Jimmy Conrad QnA/More

Since Captain Kansas City won't be joining the team for the start of training next Monday due to National Team duty, we figured we'd kick off our QnA feature with an exclusive set of questions for Conrad. More on that below.

Also, Myers is getting some more love, this time from his California ODP program. Check it out here.

Trash talk around here for staff soccer is getting heated. Jimmy "the Flex" Flexman, Corporate Partnerships Guru, has warned us all that an onslaught of goals is coming from him this afternoon. We'll see Jimmy.

Now for the Conrad Qna:

What is the biggest reason for last year’s success and how will the team improve on that?
Perseverance. We had a lot of history to overcome. We went a couple years without making the playoffs because we couldn’t translate everything onto the field. But this past year we played well when needed and now the trust is there. We have an understanding from last year of what needs to be done this year.

What did you personally learn last year?
I learned a lot more about being a leader -- most importantly, how to be a better communicator. I learned that I need to be consistently talking and using the same vocabulary all the time.

What is your favorite Wizards memory so far?
(Vice President of Marketing and Communications) Rob Thomson coming back to the Wizards.

You have been a dad for almost a year now. How has Julia changed?
She now says, “DaDa”. Julia also has “summer teeth”. As in some are here, some are there. It’s really exciting to see her becoming a little person. She is also mobile so it’s a whole new level.

Do you have any words of advice on fatherhood?
You have to be flexible in every situation. Every 10 minutes is different, and if you don’t roll with it, you will get frustrated easily.

Any exciting U.S. National Team news? Are you going to score again?
My roommate is Landon Donovan, and he is cute as a button. And yes, I plan on scoring in every game.

How do you feel about playing out at CommunityAmerica Ballpark this year?
It’s great! It will be much more of an intimate setting, and we will get more of a home field advantage. We are all excited to get out of cavernous Arrowhead, even though we had some great years there. The fans will love it too because they will get a proper soccer atmosphere.

What are your thoughts for the new season and direction of the team?
I am excited. Its Curt’s second year as coach, so I think he and the staff now have a better understanding of what needs to be done. They are making moves that are necessary to make our goals happen. It should be a pretty great and exciting year.