Weston McKennie is one of the most talented American soccer players in the game and a member of Team Six Star.
Born in Little Elm, Texas, the 23-year-old midfielder currently plays for the U.S. Men’s National Team, as well as for one of the top soccer clubs in Europe. McKennie is known for his athleticism, defensive skills, versatility, and intensity. A gifted and passionate leader, as well, he wore the captain’s armband for his national team at only 20-years-old.
As a teenager, McKennie made his professional debut playing for a German soccer club in 2017. Later that same year, he scored a goal in his senior international debut while playing for his country. Then in 2019, McKennie scored the fastest hat-trick in U.S. Men’s National Team history. And in 2020, he was named Male Player of the Year by U.S. Soccer. He is also an Italian Cup Winner, Italian Super Cup Winner, and a CONCACAF Nations League Winner. When he trains, he uses only “The Athlete’s Choice” for protein shakes and pre-workouts.
McKennie recently took time out of his busy training schedule to chat with SixStarPro.Com about incorporating supplements into his day-to-day routine as an athlete, what it takes to play a full 90 minutes and balancing on-field intensity with off-field fun.
Q: When did you start to incorporate supplements into your day-to-day routine as an athlete?
A: “To be completely honest, I wasn’t a big supplement person at first. I didn’t know much about taking things that could possibly improve my performance, improve my recovery, and just the whole process of being prepared for the next game.
When I moved to Europe and was at FC Schalke, the training staff introduced me to supplements and I felt a difference. It wasn’t monumental at first just because I was still so young, and I could still get away with playing a game and going home and relaxing.
After a little while, I started to rely on supplements more and more, especially given how competitive and taxing playing in Europe is.
Q: When your trainers guided you in that direction, how much did you already know about taking supplements and how much research have you done to learn more about what you’re putting into your body after they recommended that you start taking supplements?
A: “I didn’t really know much about them. I just figured that it was their job to make the recommendation and this is what they do. They wouldn’t be giving us stuff that isn’t good for us, or that they believed wouldn’t help us on the field.
But at the same time, as an athlete and as a person in general, any supplement that you do take may work differently for you than it does for someone else. So you really have to pick and choose the supplements that work for you, and which supplements help you prepare the best for your next workout, run, or your next game.
I’ve learned through the years what works for me, and what’s best for me.”
Q: Wes, how do you prepare yourself both mentally and physically to go and play a 90-minute match with the intensity that you do?
A: “My preparation in terms of getting ready for my next match or preparing for my next training session is honestly so simple, but effective.
I wake up, and I’m not a big breakfast person. I learned early that you could actually have a protein shake as a substitute for breakfast. So, I wake up and I have a chef who works for me here, and is like a best friend also. He whips me up a quick protein shake from Six Star – chocolate, of course, for me. Then I go to training.
Like I said, you have to know what works for you because at Juventus they have protein shakes there for you that you can take. They have different types of drinks, but I know that Six Star works for me the best. Since I lean towards that, I drink it before I leave. And when I get to training, I’m all energetic and not on an empty stomach.”
Q: How do you prepare on a game day? What are you eating before a game and how are you mentally and physically preparing yourself for a game? How do you get ready to play 90 minutes?
A: “How do I prepare to play 90 minutes? I’m not someone who needs to meditate or stretch out before the game for 30 minutes. For me, I eat pasta with some peppers. (Smiling) I keep it simple. And I eat some fruits.
Before the game, I just relax and try to get mentally prepared because the game is very mentally fatiguing. So, for me, the preparation is more mental than physical because I feel like I can physically keep up with what the game demands.
So, I eat pasta. I chill in my room. I go in. We have a little warm-up session to activate the body. And then before the game, I drink some Six Star Pre-Workout Explosion and I’m set.”
Q: So, you have a lot on your plate. You’re in your early twenties, are an American in Europe playing Champions League football, and you’ve got the world at your fingertips. How do you balance everything? How do you balance the fun aspects of your life, but yet have this obsessive desire to want to compete and win on basically the world’s highest level in your sport?
A: “I think my continuous desire to win, and just to compete in general, comes from the very beginning. I’ve always kind of been the underdog when I was younger in many cases, and even on the national team. So, I always felt like I needed to prove to myself that I can make it –not for other people, not for the critics who doubted me, but for myself.
Obviously, you need a great support group. You need to have your best friends and keep a tight circle with people that you trust and who always want the best for you, and who aren’t a bad influence. You have your family, of course. I have a very small circle and they help me whenever I’m down. And they help me whenever I’m at the top of my game.
My family and my friends help me balance out the fun aspects in my life so I don’t get carried away. But at the same time, I know the balance a bit because I know that I’m still working towards something, and I’m still working towards a goal.”
