Before Josh Gardner heads to Kansas City, he’s spending the holidays in California with his wife Michelle’s family and his two children, Addison (3) and Caleb (2). After spending last year with the Montreal Impact, Gardner said he’s excited to be back in the States and to be living a little closer to home.
What are you looking forward to the most about playing with Sporting Kansas City?
I’m looking forward to getting to know the guys on the team, playing in front of the crazy fans in KC, the brand new stadium, and definitely looking forward to the different tournaments and competitions we’ll play in this year.
What does it mean to you to play in front of those ‘crazy’ SKC fans?
For me, it’s important, they’re going to be behind you, and they make it tough playing there. You definitely feel it when you’ve got fans who’ve got your back and want you to do well. It gives the players confidence, and also makes players want to show well for their team because they’re rooting you on.
Which player are you most excited to play with on the field?
Oh man, I think I’m looking forward to playing with Kei. We’ve always played against each other, never really played together. With his ability in the air, I’m looking forward to hopefully connecting up with him for assists and him getting the goals.
With a wife and two kids (and one on the way) what does your family think about the move to Kansas City?
The first thing is, being back in the states is very exciting for them. We’re also looking forward to being closer to family because my family is in Houston and hers is in California. I’ve heard a lot of great things about the Kansas City area. We’re looking forward to it.
When you’re not playing soccer, what do you like to do with your free time?
I’m a family man, so I like to spend time with my family. I like playing golf and, well, what do I like to do? I don’t know, having kids your time is pretty much dedicated to them and making sure they’re having a good time. We do like being outdoors so we’ll probably try to find some good parks that the kids can play in.
What is a typical Gardner family Christmas like?
This year, there certainly won’t be any snow, and there’s really not much snow when we visit my family in Houston for the holidays either, but I can tell you one thing we are looking forward to is, hopefully next year doing Christmas in Kansas City and trying to start a tradition with our family because we’ve been traveling so much. This year Christmas time will just be hanging out; family will be coming over, presents with the kids and just good quality time.
