TAMPA, Fla. — Achieving success as a pro athlete not only requires physical skill, but mental prowess. Rowdies’ striker Cal Jennings understands that well, creating a healthy balance between soccer and his personal life.
On the field, he focuses on his assignment—whether that be scoring or stretching the defense for a teammate to score. Off the field, he focuses on connecting with those around him. He decided permanently disconnecting from social media was the best way to do the latter.
"So I was on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat… just about everything. And I enjoyed it. It was a good way to keep up with friends and stuff but I got to the point where I felt like I was using it maybe too much or subconsciously kind of clicking on the app when I had seen everything," he said Thursday morning after a team practice.
In a final post to Instagram on May 1, 2019, Jennings announced his decision to leave the platform and other social media sites, saying he planned to invest more time into his family, friends and girlfriend.
"It really freed up time to be very present [and] in the moment."
It's also helped Jennings create moments on the soccer field. He's USL Championships' fourth-leading scoring this season with nine goals. He also recorded a hat trick against Birmingham in the U.S. Open Cup.
"I can't complain about the numbers I've put in so far," he said with a smile.
The Rowdies fly to Virginia this weekend, taking on Loudoun United FC on Saturday.