Kickin’ It With David - Blog Entry #8

PELE IS IN EDMONTON




What’s up everyone? I’m writing to you today from my living room again as I’m on the foam roller, rolling out the knots in my muscles. This week like most was an exhausting one, and I’m a bit sore. We start our week off on Monday with a TRX workout at Goodlife Fitness, it’s a workout that forces you to use every muscle in your body and it really gives your core muscles a good workout. Tuesday through Friday we train indoors (of course, it’s like -20 outside….CRAZY!!!!) for a couple hours each day, at a pretty intense level. It becomes exhausting but it’s what we love to do, so can’t complain at all. But I am glad it’s the weekend, we have it off to give us time to recuperate and just chill out and enjoy sleeping in. It also gives me time to enjoy the TV I bought last week.

If you remember I left you guys with the news of a new TV. Well now I’m coming to you this week with the fact that I feel it was well worth buying. Before getting it I wasn’t the type of person to watch much TV, but all of a sudden I find myself turning it on wether I’m sitting in front of it or not. It’s a 50 inch and besides it looking great and sounding great, it also does a good job filling up the empty space in my living room. This week there’s a few other new additions to the house. A couple of trialists are here looking to make an impression on the coaching staff and win a place on the squad for the 2012 season. I wish both of them the best as they continue to work hard and strive to become a part of the team. But the addition that I’m most excited to tell you guys about is the fact that I’m pleased to announce the arrival of Pele in Edmonton. Ye, that’s right I said PELE.

Pele is in Edmonton. He is a foot tall, 20 pounds and has a golden coat. If you haven’t already realized, I’m not talking about the great Pele of Brazil who’s played in World cups and famously ranks as one of the best footballers of all time. No, I’m talking about my two-month-old dog. He’s half golden retriever half chow and I decided I’d name him Pele. I decided to name him after the great Brazilian footballer because the name is a symbol of greatness and well I know my dog will be great! I’m hoping to train him well, raise him in a good home and make sure he’s always taken care of. I got him on Wednesday and since then I’ve done nothing but try to accommodate to the needs of a puppy. From the suggestions I got on twitter I went down to G&E pharmacy on the south side and bought him everything from food to a crate. I’ve watched YouTube videos on how to best train a dog and like I said, I asked my followers on twitter for any help or advice they might have. Today, only after 3 days of having him I’m proud to say he waited by the door for me to let him out so that he could go to the bathroom. So I’m doing well as a first time pet owner. If any of you guys have any advice or guidance you can offer please make sure to follow me on twitter and send me a message, I’m very eager to learn and obviously happy to make this run as smooth as possible, especially after having to clean up a few accidents. I will regularly be posting up pictures of Pele and updates on he’s doing so all the pet owners or non-pet owners who like animals, follow me and feel free to send me a line or tell me about your pet. Hope to hear from you guys…

KICK IT WITH YOU NEXT TIME…..

@davidamonsalve and PELE

Kickin’ It With David - Blog Entry #7

SO FAR SO GOOD



As the weeks pass, the level of play in training becomes higher. I think now after a few weeks of training everyone is comfortable and used to the routine. The quality of play is very good and seeing this only helps with motivation to keep pushing and become better. So things seem to be going according to plan, the idea was to come back from our time off to develop the team and strive to be better then last year and so far, its looking good!

The new additions to the team this year so far clearly show the comitment the ownership has to raising the level of professionalism in our club. Having a goalkeeper coach whose sole purpose is to help make the keepers better, bringing back an internationally experienced coach who's familiar with the team and signing a defender who not only has European experience but also experience in the NASL is exactly what I'm reffering to when I say the club is looking good.

Along with the development of our play, the development of our relationship with the community has grown too. This week we made apperances at schools across the city, encouraging the kids to participate in drills and games. I went on two school visits myself and had a lot a fun at both, seeing the kids happy to meet us meant a lot. It reminded me of when I was in elementary school and had the Toronto Argonauts (Toronto's CFL team) come in and do the same types of activities with us. It was motivating to have a pro athlete interact with us on a personal level and that's the feeling I hope the kids left with after we went to their school. We played with them, answered their questions and signed some autographs. We encouraged them to come to our games this season, check out our website for updates and to come out and train in our camps.

