Soccer, football — and soreness — suits Osseo's Galamue just fine

Teammates consider him a Superman of sorts. His mother worries about his health. Osseo senior Gabriel Galamue just smiles.

A rare athlete playing both football and soccer this fall, Galamue accepts the bruises and bumps, celebrates the goals and touchdowns and manages the pride and pressure.

"When I go home super sore and can't even walk up the stairs, my mom tells me I need to take a day off," Galamue said. "But I tell her, 'I've got to keep going because I'm doing what I love.' "

He plays an integral part on both teams. Galamue the football player leads all Orioles receivers with 12 receptions for 201 yards and three touchdowns. Galamue the soccer player entered this week with a team-best eight goals in nine games.

Born in Liberia, Galamue started with soccer and stayed with the sport after arriving in Minnesota as a 9-year-old.

He went a new direction as a freshman at Osseo, forgoing soccer but signing up for football just to try it. He wore soccer cleats to the first few practices. He returned to soccer as a sophomore and kept playing football.

This fall marks Galamue's third season rotating shoulder pads and shin guards. Football coach Derrin Lamker and soccer coach Jean-Yves Viardin give their blessings under one condition.

"Both of them just said I've just got to go hard every time I'm there," Galamue said.

The dual demands of Galamue's schedule are draining. A typical week starts with football practice right after school Monday through Thursday. Soccer games are typically played Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Football games are played Friday night and are usually followed with a soccer game on Saturday.

Football occupies most of Galamue's time but Lamker and Viardin share an understanding that preparing for a big soccer game might call him away from football practice. Viardin said Galamue's familiarity with systems allows him to practice soccer less and still be effective.

"The guy is a machine," Viardin said. "I don't know how he does it."

Galamue said: "It's very difficult. After Friday night my whole body is sore. Then the next day I have to try and recover as fast as I can and go out there and play a soccer game. It's kind of tough but I love soccer so I don't mind."

Saturdays are tough. Mondays are the worst.

"The weekend just got over and you're still trying to recover," Galamue said. "And then Monday it starts all over again."

To stay on top of school work, Galamue hustles at the dinner table and in the shower, then focuses on his studies before the inevitable crash. He often wakes up with a book either on his chest or next to him in bed.

Though he doesn't regain his footing until midweek, Galamue makes sure neither teammates nor the opposition notices.

"He shows up and works hard and you never hear him complain," Lamker said. "He's a happy kid and he's going to be successful in life with whatever he does."

Playing football and soccer gives Galamue perspective. He enjoys both the loud, emotional build up for football games and the relaxed, focused approach to soccer. And he sees the fundamentals of both sports as complementary.

"Soccer helps me with my footwork as a receiver and that helps me run good routes," Galamue said. "And the football routes help me make good runs in soccer as a forward. Football makes me tougher on the soccer field. When somebody hits me. I just shake it off and keep going."

He takes grief from both of his teams in stride as well. Viardin made Galamue wear a football helmet for a soccer team photo outtake. When Galamue drops a pass or misses an assignment in football practice, Lamker will remind him, "We actually hit people out here."

Galamue said he hopes his modeling of "determination and hard work" influences other athletes. Fall is his busiest time. But he also plays club soccer in the winter. Last spring he took part in three all-state relays on Osseo's track and field team.

Next fall will force Galamue to make a choice and funnel all his attributes into either football or soccer.

"That's the thing I have to figure out soon," Galamue said. "I want to play one of the two in college because I know I can't play both."

David La Vaque • 612-673-7574