Nick Lima has been sporting #24 as a defender for Austin FC since the club’s inaugural season. We caught up with Nick - who welcomed baby girl Gabriella Rae with his wife Ashley March 1! - during the Austin FC Energy Experience Presented by C4, the official energy drink of Austin FC. He talked about game days, the sport he (for a time) gave up soccer to play, Lionel Messi, Ted Lasso, Austin and more.
How do you keep your energy up?
Training every day, diet, nutrition and sleep.
Do you have any pre-game rituals?
Yes, what I eat and then a couple of little quirks that I won’t share, but I have to do every now and then, like how I adjust my watch and things.
What’s a game day diet look like?
My wife and I love to cook together and enjoy breakfast together and then right before I’ll just have some rice and meat usually, maybe some salmon, very simple. It’s mostly hydration, especially in this Texas heat.
You’re usually the one who takes free throws and you have a crazy arm. Did you ever play baseball or football?
Yes. I grew up playing football and baseball. Football was my main sport in high school and I even quit soccer for a bit, but soccer ended up working out for me so I stuck with soccer in college.
Did you watch Ted Lasso?
I haven’t seen the last season, but I watched the first two.
How accurate would you say their portrayal of comradery in the team is?
It’s a little bit fabricated, quite a bit, but I think the comradery aspect, the general picture of it is right. It’s about the leadership and understanding who the individual is to create that comradery. In the locker room success kind of brings it together and loss is where it has to be cultivated, so the show does a good job of showing that. Plus it has pretty good characters.
What do you think about Messi joining the MLS?
I think it’s really good for the league. He’s the best player in the world, the best player that arguably ever played the game. I’m excited to be able to share a field with him, share a league, but also what he’s going to bring to the league. It’s going to be incredible and I can’t wait for it, you can already see the impact.
What do you love about Austin?
Everything. The community, what there is to do, and most importantly I love how the city, the team and the community have embraced myself and my family. It’s been pretty cool to be here.
On comradery in Ted Lasso vs reality, "In the locker room success kind of brings it together and loss is where it has to be cultivated, so the show does a good job of showing that."