I haven't mentioned it in any of my past blog entries but we've been running camps Wednesday and Thursday evenings. It's been cool so far to be honest and I actually like going to them. My group is just keepers and It's nice to see the kids respond to me the way they do, they come back every week excited and ready to learn. They've come back knowing what they learned last week and ready to add to that. These camps are a way to help develope the kids in the Edmonton area as soccer players for the future. And so far so good!

On a more personal level, I added a piece of very important furniture to where I'm staying. I never realized before because usually I'm busy in the afternoons but on Wednesday of this week I found myself at home, bored and quickly realized I don't have a TV....well I do but it's really small and not very cool when you have friends over and all you can offer them is a small 20inch screen with minimal volume. Basically it's a TV that can fit in the head rest of one of those pimped out rides on MTV Cribs. So I was on the Internet on Wednesday looking for a better one and after a few hours of searching for one I was on the phone arranging to pick up a BIG 50 inch screen TV. I'm going to pick it up today and next week I'll definitely let you all know how awesome it is.

I'm going to post a video of a question we were asked in today's school visit, check it out. And to see more pictures or videos take a look at FC Edmonton's Facebook fan page or on my Twitter account @davidandresmonsalve.

http://youtu.be/IOUlP_C3Xas

KICK IT WITH YOU NEXT TIME.....

@davidamonsalve

Kickin’ It With David - Blog Entry #6

KICKIN' IT WITH DAVID

What's up everyone? I'm writing to you today from my living room where I'm preparing to have some of the guys over for dinner as we watch the Canadian National team take on St.Kitts for World Cup Qualifying. It's almost time for kick off and the guys should be getting here very soon so let me start telling you about my week.

This week was the most challenging I think I've ever had while being apart of F.C. Edmonton. For the first time in club history (I think), a goalkeeper coach was brought in to train us. If you're a goalkeeper reading this blog entry, you can relate and understand the importance of a coach whose sole purpose is to help you develop. Having a coach who concentrates on creating drills and exercises specific to the position is mandatory in order to get the best out of your goalkeeper. like I told you, I felt challenged and because I was able to push myself I felt I was improving as I kept training. The fact that the club is investing effort towards my development and the development of the other goalkeepers, it makes me happy and shows their support and belief in us. I look forward to having a goalkeeper coach around all year!

Antonio (Rago), Kyle (Porter) and I went to the Farm Fair Rodeo on Tuesday, yeah I said it, the ro-de-o! Like horses and other animals and people screaming "YEEEE HAWWW". At least that was my initial thought of what it would be like. I've never been to an event like a rodeo so I had no idea what to expect. At first we got to the Expo Centre and had dinner with people who were directly involved in the festivities as well as a group of Mexican farmers who were in town to experience the difference in agriculture here in Canada. We then signed a few autographs and greeted people, as they passed us before they made their way to the rodeo. We were right behind them and eager to see what the Farm Fair is all about. It was honestly a good time as we watched teams from all over the country compete in different events to win a spot in Saturday's Final at Rexall Place. In one event we saw horseman rope cattle and try and get them on the ground in order to (pretend) brand them. We got it on camera so be sure to check it out.

Some progress was made on the projects I mentioned in my past blog entries. The video project kyle and I were part of is soon to come out and is looking great so far. The charity I've been working on is coming along and I'm very excited to be get it officially started and out in the community helping others.

Before I go I'd like to leave you with something I felt was real nice to be apart of. Today November 11, 2011 at 11 a.m. the team gathered at centre field and we had a moment of silence, a moment of silence well deserved for the people who fought for our freedom. Lest We Forget.

KICK IT WITH YOU NEXT TIME.....

@davidamonsalve

Kickin’ It With David - Blog Entry #5

BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS



The first week back in YEG has been extremely eventful. I've been on "non-stop" mode from the day I left Toronto. First of all my journey here was a long one that had Kyle Porter and I driving all the way from Toronto via U.S.A. We passed through Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, North Dakota and then made our way across the border into Saskatchewan (where we were searched thoroughly before being given permission to cross). From there we passed through Regina and eventually to our final destination. We took shifts driving, usually about five hours before switching. As you can imagine it was still a long way from point A to point B, but we managed to get here safely.

