USMNT player Tim Ream nailed his goal of being a successful team captain thanks to his three kids.
The Charlotte FC defender—who captained the U.S. team during the FIFA World Cup 2026—scored tips on leadership from being a dad to Aidan, 12, Theodore, 10 and Lilia, 7, shared with wife Kristen Sapienza.
"Parenting has definitely influenced me being a captain, that’s for sure," Ream exclusively told E! News' The Rundown’s Erin Lim Rhodes at MLS 2026 All-Star Week. "I joke that a lot of those guys are closer in age to my oldest than they are to me, so I definitely feel like I have learned a lot more as a parent to be able to captain those guys."
In fact, the #MLSAllStar—set to play the Liga MX team in the July 29 match presented by Chime—noted how his brood's transformation into superfans has made his recent seasons in the league (after 16 years as a pro) even more special.
"Playing-wise, they're not interested in it, but they are full supporters," Ream detailed. "At all times, they want to watch every game, they want to talk about every player, every goal, every pass. It’s interesting how big of a fan they have become over the last couple of years."
And though his kids have become "fully ingrained in fandom," Ream doesn't let their love for the game turn into pressure on the pitch.
As he put it, "We tried to do our best to keep those two areas separate: family life to playing life."
Still, the 38-year-old admitted keeping his home life separate from work isn't always possible, which comes with pros as well as cons.
"It’s harder and harder as they get older and older because they want to talk about every play that happens in a game," Ream confessed, conceding, “There’s a little more pride knowing I’ve been able to play as long as I have and that they’ve been a part of it."
Aside from making his family proud in stadiums around the world, Ream found major wins throughout the "ride" that was the FIFA tournament, even if the U.S. didn't walk home with the 2026 title.
"There are 47 teams that don’t go on to win the World Cup. You end up replaying every game in your head multiple times in the weeks after it ends," Ream explained. "But also you get flashes and glimpses of all the great things that happened during it. All the memories that you created, all the connections you made with fans and friends and family and the different cities."
Keep reading to relive World Cup 2026 through celebrities' eyes.
Source: Eonline.com
