Feb. 2, 2010

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Question: If you could play for any team (MLS or abroad) which would you play for? (Marie from Silver Spring, Maryland)

Answer: I like playing for the Dynamo.  The city and the fans have been fantastic and I don’t see myself playing for any other team in the MLS.  If I were to go abroad I think I would like to go to Australia to play.  I just visited the country there and fell in love with it.  It is like a big Hawaii. Haha. (1-10-2010)

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Question: Hi Brian! The website looks fantastic! When playing an MLS road game, which is your favorite city to play in and why? (Marco from Galveston, Texas)

Answer: Thanks Marco.  My favorite city to play in is probably Chicago.  They have their own soccer-specific stadium and the city always seems alive every time we go there.  It’s one of the cities where we get to stay downtown so it’s easy to get good food, people watch, & shop.  Toronto is the same as well. (1-10-2010)

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Question: Where would you see yourself in 5 years? (Jose from Houston, Texas)

Answer: I don’t know.  All I know is that I will be working.  I would like to say that is going to be in a city near the beach or mountains but who knows.  I want to say I will be retired but not to many of us soccer players can. haha. (1-10-2010)

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Question: Just wanted to say thanks for giving Connor your Dynamo jersey after the last game in San Jose last year.  He has it hanging on his wall in his room.  When anyone asks him who his favorite player is he says, “Brian Ching, since he is good and he went to Kamehameha” Thanks again.  (Andy from Fremont, California)

Answer: Hey Andy and Connor.  Mahalo for all your support since it seems I am getting less and less from that region of the US. haha.  It was my pleasure.  See you later this year. (1-10-2010)

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Question: What one skill do you think is most important to get down first as a youth player? And what drills do you think can help best with improving speed and balance? I need help!! (Evan from Bastrop, Texas)

Answer: The skill that I think is most important to get down first is your first touch.  It makes the game easier and helps to slow the game down for you.  Another important skill to learn is vision.  You can do this by constantly looking around you before, during, and after you receive a ball.  All the best players in the world are exceptional at these. (1-10-2010)

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Question: If you could play on any EPL team, which one would you play for and why? (Lily from Altamonte Springs, Florida)

Answer: If I could play for an EPL team it would be Man. U.  When I went to college, my coach loved Manchester United and so I started watching them too.  I didn’t know about the EPL before then because soccer was rarely on TV at that time.  So it was late before I started watching soccer and becoming a real fan of the game. (1-10-2010)

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Question: When you’re not playing soccer what other things do you enjoy doing besides surfing? (Rachel from Houston, Texas)

Answer: When I’m not playing soccer I like to hang out with friends, read, do crossword puzzles, watch movies, ride bikes, and fish.  I just like to be social and do things.  It gets hard sometimes in the middle of summer after a practice to do anything but take a nap and rest up for the next practice or match, but those are some of the things I enjoy doing. (1-10-2010)

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Question: What is the biggest obstacle you had to overcome in order to go pro? (Davis from Laguna Beach, California)

Answer: That’s a good question.  The biggest obstacle for me was my confidence.  I had to believe in myself before I was able to perform at the highest level.  Coming out of college I had the skill to play but I didn’t believe in myself, so therefore I was always second guessing myself.  I was reacting and not being proactive.  It took me almost my entire first season to realize that and it almost cost me my MLS career. (1-10-2010)

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Question: What was the best concert you have attended? (Luscious from California)

Answer: The best concert I went to was probably the Stone Temple Pilots.  I was in the pit the last time they came to Houston and really enjoyed it.   Another one that I really like was The Offspring because that was one of my favorite bands growing up.  I feel like I have missed a lot of good concerts because we either had a game or we were out of town.  I am really disappointed that I never got a chance to see Michael Jackson. Well I guess there is always U2, Madonna, or Dave Matthews Band that I will get to see one day. (1-10-2010)

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Question: 2010 is a big year for you with the World Cup this summer. How much are looking forward to the chance to go to the World Cup again? (Gil from Pasadena, Texas)

Answer: I have been looking forward to this opportunity for four years.  I know that I have a lot of work to do in order to make this happen but I have been making a lot of sacrifices lately to make sure that I give myself every opportunity to be in South Africa. (1-10-2010)

