Mini Monsters in Madrid: Postcards with Tremaine Edmunds | March 20
As told to Gabby Hajduk
Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is spending the week in Spain for the club's third-annual Mini Monsters tour, which helps grow the game of American football and promote a healthy lifestyle for kids. Check out Edmunds' postcard to hear about his first few days in Madrid.
What's up Bears fans,
It's Tremaine here checking in from Madrid. I've been out here a couple days now with the Bears, helping out with some Mini Monsters clinics and taking in the experience of being in a new country.
I remember checking in with you all last spring from London, where I did something similar. That was such a unique experience. I remember seeing all the smiles from the kids at the clinics. The love they had for not just the game of American football, but for having somebody to learn from was inspiring. I wanted to experience that feeling again in a new location.
With Spain having such a rich history with soccer, I was interested in bringing some of my love for American football here. I also got to bring my brother, Terrell, this year, and my fiancé is going to join me later in the week. You never know when you'll be able to touch another country and to do it with family is so special. Last year in London, my mom experienced it, so I wanted to spread the love in the family and bring the bro along this time. It's been a lot of fun.
In just the couple days I've been here so far, we've accomplished a lot. It started Monday with a tour of Real Madrid's stadium and facility (Santiago Bernabéu Stadium). It was amazing.
I knew about the general history of the club and the impact of Cristiano Ronaldo, but it was cool to learn about all of the different players who have come across the club. The craziest thing I learned was that they've won 15 Champions League titles (the top club in Europe). That's obviously a lot for one organization.
To be in the presence of greatness like that, man, it just motivates you. I think anybody that aspires to be considered a "great" in their sport gets inspired by being around others who have had success.
When we walked in the building, I saw one of the trophy cases and thought, "okay, that's nice." But then we kept walking and I saw another and another and another. It was interesting to learn about players from each time period, what they did for the game and how important they were for the city. You could feel the love inside that building.
That night, I also hopped on a Spanish talk show, La Revuelta. It was a dope experience and unlike anything I've done before. The host did a great job of helping me feel comfortable and translating since my Spanish is at a beginner level. I'm working on it, though.
You could really tell how big that show is in Spain because the next day walking around in the city, I ran into people who were like, "yo, did I just see you on TV?" It's cool to see how much the show means to their culture. I really wanted to take that experience in.
On Tuesday, I went to my first Mini Monsters clinic of the tour. We started off with the younger kids in the morning. It was great seeing them have fun and being able to help out in whatever way they needed, whether it was answering questions, giving advice or really just being a fan. I was a fan of how the kids all really enjoyed the game of American football and wanted to learn.
The kids had my back, too. I was trying to practice my Spanish a bit and I think I asked one kid, "como estas?" He just said, "you know what? I know English. It's all good, you can talk to me." That was pretty funny, so that helped me relax a bit. I had a real good time there.
The older kids came later in the day and man, I was really impressed. Their skills were really developed. I saw them do some drills similar to ones we do in the NFL and the kids were doing it the right way. It was fun to sit back and watch because they were practicing at a high level. There were definitely a lot of athletes out there who are on the right track.
We spent our last day in Madrid touring the city a little bit and seeing what the city has to offer in terms of shopping and restaurants. It was cool to see some nice scenery and historic buildings.
We tried some authentic Spanish food along the way, which was incredible. I wish I knew exactly what I had, but I just went with whatever the waiters recommended. I thought, "if you suggest it, I'll try it. It's your city."
Now, I'm on a train heading to Valenica for our next round of clinics. I'm excited to see what the city has in store for us. I also wanted to give a shoutout to all of the tour guides we've had and everybody that's transporting us. I appreciate them because it's making life easier for sure.
Adios for now!
- Maine