We made it here just in time to have breakfast and go straight to training. Our first training session was light and was just to get back into the swing of things. It's nice to be in the routine and nice to be apart of the team again. Being with the team and training daily reminds me why I enjoy being a professional so much, it feels good to be competing and being in an atmosphere with other guys who are trying to accomplish the same things I am. It makes waking up in the morning a lot easier when you're working towards a common goal.

Two evenings this week we coached our academy kids at the eastside soccer centre. I was there Thursday night where I coached my kids to victory and enjoyed working with them. Besides them having a winning attitude they also were willing to learn and made my job a lot easier and the experience enjoyable. I hope to see more kids come out as the academy goes on into the new year. As I coached the kids I saw how important it is for youth to be involved in a team activity. It obviously can be a very positive influence in their lives, this made me come up with an idea for the charity I mentioned in last week's blog entry. I'm hoping to start a charity that I can relate to, so obviously I'd like to have it soccer related. I had some good suggestions last week and hope to get more this week, I'll be looking to combine the best ideas with my ideas to come up with the perfect cause. I'm looking to be more involved in the community because I remember how much it inspired me to have people I looked up to encouraging me to follow my dream.

This Tuesday (Nov. 8) I will be with a few of the guys and staff from the team at the CFR (Canadian Finals Rodio) hanging out. Come out and enjoy the festivities with us, don't hesitate to say hi and hang out. Hope to see you there.

Kick it with you next time.....

@davidamonsalve

Kickin’ It With David - Blog Entry #4

TIME TO GET DOWN TO BUSINESS

Another week has passed, wrapping up the end of my time off. Its always the case that the last week I'm home before I go back to where I play is always the busiest and this week was no exception. Like I've mentioned in my past entries, I've been working on a few projects and this week has been all about organizing my ideas and working towards getting those projects started. This week, along with Kyle Porter, we shot a video of ourselves. A sort of "day in the life of", something we thought could be fun to show the supporters what a day in our lives could be like. The video is a fun visual of what we do, it gets personal and was a lot of fun to be a part of.

Another project I'm looking to start is a charity. Ever since I started my career professionally I've always been happy and willing to work towards helping others. This year I'm hoping to get an organization together in order to give back to our community. I'm not exactly sure what the charity is going to focus on exactly, but I am sure I want it to be soccer related. With the help and support of FC Edmonton, together I'd like to make a difference in other's lives by helping them one way or another. You all know that I'm always replying to your messages and tweets on Twitter so please feel free to throw some ideas my way. If you have a favourite charity or have any stories to share with me about times you've been apart of a foundation or organization that gave back I'd like to hear it. The stories I get from everyone will be mentioned in my next blog and the person will be invited to a meeting we'll be holding at a future date in order to continue to help us. This I hope sparks interest and helps me get this idea off the ground.

Im looking forward to getting back on the field and working towards next year's goals. With that being said I'm left with a bitter sweet feeling, it's always nice being home but never fun when I'm not playing. I'm packing up, I'm running around taking care of things, saying bye to friends and family all before I get back to YEG for the rest of the year. Let's see what this season has in store for us. It's been very fun but it's time to get down to business.

Make sure to check out my Twitter for updates on everything I talk about on my blog and other things that don't make it to the blog. Be sure to support all of FC Edmonton by following the guys on the team.

@fcedmontonnow, @kyleporter19, @KyleYamada10, @KylePorter19, @6Saiko, @DoctorDre5, @antoniorago24, @MCox19, @phamilton88, @chriskooy20, @_shawnchin, @NikoSaler12

Kick it with you next time....
@davidamonsalve

Kickin’ It With David - Blog Entry #3

MOVING FORWARD

I made my way downtown Wednesday morning as I was invited to be a guest on The Score's Footy Show podcast (Take Your Kick"). It's an easy going show where a panel of analysts answer questions about recent games and news in the soccer world. It was a lot of fun being on the show again. Luckily this is the third time I've been invited back to be on The Footy Show. Those guys are great and made it very easy to enjoy myself in an environment I'm not usually in. Like I mentioned, it's very easy going and it gave me the confidence to go in and be myself. The second time I was on, a lot of jokes were thrown back and forth but one in particular stuck and went on for weeks. The joke came up this time around and made the experience that much more enjoyable. I won't spoil it by telling you what it's all about but I do suggest you check it out for yourself.

