up on the score in the first half with a PK and closed the deal in the second half off of another set piece. 2-0 was the final score and that in conjunction with the continued dominance of SIMA (undefeated in the first three matches) setup a must see rematch for the “championship” game between SIMA and FCD.
Keeping the score tied at zero in the first 20 minutes of the championship game was of utmost importance in order to start playing our game (possession and mental); however, that was almost achieved until a soft PK call was given to the host team around the 10th minute. After going down 0-1, our team realized that PK calls were going to be soft and we ended up benefiting from two in our favor; one of our players is a master of that art. The game quickly turned more intense and aggressive with players on each team earning a red card and some yellows earned in the process as well. This was a battle not just against SIMA, the crowd, the fields, but their long winning tradition. SIMA had never lost this tournament in the 9 years they had organized it. Good job players and staff for the collective and individual hardware…it was a “good ride”. Thank you.
Misinformed decision by the club today; we don’t understand it but respect it regardless. We keep our heads down, working, and enjoying every minute we get to play and/or watch the beautiful game. We go to the Showcase and perform. No questions asked…for now. Time will tell…
Jogo playing against Universidad de Chile Sub15 Internacional courtesy of LigaBBVAMX (08.15.19)
Arrival to the stadium did not go as planned…that happens when you travel with the Gómez’s sometimes. To be fair, the kids made it to Estádio Do Dragao right at kickoff (5:30 PM) on their own via subway (kuddos to them); however, it was Claudia and myself who were 16 minutes late to kickoff. For most people, a 16 minute delay to a football game isn’t the end of the world, but for my type-A personality, it kinda was.
The back story behind our being tardy to the game isn’t simple but in summary, the rainy evening played a role and a forgotten Mexican flag (see below for explanation) did too. In the end, we witnessed four nice Porto FC goals: Mbemba, Favio Silva, own goal and Marega. In the process, we managed to spend some quality time…a family luxury we haven’t been able to afford in almost 6 months.
As far as the game went, Porto FC was never in danger of losing this one; the 22,000 fans present enjoyed the victory but for us, being close to the ultras and taking pictures while creating more family memories was of utmost importance. We were determined to have fun. The highlight of the day took place when, upon spotting the Gómez’s huge Mexican flag and as previously arranged by Johan, Jesus “Tecatito” Corona, came over, greeted us and gifted us his playing jersey. ¡¡¡Gracias Tecatito!!!. The drenching rain that coincided with our walk back home was perfect. It’s nice to get to be kids (with your own kids) every once in a while.
Congratulations to you Jogo and the entire team (staff included) on winning the 2019 Nike Friendlies. The decision to have an odd-number birth year participate was fortunate for us; the competition, the weather, the timing was all great and well thought out. In the end, it was a good collective team effort to finish in first place and an excellent way for this group to close out the U16-BNT cycle. The future could be bright for a lot of the members of this team (staff included); however, with bigger accomplishments comes bigger responsibilities. Are you all ready for them? Good luck!
Well, you did it Jogo. We were worried about your health going into the game and what do you end up doing? You scored a banger on your aunt’s birthday against top international competition (Netherlands). We are sure she was looking down and cheering you on. What a way to honor her! #theGomezway
Psalm 147:3. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
It was an indescribable experience for all of us as well. To top it off, the team came back in a miraculous way from a two goal differential in the last few minutes to earn a tie that tasted like a victory. Great experience. We learn, we work, and we progress but most importantly, we remain humble and thankful for the support.
We have mixed feelings about your participation tomorrow. While we know the game is a great opportunity for you to showcase your talents, we worry that today’s injury (but most importantly the challenges this past week) may hinder your performance. We trust the Lord and your judgement that you will know when your body is unable to perform. However, having been in your shoes before, the heat of the moment can offset any pain that you may be experiencing. Please know that we are so proud of you and that no matter how the game goes, we will be back home supporting you and figuring out what the next logical steps will be. Love you son. Your family.
Way to go kiddos. Jogo, your participation during the season, but more so, in the championship game proved instrumental to the victory. The hockey assist resulted in the winning goal and the save in the second half counted for at least a goal and a half. Congratulations.
Overall, the family’s proudest moment of the season came the day when both Jogos shared the field in Toronto. The family will eternally be grateful to the FC Dallas organization for these opportunities provided to the boys. Congratulations to both of you on a successful season. #TheGomezway.
Getting ready to fly to Toronto for their first NTSC game together. Image by North Texas Soccer Club
#TheGomezway 