Player Feature: Ameer Abdullah

Ameer Abdullah poses for his player feature. Credit: Tom Arnison, Crystal Hunter, and Tyler Navas

Ameer Abdullah, defensive player for the Men’s First Team, has been a backbone for the defensive line ever since joining this May. In this part of the Player Feature series Abdullah reflects on his love of learning, his consistent routine, and his confidence in his team at ECFC.

What’s your earliest memory of playing soccer, and when did you realize you wanted to play it in your adult life?

“My earliest memory of playing soccer was when I was around four or five years old and I was playing with a team called Little Kickers in Chicago. I think I realized I wanted to play in my adult life probably when I was 10 and I was playing with the Chicago Fire.”

What was the biggest challenge you faced on your journey to becoming a semi-professional soccer player?

“I think one of the toughest [challenges] was during my first year in college. I was at a top level program in the country and [didn’t have enough] playing [time]  there, that was probably my hardest [challenge]. I now play at Loyola [University of Chicago].”

Who has been the most influential coach or mentor in your career?

“Most influential [coach] goes by the name of Charlie trout. He was my coach at [Chicago] Fire for 10 years and basically coached me up until this point now.”

Is there a moment in your career you’re most proud of?

“I’m most proud of my years with my youth academy team, FC United, just because we were such a close group and the connections I built there will last a lifetime.”

What does your typical day look like during the season vs. during the offseason?

“Typical day [during the season] is to wake up, do my thing, then go to work for about five or six hours, come home, and then just rest a little bit. Prior to training I do some stretching and then head over to training. [We have] training from 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM and then I come home and sleep and then repeat. In the off season it’s still fairly similar minus the work part. I [wake up], go to the gym to start the day off, come back to the crib, recover with some active recovery. Then usually a soccer session and then come back home, that’s basically [what I do].”

 How do you handle pressure or nerves before big games?

“I’ll get a little nervous before every game. The way I handle [the nerves] is by really focusing on my breathing. I always make sure that when I get the ball in a game I connect my first pass and then after that I just go from there. But usually after that, the nerves are kind of gone in a minute.”

If you weren’t playing soccer semi-professionally, what do you think you’d be doing instead?

“Learning about business. That’s something I’m interested in studying.The entrepreneurship kind of life has been catching my eye recently, so something along those lines.”

Why did you join ECFC?  

“I joined Edgewater because I heard a lot of positive things about [the club]. I heard a lot of good stuff and good talk, and for me that was important because the people I had talked to about it were trustworthy to me. I wanted a spot to play during the summer where I could grow as a player and as a person. Just [somewhere] to play a lot of games and get good competition in. That’s what it’s been [so far] so it’s been good.”

What has been your favorite memory with the team?

“It’s actually a weird one. My favorite memory has to be our game versus Chicago Ghost because we had come off a few games of losing and the morale was a little bit down. People were starting to get a little bit iffy about can we really do this? My favorite memory, although we tied, has to be that game because it was kind of a bounce back against a good opponent and we showed ourselves that we're good enough to get good results.”

What is your favorite pregame song?

“‘Forever’ by Drake.”

Who’s your favorite soccer player?

“Sergio Ramos.”

What’s your favorite pregame meal?

“I would say normally just some chicken and some rice. Maybe a little bit of fruit and that’s about it.”

What advice would you give to young players who want to continue playing soccer in their adult life?

“My best piece of advice would be to stay level headed throughout your career. Stay confident. Play with swag and that’ll help you get that longevity. Just make sure you play [the game] and you enjoy playing [the game]. If you don’t then stop because if you don’t enjoy playing then you won’t be able to perform at your best.”