Walker Zimmerman of Nashville SC is successful at the Olympics and has his sights set on the World Championship
Walker Zimmerman assumed that the memories would disappear on their own.
In 2022, Zimmerman played for the United States national soccer team at the FIFA World Cup. For 29 years, he had dreamed and aspired to “the pinnacle of our sport,” and thought he would easily remember every minute he spent there. But when he finally got the chance to look back on his time in Qatar, the picture he saw was blurry and largely devoid of the moments that had made his experience unique.
The Nashville SC defender didn’t want to make the same mistake at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. Having already started keeping a diary, he brought the idea to his US teammates at the suggestion of U23 coach Marko Mitrović. In France, writing a diary helped him to be more aware of his surroundings.
“I was so present and enjoyed every single day,” Zimmerman told The Tennessean. “I realized how special and unique this opportunity was while I was there, so I wouldn’t regret how I approached every single day, whether it had to do with football or not.”
In Paris, there was a bit of a new Walker Zimmerman, but also a bit of the old Walker Zimmerman – the version of himself who was twice named MLS Defender of the Year and made 42 appearances for the USMNT.
He helped the United States reach the Olympic quarterfinals for the first time since 2008, starting all four games and scoring a goal in the victory over New Zealand. Although Zimmerman was disappointed to leave France without a medal – he believed the United States could do better than the 4-0 quarterfinal loss to Morocco – he returned to Nashville physically unscathed.
“That was probably the hardest part with the injuries last year. I pride myself on being a guy that pushes his teammates on the field and can really lead by example,” he said. “… I feel like I’m finally back to a place where I can do that again.”
Walker Zimmerman believes he is still in the picture of the US national team
Through a painful 2023, grueling rehab from Achilles surgery and a knee injury in March that required another surgery, the Olympics were Zimmerman’s north star. He knew for months that if he stayed healthy, he would be selected as one of three overage players for the under-23 Olympic team. He focused his rehab on being fit enough to handle the Olympic schedule, which allowed only two days of rest between games. In France, he never left the field.
Although he hasn’t played for the USMNT in 14 months, Zimmerman never thought he was out of the running. Injuries, not performance, explain his limited appearances. Now that he’s healthy again and has a new coach – the U.S. is reportedly close to a deal with Mauricio Pochettino – he believes he has a “clean slate” two years before the 2026 World Cup, when he will be 33.
“I think the Olympics are a good place to start. (The new coach) will probably watch those games, see who the younger players are coming up and hopefully see what I can contribute to the team,” Zimmerman said. “But with the national team, it’s always about your performance at the club. Can you be consistent? Can you play at a high level for your club? Because that’s the only way you should be called up.”
MORE: How one coach predicted BJ Callaghan’s rise to the top job at Nashville SC was inevitable
Although he wants to return to being the embodiment of effort and energy that his position in the USMNT allowed him to be, he’s been looking at something very different off the court lately. He describes himself as an extrovert and can’t stand solitude and silence. He’s working on slowing down, believing that a “better version” of himself will involve more “reflection and introspection, which I’ve always kind of shied away from.”
“I feel like when you become a parent, you spend all your free time with the kids,” says Zimmerman, who has a three-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter. “You’re taking care of soccer, your career, taking care of your body, you have appointments. You’re on the go a lot. It’s nice to find time in the morning (to write in my journal), just to have more time for myself.”
His Bible study group reminds him to take time and write down moments of the day: things he’s grateful for, things he could have done better in practice, conversations with teammates.
There were plenty of things to write about at the Olympics: being in Marseille with almost his entire family and seeing his sister-in-law’s reaction to his goal, unpacking his gear for the U.S. team, hosting a “Survivor” team night, playing golf with his teammates on off days, watching Katie Ledecky win the gold medal in the 1,500-meter freestyle, watching beach volleyball in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
Zimmerman looks forward to reliving those memories with friends and family years or even decades from now – and his immediate future looks just as promising.
“I’m not quite there yet,” he said. “But it’s the first time in a long time that I might start doing things that people haven’t seen in a long time.”
Jacob Shames can be reached via email at [email protected] and on Twitter at @Jacob_Shames.
