Tomáš Ostrák doesn’t tweet. He doesn’t post photos on Instagram, or dance on TikTok. Although you can find so many St. Louis CITY SC players on social media, Ostrák believes he’s better off without the apps—and the distractions.
“Social media is too much negativity,” Ostrák says. “And fake.”
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The lack of online activity from Ostrák might suggest that he is a reserved member of the squad, but the opposite is true. “Tomáš definitely has a voice in the locker room,” CITY teammate Indiana Vassilev says. “And when he speaks, everyone respects it.”
You won’t see it online, but you can catch Ostrák enjoying his free time at various golf courses, tennis courts, and restaurants around the St. Louis region. While he may not always share his personality for all the world to see, those closest to Ostrák believe there’s no one quite like him.
“Tomáš is an amazing person—just a very funny and happy guy,” Vassilev says. “I would introduce him to anybody I know.”
As CITY SC’s second season gets underway, Ostrák’s focus is trained firmly on the field, where he appeared in 30 matches for the club in 2023, scoring three goals and assisting on two others. St. Louis is the latest stop in the 24-year-old’s young career, having spent time previously with FC Köln in Germany, TSV Hartberg in the Austrian Bundesliga, and MFK Karviná in his native Czech Republic. When he left his hometown of Frýdek-Místek to join FC Köln when he was 16, Ostrák adapted to German culture despite not speaking the language. Upon moving to St. Louis two years ago, Ostrák drew upon that experience as he adjusted to life in the Midwest.
“I was already used to different countries and living alone,” Ostrák says.
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Living hundreds of miles away from his parents as a teenager also taught Ostrák the importance of family. So while he may not see his loved ones often, he values the time he’s able to spend with those closest to him. Despite now being an ocean away from his folks, Ostrák maintains a close relationship with his parents. He was able to show them what life is like for him in the U.S. when they visited last June for CITY’s 1-1 draw against the LA Galaxy at CITYPARK.
“I call them almost everyday,” Ostrák says. “We are often in contact. I grew up traveling alone at 16, so I think I really know something about life: what is important and what is not important. … I was so happy that they found time to support me and visit the country. The U.S. is special because of the American Dream, and they wanted to see how it works.”
All of Ostrák’s travels and experiences with players from various cultures make him a borderline polyglot. He can speak Czech, German, and a little Russian. He says he understands Slovakian and Polish, and he’s working on his grasp of Spanish.
“I think I can speak a little bit of English, too,” he jokes.
Ostrák’s love of learning new languages stems from his belief in the importance of understanding different cultures through communication. His rapport with teammates in the locker room can be playful, but as soon as he crosses the white line and gets into game or training mode, Ostrák is all business.
“Tomáš flips a switch and he’s completely different,” Vassilev says. “He’s the most competitive—a guy who will fight to the death to win.”
It’s been nearly two years since Ostrák signed for CITY. All of these months later, he’s confident he made the right decision. That’s because he feels comfortable in St. Louis, and notes how so many people throughout the region have made him feel welcome. Living here, Ostrák says, is easy.
Vassilev, meanwhile, can sense just how well Ostrák has meshed with his surroundings in St. Louis. The two live close to one another, which inevitably leads them to spend plenty of their off-days together. While Vassilev appreciates the qualities Ostrák brings to CITY on the pitch, he might value Ostrák’s friendship off the field even more.
“I’ve come to know who Tomáš is as a person and as a player, and I couldn’t have been more happy to meet someone like him,” Vassilev says.
