RumoAoPro Interview - André Shinyashiki

Scorer of the 2018 university championship and current striker for the Colorado Rapids of the MLS, tells us a little about his training routine in professional football in the United States.

Shinyashiki was drafted by the Rapids in the first round after scoring 28 goals in 21 games for the University of Denver and scoring his first professional goal in his MLS debut!

1. How many times a week do you train alone without the team?

Usually 2x a week, after training I do some ball protection and finishing work.

2. What extra training do you think gave you the biggest improvement in performance?

There are many! But I prefer the finishing ones due to the fact that I'm a striker.

3. Describe a typical day in your life (in season)

The trainings are at 11 am, so I wake up around 9 am, go to the CT and arrive around 10 am. From 10 am to 11 am I do a pre-training, stretching and such. Then we train from 11 to 13, then I have lunch at the club. Around 3 pm I get home and turn on the video game!

4. What is your favorite pre-game meal?

I love going to Noodles and Company before games and loading up on carbs.

5. Do you take nutritional supplements and how do they benefit you? (whey, glutamine etc.)

I don't take supplements, just proteins from my meals.

6. What methods do you use to help your body recover faster? (Massage, ice bath, etc.)

I do massages and an ice bath, I think they are very beneficial for any athlete.

7. If you could offer advice to a young soccer player who wants to become a professional, what would it be?

Never give up, and always follow your dreams because you never know when your time will come, so you always have to be prepared.

8. What is the best advice a coach/mentor has ever given you?

The best advice I had was never let success get to your head but also never let failure get you down.

9. When you moved up to the professional level, what did you feel was the biggest difference between youth and professional football?

I felt a lot of difference, especially in the speed of the game.

10. How do you train your mind? (such as meditation, visualization, etc.)

Yes, I do a lot of visualization and meditation to feel fully present!

Check out Shinyashiki's first goal as a professional!