Omar Kut Kut is ready for a productive soccer practice when he meets his team in a scruffy park in downtown Dallas. Kut Kut plays for the Inter FC Dallas, a Division 1 outdoor soccer team in North Texas. “I like practices. Practices are important for the next game,” says the soccer star.
Kut Kut used to play on a professional soccer team called Wahdat in Jordan. He could have gone to the Olympics, he says, but Kut Kut wanted to come to the United States. He has been very happy with his decision. “I am glad I came to the U.S. where I can still play soccer. I like my lifestyle here, and I wanted to live a better life in the states.”
Before his practice, I meet him at his house at 7 AM and he talks about his diet. “The practice is not the only thing that is important when preparing for the game, but it is also about rest, making sure you are hydrated, and having a good diet,” he says. Kut Kut’s diet is called a lean diet, which consists of protein and low carbs. “I don’t eat candy or chocolate, and I try not to drink alcohol,” says Kut Kut. For breakfast, he has hard-boiled eggs, whole-wheat toast, cottage cheese and freshly squeezed orange juice. “You can’t gain weight; otherwise you won’t be able to play the position you are supposed to play.” The nutritionist on his team says that in order to be able to move with the ball at a fast pace, he cannot be more than 172 pounds. Kut Kut does not eat for three hours before a practice or game because he says it is important to play on an empty stomach.
Finally, Kut Kut drives us to his practice in his black BMW. When we arrive, Kut Kut runs to the field and starts with a warm up session. There are two different parts to his warm up. First, the coach sits the team down and talks to them about what is important for their next game and what they need to work on. They go over formation, player substitution, and technique. “We also go over what we need to work on, and what mistakes we made last game that can not happen when we play Thursday,” says Omar. The coach believes they need to work on teamwork and wants to make sure that they do not rely on one player to set up his own play to score. “It is also very important that you only focus on your individual position because we get into trouble when we try to make this game a one man show. That is not what a soccer team is for,” said Coach Giancaspero. The players move onto the field to practice what the coach taught them. Before they have a scrimmage, they do a bunch of warms up along with stretches.
The team starts their first scrimmage of the day, but as the game gets going two teammates who are friends outside of the field start to get into a fight over personal issues. Abrupt language is said, and the guys started throwing their fists at one another. The set of the team had to break up for brawl. “It is not good to take outside issues onto the field,” says Omar. One of the two players hurts his back during the fight because there was a lot of aggressive behavior causing the two to fight on the ground of the field. He is helped by the team’s chiropractor who is always there for each practice and game just in case players get hurt. Fortunately Joey is okay, but as a punishment for both of the players; the coach will not allow them to be on the field at the same time during the next game. “If one player plays, then the other player needs to sub out,” says Omar. This will hurt the team because according to Omar both of the players are star athletes. The coach usually puts them on the field at the same time because they are good at working together and they tend to make the most goals.
When the practice is over, Kut Kut works with his coaches to receive extra practice. “We have a lot of different coaches in one practice who work with the players individually after the practice. Some players need to lose weight and some need to get stronger in the arms. Everyone needs to work on something depending on their goals as a soccer athlete,” says Kut Kut. There is a nutritionist, a chiropractor, a goalkeeper coach, a fitness trainer, as well as the head coach who also meets with his team players to work on things after practice. “Along with two other players, I have to work with the fitness trainer on my speed and practice some resistance work,” says Omar. He starts to work on sprints and practices soccer drills with his feet. “You want to be able to dance with the ball,” says Omar.
After Omar is done with practice, he meets with the entire team again for another stretching session to relax the muscles. “The soccer club has a gym and usually we are instructed from our fitness coaches to work on certain muscles there with our coach watching.” After practice, Kut Kut and the team go to the hot tub and sauna to relax their muscles.
“I love soccer and I will always continue to play as long as I am healthy” says Kut Kut.
