Michael Parkhurst is gearing up for the start of the 2017 MLS season as captain of league newcomers Atlanta United FC. In this guest blog, he talks about the team's preseason preparations and the anticipation surrounding its opening game.
When the MLS season kicks off this weekend, a new era will begin in Atlanta. March 5 will mark the start of what will hopefully be a storied history for a club that, though in the making for almost three years, only recently took the field as a team for its inaugural preseason matches.
Technical director Carlos Bocanegra, who put together the majority of our roster, told me he was more excited for preseason than any player because no longer was the team just a collection of names and data on paper. Our video analyst echoed that sentiment: Finally there will be video that needs to be analyzed!
There is no doubt the front office and support staff have been ready for some time but luckily we players have had the past six weeks to get prepped for Sunday's game vs. the New York Red Bulls.
Preseason has been a grind. It always is. The workload is heavy; the naps are frequent; the legs are heavy; the treatment and ice baths are frequent. Meanwhile, there are plenty of nights spent away in hotels and more than a few FaceTime conversations with family.
In that sense, preparation for 2017 has been the same as for every one of my 12 previous seasons as a professional. But in every other way, it's been different. Wherever I have played, things have been done differently, from fitness training to weight lifting, from passing drills to pregame meals. And everyone must adapt.
For example, the focus for fitness in Denmark was all about maximizing the number of sprints you could perform in a short time, and we never ran for more than four minutes. In Germany, there were 30-45 minute runs in the woods with a goal of controlling lactic acid buildup. As I said, things are different depending on where you are.
At Atlanta United, because everything is new, everyone is adapting. Players learn new ways to do things, such as different exercises in the gym and being patient with translated instructions of drills and team meetings.
Meanwhile, our Argentinean coaches, led by Tata Martino, are adapting to the American way of life, as well as stretching more in warm-ups and allowing players to leave the hotel on road trips, which is unheard of in their home country.
These may seem like small differences, but minor adaptations by everyone to adjust and keep an open mind is what ultimately will allow us all to be unified. As captain, it is part my job to make sure we are together as the new season begins.
Being named the first captain in Atlanta United history was a special moment. It's a great honor that the club trusts me to be the leader on and off the field and within the community and is something in which I will take great pride every day that I represent the club.
There is added emphasis on captaining a new team because of the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Will we be great players? Will we be a great team? How will be deal with wins and losses, the good times and bad? These questions will be answered over the course of the season and they will set a precedent for what Atlanta United represents, both on and off the field.
As the leader of this team, it falls upon me to show the way and display the attributes to be successful players, teammates and people. The time is almost here to take the next step forward, and we feel that we are ready to hit the ground running.
We certainly won't miss preseason, but while some days felt like they were 30 hours long, the past six weeks have actually passed quickly. Building fitness, as well as tactical learning and implementation on both sides of the ball, does not occur overnight and no matter how much you train, it is game experience that offers the most value.
The biggest struggle for expansion clubs is building chemistry among players with little-to-no experience of playing together. In our game against Columbus in Charleston, for example, you could see the difference between a team with a philosophy and core group and one still getting used to their teammates while also learning the roles and responsibilities that go into implementing the coach's tactical approach.
We needed that game and the others in Charleston to find our way, both individually and collectively, within Tata's philosophy. We will continue to grow through our experiences as the season progresses, but by no means do I expect us to struggle. Though history is not on our side -- Seattle in 2009 is the only previous expansion club to make the playoffs -- we have a strong belief we can be different and our expectations reflect that.
Off the field, the support we need to succeed is ready to help, and the buzz surrounding our team has been staggering. There were thousands of fans at our first preseason game in Tennessee, and many then made the trip to South Carolina for our first game in the Charleston Cup.
We are hearing rumblings of a possible sellout for the Red Bulls game, but the most remarkable thing has been the 30,000 season tickets sold to our Founding Members. Those numbers mean the atmosphere at every one of our home games will be electric, and it's every player's dream to play in front of big, raucous crowds.
The excitement is growing and will culminate on Sunday. In one sense, the city of Atlanta and MLS have already won, whether we win or lose. But, hey, let's hope for an Atlanta United victory nonetheless!