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Question: Is there a story behind why you wear #25 for the Dynamo? (Jeff from Dallas, Texas)

Answer: I didn’t have a choice of many numbers when I went to Earthquakes in 2003.  I wanted to have 7 but that number was taken.  By the time the number opened up in Houston I felt like people already associated me with number 25.  It kind of grew on me as well. (1-10-2010)

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Question: I like your website and I can’t wait until next season. What is the best part of playing professional soccer for you? (Megan from Columbus, Ohio)

Answer: Thanks Megan.  The best part is being able to hang out with your friends all day and play.  The guys on the team are like a second family and we love to play jokes and kid around.  I guess you can say it really keeps us young. Another part about being a professional is that I love to score goals.  When you put one in the back of the net and see everyone celebrate that is the most rewarding thing for me. (11-18-2009)

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Question: After four seasons in Houston, do you feel that Houston is home? What’s your favorite thing about living in Houston (other than us great soccer fans, of course)? (Lisa from Houston, Texas)

Answer: Other than the FANS, of course. Haha.  I love the people, the food, and the proximity to the Caribbean. People here are friendly just like back home in Hawaii and that makes me feel at home here.  The food is amazing, there are so many good restaurants and places to eat.  Lastly, I love to travel and see new places so it is really easy to get to places in the Caribbean.  So far I have been to Caymans, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent, and Cancun on vacation. (11-18-2009)

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Question: What do you do to stay in shape during the off-season? Do you work on your own or with some of the other guys? (Evan from Bastrop, Texas)

Answer: Hey Evan.  I haven’t really had much of an off-season the past year because I would have to start training in January, which could be the case again this year.  However, I take two weeks of not really doing anything.  I try to stay away from soccer and working out to let my body and my mind heal and relax.  After that I will probably start going to long runs 30 to 40 minutes while I do something active like surf, tennis, golf, mountain bike, or play basketball with the guys.  The closer I get to the start of my season the more I do things like run on the beach, run stairs, do sprints.  This year I will probably go down to my buddy Danny’s gym called Plex to work on my quickness and speed, if I don’t go in to January camp with the U.S. National Team. (11-18-2009)

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Question: What is it like to play for the US National Team? (Daniel in Hurricane, West Virginia)

Answer: To play for the US is an honor that I don’t take lightly.  You are representing an entire country and every soccer player wants this opportunity.  It is soccer at its highest level.  You get to play with the best players so the intensity and expectations are raised.  The guys on the team are great and that makes it a fun atmosphere but one where you are always testing yourself and challenging yourself to be better. (11-18-2009)

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Question: The website looks great! Keep it up. When is your next benefit event for your charity work?  Apparently, I didn’t spend enough $ at Arcade Game Night with Brian Ching! (Susan from Santa Fe, Texas)

Answer: Hey Susan, thanks for all the great pictures.  I am going to be working with Habitat for Humanity trying to raise money to build a house for a deserving family. You can see the logo on the website.  We do not have any events planned at the moment but they are in the works.  This is something that I am really excited to be involved with because these are hardworking families and they deserve affordable housing. (11-18-2009)

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Question: I am sad because I just read the Ricardo Clark is not returning to the Dynamo next year. Looking forward, I think that Geoff Cameron might take his spot at defensive center midfield. What do you think? (Sue from Katy, Texas)

Answer: First of all I want to say thanks to Ricardo for giving everything he had for this team while he was here.  He was a huge part of our success over the years and he is going to be missed both on the field and in the locker-room. Having said that we have a few options that we have used in the past.  Geofff and Richard Mulrooney have done well there when they were called upon but I suspect that we will be looking for options from outside the team.  Change is a part of professional sports and Dom has done a great job of filling in the spots that we have needed in the past. (11-18-2009)

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Question: Michelle Wie just won her first LPGA tournament. Do you feel a special pride since she is also from Hawaii? (Alisha from Sugarland, Texas)

Answer: People from Hawaii really follow and support their athletes and I am no different.  I am extremely happy for her to have won her first event.  She was really young when she started playing professionally and she was unfairly placed under so much pressure to win.  Now that she has her first win, I am hoping that this will help ease some of the pressure.  I was really hoping to meet her this week because I heard she was in town. (11-18-2009)