Pro Soccer & Podcasting with Gabriel Cabral Leal de Freitas

Tormenta FC Midfielder Gabriel Cabral Leal de Freitas is no stranger to sweat, hard work or perseverance. He's mastered the focus and drive required to make it in the pros, but among the breaks from the game he loves, Gabriel refreshes his pallet with podcasting, travel and enough fun to keep his mental health in peak shape. Gameplan caught up with our #TeamGP ambassador to dig deeper and pry some tips about mental health and staying at the top of your game.  

AS A PRO, HOW IMPORTANT IS MENTAL HEALTH FOR ATHLETES?

GABRIEL: It is the most important thing. If your mental health is not prioritized, everything else just falls apart. We have to perform to our best capacity day-in and day-out, so if there are other things impacting your general life, it can directly affect how well you perform on training and game days. Luckily, mental health awareness is growing more and more in the sports industry and it has to be prioritized by clubs and organizations. It is about finding what brings balance to your day to day life so everything that is related to the job will be done to the best of your capacity.

HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED?

It can be a mental battle because your mind seeks comfort all the time, however, having people that I love close to me (via FaceTime most of the times) help me remember the sacrifices I have made and how hard it was for me to get to where I am. Plus I try to read and surround myself with people that are better than I am, so I can learn and grow every day. Plus having a routine really helps.

DO ROUTINES HELP YOU STAY LOCKED IN?

Routines are key to performing better in my opinion. Having breakfast at the same time, doing treatment every day, eating well, going to bed at the same time every night are things that cannot be taken for granted because they all add up and if not taken seriously, can have a huge impact on the level of performance.

HOW DOES CONFIDENCE PLAY A ROLE?

Confidence is extremely related to mental health. If mental health is in the right place, then confidence will probably follow along. No athlete can perform to their best capacity if they are low in confidence!

DOES SKINCARE PLAY A ROLE IN THAT CONFIDENCE?

Look good, feel good, play good! Plus, it adds to my routine and allows me to feel good when I am at home or traveling.

HOW ABOUT GAMEPLAN SKINCARE, AND OUR SPORT WIPES? HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN?

I use Gameplan all the time! It is the best product out there for a quick refresh. The wipes are literally my best friend after a tough workout and the moisturizer is key for us that get so dehydrated with our jobs.

WE LOVE TO HEAR IT. LAST ONE, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE ASPIRING ATHLETES?

Take care of the little things, because not everyone is willing to do them, and by doing so, you are already ahead of the game! Plus do not let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do! The sky's the limit!

Follow Gabriel's career, season and podcast at @gabriel.cabral8 on Insta and @2amigos.1cafe on TikTok. And, grab a brick of Gabriel's favorite wipes in our online shop HERE.