2025-04-06, 06:04 PM - Word count:
For Sao Paulo forward Zach Mulder it's been a productive off-season in more ways than one. After a solid, if unexciting, first professional season, Mulder spent the first few weeks of the break resting and resetting mentally after the long season.
"I knew I needed a little time away," said Mulder. "During the season football is completely consuming. It drives every moment of your life both awake and asleep. In order to be my best I knew I needed a little bit of time where I existed outside of football."
That time took the form of a trip to Northern Ontario, with two weeks of solitude spent canoeing the vast wilderness of Wabakimi provincial park.
"You really get to know yourself out there," said Mulder longingly. "When you're out there all the day to day problems fall away. You're just focused on finding your next campsite, cooking your next meal, maybe catching a fish. I didn't see another person the entire trip."
But for Mulder, football never strays far from his mind. As the end of the trip drew near he found himself thinking about the game he loves more and more, and coming to some conclusions about what he needs to do to improve.
It's going to be an exciting year," said a confident Mulder with a smirk on his face. "I've made some tweaks to my game and focused on really improving in certain areas, and it's going to be evident when you see me on the pitch again. I'm primed for a breakout this year, just you wait."
"I knew I needed a little time away," said Mulder. "During the season football is completely consuming. It drives every moment of your life both awake and asleep. In order to be my best I knew I needed a little bit of time where I existed outside of football."
That time took the form of a trip to Northern Ontario, with two weeks of solitude spent canoeing the vast wilderness of Wabakimi provincial park.
"You really get to know yourself out there," said Mulder longingly. "When you're out there all the day to day problems fall away. You're just focused on finding your next campsite, cooking your next meal, maybe catching a fish. I didn't see another person the entire trip."
But for Mulder, football never strays far from his mind. As the end of the trip drew near he found himself thinking about the game he loves more and more, and coming to some conclusions about what he needs to do to improve.
It's going to be an exciting year," said a confident Mulder with a smirk on his face. "I've made some tweaks to my game and focused on really improving in certain areas, and it's going to be evident when you see me on the pitch again. I'm primed for a breakout this year, just you wait."
