Why did you come to Madison? How did that come about?
Derek Gebhard (DG)
I was at Charlotte and 2020. I was just kind of chillin’ in Virginia, with my family on a vacation. Carl Craig was the coach [of Forward Madison] at the time. So him and Neil, I think I played against them before when they were both with Minnesota, they knew of me. They gave me a call, and told me about the club here, how it’s a very community oriented club. That’s the kind of thing I felt like I had been missing in the last two or three years in my career at that time. So yeah, it made me really want to come here. That’s how it started. Fast forward, I’ve been here for three years, this is my third year now. It’s pretty crazy, I’m happy to be here.
How have you seen the club change from year one to year three now?
DG
Year to year, I feel like this club always tries to improve in everything we do. Engaging with the fans more every year makes me feel more connected with them. On the field, it’s been up and down. But every year, I would say we’ve had guys that are capable of winning, it’s just you can’t always win and get what you want. The vibes are definitely here this year. All the new guys that they brought in, it feels like we’re close. We joke around with each other in a relaxed way. It’s just a good vibe, where we know when to be serious and when to relax and joke around a bit. It’s good to have that connection with guys where you feel like you can mess around and get a little closer with each other. That’s definitely something that’s changed.
How have you seen the competition kind of change year to year in USL League One?
DG
It’s definitely changed, it’s better. I’d say what’s changed is a lot of players that were in the Championship are coming to play in League One. There’s also lots of young talent, but then there’s also older, experienced guys that maybe played overseas. I think the level has definitely improved over the years. There’s more teams coming in as well, which creates more opportunities for players. With all of that, I think the league has come a long way since the first year and there’s a whole lot more to still come.
What does it mean to have your family in Madison and have their support at your home matches?
DG
It means a lot, especially when things aren’t going our way. Losing definitely still hurts but it definitely helps a lot being able to see my daughter’s face. My fiancé right after the game helps me calm down a little bit. As players, we really appreciate the little things like that. The fans also act as a family to me. A lot of places if you’re not doing well, they’ll just yell at you. Here, that’s not the case and they support you through everything. I think that support, as a player, makes it even more important to want to win every match because you want to reward the support that they give every year.
How do you balance being a professional athlete with being a father?
DG
It’s definitely tough. It was a struggle in the beginning, just both my fiancé and I being new parents. We struggled with time management and things like that. But I would say it definitely helped me to take playing soccer more seriously and be on top of my life. It helped me have a more structured schedule, knowing when you have to stretch, when you have to eat, when you have to take care of your family. Having my daughters helped a lot with me being more on top of my day-to-day.
You’re known for being very level-headed anytime outside of a game, but we can see you turn on that competitive drive the minute you step on the pitch. How do you flip the switch?
DG
It comes down to competitiveness and wanting to win. When you’re just running around, the adrenaline gets going, the blood gets pumping. You’re just in the moment. When you’re with the guys, it kind of becomes a battle out there. It definitely brings out the emotions, because you’re giving everything you have. You’re wanting to win, you’re wanting to be competitive, and show that you’re the better team. That’s all the motivation I need.
What’s one thing that you’ve learned in your playing journey that you’re approaching differently this season?
DG
One thing I focused on in the offseason was being more fit for the preseason. That comes with time management and an overall plan to better take care of my body. When you come in fit, it just helps a lot because you know the fitness is good right from the start. The actual soccer playing, it’s sometimes that comes naturally if you come into camp in shape and with the right mindset. The mindset makes all the difference. The players that we brought into Madison this year are really good. But sometimes it doesn’t matter how good the players are, but how close the group can be to carry a team all the way through a long season. That’s something as a team we’re focusing on this year, and so far, it’s been very good. I’m excited to keep getting to know the guys and keep working with each other because the vibe already so far has been great. Another thing I’ve learned too is as you get older you have to take care of your body in a different way. So I tried yoga, hip mobility stuff, and then just eating well.
How are you and your family liking the City of Madison after being here for three years now? What do you do you know, outside of a match day and training to explore the city?
DG
My first year here, I was here by myself and wasn’t sure what to expect. My family and I had never been to Wisconsin before or heard much about Madison. But when I got here, I was super surprised with how much there is to do. Even though it’s not the biggest city, it’s very community-oriented, and there’s always things going on, like some type of event or something for kids. After that first season, my family joined and we’ve been here the last couple years and have enjoyed it a lot. Maybe not though the winter though. We like to walk around and catch a sunset and just go on walks by our place. There’s a lot of trails here, which are nice. We’ll sometimes come downtown, walk by the lake, go bowling or go to the library. We love the library because we’re from Jacksonville, where the libraries are not as nice as here. Here, they’re more clean and have more kid-friendly items. Oh, and the zoo. We’re big fans of the zoo.
It’s not a secret that you and Christian Cheney are good friends. What does it mean to have such a close friend on the team? How do you feed off of his energy?
DG
Yeah, I think that having a friend that’s close on the team definitely makes it feel more relaxed for you. Because you know, you have someone you can talk to about anything. They’re someone that always has your back. The energy that he brings is unique, I saw it for the first time when we were in Charlotte together. That’s part of why I think we brought him in this year. His energy gets people smiling, laughing and joking around. We play a sport that’s stressful and serious, focused on results. It’s important to have someone like Chaney around to break through that. He keeps it relaxed, and I think that will translate to how we compose ourselves on the field.