Champions league was one of the focus point of the show. The usual power houses were mentioned; Man. City, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Man. U... But not only was UEFA Champions League mentioned but CONCACAF Champions League as well, something that directly impacts us. Tuesday night Toronto FC joined Montreal as the only Canadian clubs to make it to the knockout round of the tournament. I'm very happy to hear that, and as a Canadian soccer player/fan I congratulate TFC. This shows the growth and improvement of soccer in Canada. The way I look at it is that we (FC Edmonton) can be there one day. If we continue to grow and develop the way club ownership envisions, who's to say we can't one day be the third Canadian club to make it to the knockout round of the CONCACAF Champions league and beyond. It's incredible to see the growth of soccer in Canada, and I'm proud to be apart of it. When I first started I had no idea that Toronto as a city would embrace the sport and the team with such enthusiasm and support. The same can be said for Vancouver and Montreal, the numbers that come out in support on a weekly basis in both cities are something that six years ago would have sounded crazy. This is something I see happening in Edmonton and excites me to know that the city and club are moving forward in the right direction to get there. Watching the Champions League got me motivated and definitely made me feel like making it to the tournament is a personal goal of mine.

On a lighter note, I've been enjoying home...this weekend I'm preparing for Halloween as it's one of my favourite holidays. I'll be shopping around for decorations for the house and for a costume. Any ideas? I've also been pretty lazy and haven't been training much. I feel we do deserve the time to be lazy after a year of hard work, but with that being said, I have to get back in the swing of things.

You know to leave me any questions and/or suggestions on my twitter. Make sure to also check FC Edmonton's Facebook fan page for the latest updates.

Kick it with you next time....

@davidamonsalve

Kickin’ It With David - Blog Entry #2

STAND UNITED


As you know I'm in Toronto, more specifically Brampton where my family lives now. Coming home after being away for a while is always nice and I'm enjoying every second of it. From my sister's birthday and celebrating it with my whole family and close friends to seeing my friends play with the national team.
This past Tuesday Canada played against Puerto Rico at BMO field. I don't want to talk to you guys about the result or what I thought about the game, I just want to tell you guys about the feeling I get every time I step in that stadium. It's the field where I made my professional debut, the first time I stepped onto the pitch of a sold out stadium. I get reminded of that every single time I'm there. When I see guys playing it makes me want to suit up and jump in, the crowds vibe gets me hyped up and ready to go every single time. For those of you who have been to an FC Edmonton game, remember how loud it gets and the emotion you feel when one of our guys scores. Now imagine what it's like when you multiply that by 10, it's an overwhelming sound and sight. It's an amazing feeling.



Its been a while since I was that nervous 18 year old kid making my debut against Aston Villa (of the English Premiership). Luckily since then I've experienced playing in a few stadiums with 10,000 plus spectators. Having a crowd behind you in a facility more suited for a professional environment makes a big difference. For me I'd best describe the feeling as... motivating. Having all the supporters scream the team's name with such passion and belief gives me a sense of urgency to do well and not let my team or supporters down. I'm confident in saying that this is something my teammates and I would really like to have in our home. And this is what I'm getting to, Edmonton is set to be one of the host cities for both the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014 and the full Women's World Cup in 2015. With those announcements came the expressed interest of mayor Mandel to work with FC Edmonton to build a soccer specific facility for the world cups that eventually will become our home. This obviously got me excited and eager to be a part of the whole process. I just hope you guys share my excitement and Stand United to help us get to where we can continue to be a good example of pro soccer in Canada. This I can very easily say can become a dream come true. Growing up I always thought playing professionally would take me away from Canada and now thanks to the growth of soccer, it's no longer the case.

Doing this blog is something I enjoy and im sure everyone can enjoy. Find out what's going on on a day to day basis by following me on twitter @davidamonsalve. This week will be an interesting one, as I'm working on a few projects and as I'll be starting my training soon. Feel free to send me feedback, suggestions, questions or anything at all to my twitter. I'll make sure I respond personally or answer any questions in the upcoming entry.

Kick it wit you next time.....



@davidamonsalve