What's It Like to Train for the LA Galaxy Trials?

South African football player, Brown Kamwimbi, talks about his training regime for one of the top professional soccer clubs.

How was football shaped who you are?

Football has really shaped me immensely and part of the reason for this is because of my father; he was the first person to introduce me to football. I started playing at a very young age and it shaped me positively into the man that I am today. Football has shown me how to appreciate humility, and how important family is. It has shown how huge of a platform I have to address issues such as racism, economic depressions.

How are you preparing for the LA Galaxy trials?

I am doing HITT training to improve my endurance, and a lot of gym exercises like bench press, push-ups, glute bridges, concentrated curls, and I am also working a lot of my legs because they are very important. I am watching so many videos in order to improve my football IQ.

Emotionally I am meditating quite a lot; it was my religion teacher who introduced it to me recently. Lexi Underwood also mentioned more tips on how to meditate better. I pray often because God is the only person who is with me all the time, and mentally this has helped quite a lot. I have been doing so since I was 3 years old.

Self-motivation is an essential part in order to succeed in any profession or aspect in life. I am also having ice baths in order for my legs to recover rapidly, eating nutritiously, and drinking plenty of water.

There's a lot of football players who are also known for being fashion icons. How does fashion play a role in football and in your life?

Paul Pogba, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Tammy Abraham are some of the most prolific football players but off the pitch they are astounding fashion icons.

Fashion and football work together cohesively because they are both very expressive and they are incredible.

Many footballers will be seen walking around in Gucci, Balmain, Channel, and many more designer clothes and shoes and this has impacted footballers like me very positively because it has shown me a different side to football. Fashion plays a huge role in my football because I come from a fashionable background and I love Adidas love having the latest soccer boots because they make feel more confident. It is my dream to open designer stores and have my own football boot from Adidas or Nike.

What does it mean to be young today?

In today’s society when you are young, black from the African continent it means that so many people, especially young children, are looking at you as an older brother. This is the type of responsibility I love to carry because I love instilling hope into people’s lives.

Racism and suppression can all be suppressed, especially as a young athlete because you have so many social media platforms that act as a vessel for change. Young means you are still in the process of developing emotionally and mentally, and it means mistakes can occur at any time. It is important how you will be able to respond to these challenges. Sports should teach us how to be united and how to step up from adversity.

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Follow Brown's journey to the LA Galaxy trials on his Insta @brown.kamwimbi