The rigorous regimen instituted by former coach Hernán Losada, with an obsessively demanding focus on body weight, body fat percentages and cardiovascular performance, became a dominant storyline in DC’s 2021 campaign and pushed Seitz, and at least some of his teammates, on edge.
“I was in a very dark place last year,” Seitz said. “And I know for a fact that I am not the only one.”
Seitz is not soft. He has dealt with depression and anxiety before. In 2012 he showed uncommon courage to put his football life on hold and become a bone marrow donor, a selfless and physically exhausting act, not to mention the resilience to regain his fitness and form afterward, which saved the life of a stranger and led to an MLS Humanitarian of the Year award.
As demanding as he was, he fully committed to the new project at DC. Then the fallout from a seemingly innocuous Instagram post paying tribute to his wife Katie on Mother’s Day plunged him back into the deep end.
