On the Pitch
Mark McKenzie Answers 26 Questions
The 27-year-old from New York loves photography, Jamaican food and spending time with his young family
What's been keeping you busy these days?
Parenthood. Our 7-month-old has got us on our toes each and every day. Me and my wife passing him back and forth trying to keep him occupied. So, yeah, it's been a busy time.
What is one word you would use to sum up fatherhood?
Sacrificial love. You put the hyphen in between and you make it one word. So, don't get mad at me for that. But it's a love that's deeper than anything I could have ever known. The amount of sacrifices that we've made, I think we'd make them over and over again without even asking.
What's one lesson you've learned since becoming a dad?
What's your favorite thing to do with your family on an off day?
Nowadays, it's clean the house. I think you realize just how much stuff goes by the wayside as soon as you have a kid. Whether it's laundry, doing the dishes, cleaning the baby's toys and his pacifiers, or whatever it may be.
What's a family tradition you're hoping to start?
I think just being more present, putting our phones down. Whether it's going outside and enjoying some sunshine like we got today, or whether it's playing board games. I think those are the best moments and some of the simplest moments.
What time are you waking up these days?
First time is probably 4:00 because that's when the baby starts fussing. Then once we hit 7:00, I'm usually up for the day.
Electric or manual toothbrush?
Manual toothbrush stan for a long, long time, but I have since converted to an electric toothbrush.
Soft smile or smile with teeth?
Smile with teeth. You got to show off the pearly whites.
What's an item in your house you can't live without?
I'd say the bed or the couch. I think those are the two places you spend the most time.
We know you're into photography. How did you get into that?
At camp, you spend a lot of time with each other and I spent a lot of time with the comms team. So, I got to give them credit where credit is due. Seeing them mess around with the different lenses and the different cameras they have, I think it piqued my interest and made me want to get more into it. Also, as a kid, I loved photography and got plenty of photos of me behind the camera.
Film or digital camera?
Nowadays, I'd say film. I think the process of taking the picture, having the picture developed, and then getting the result back. There's something nice about that waiting time.
Do you have a favorite photo you've ever taken?
I think one of the photos that I remember most was being in the hospital and taking a picture of my wife holding our son for the first time. I think that speaks for itself.
Do you have any other hidden talents?
I love languages. I wouldn't say it's a hidden talent, but I feel like I pick up languages relatively quickly.
How many languages do you speak?
I speak four. Actually three and a half. I'm learning French. So, I speak English, Spanish, Dutch, and I'm learning French.
What is your favorite part about living in France?
We're in the southern region, so it's nice weather. But I think the pastries are top-notch, and I'm sure the French will appreciate that.
What is the best French pastry?
I think a well-done croissant. I think that's the staple. Sounds cliché, but it's real. When you get a croissant that's well done, you appreciate it. Out here in southern France, you have the chocolatine, which is a chocolate croissant, but up north, you've got pain au chocolat.
Have you ever tried escargot?
Nope. And I don't plan on it.
What is your must-go-to food stop when you go back to the U.S.?
I would say probably Wawa, Chick-fil-A, Shake Shack, Chipotle. Those are probably the four that I hit the most. Or a local Jamaican spot. I’m Jamaican, so I love Jamaican food.
What is an early memory of playing soccer that is guaranteed to make you smile?
I think seeing pictures and videos of me playing soccer with the local YMCA. Especially when my dad was my coach. I think those are some of the fondest memories I have.
If your USMNT teammates could describe you in three words, what do you think they would be?
I think they would say unc. I think they'd say pastor. And I think they'd say down to earth, humble. I think those two kind of go hand in hand.
Who is one person who really assisted you on your journey to becoming a professional soccer player?
I'd say my mom or my dad. I think both of them sacrificed a lot to help get me to the position I am in today. Between leaving work early, getting us to and from trainings and games, spending weekends on the field for tournaments, I think those are some of the biggest sacrifices they made, on top of the thousand other things they did as parents.
If you could pick one word to describe the feeling of taking the pitch for the national team, what would it be?
I think it'd be an honor. Not many people get to do this at the level that we do it. I'm blessed to say I'm one of the few and don't take it for granted by any means.
When this tournament is over and you look back, what do you hope people say about the way you played and carried yourself?
The biggest thing is I hope people recognize that I wasn't perfect, but I gave it my all. I didn't take it for granted and that I was a team player, put the team first, and wanted the best for the group, especially as we approach some of the biggest games of our lives.
