Jackson’s Journey

Sitting here writing this is honestly one of the saddest things I have ever done. Writing this means that my 14-year journey at this amazing club is coming to an end and I don’t truly know how I feel about that.

I started playing at the club when I was 5 years old and if we are going to be honest, at that point I was way more interested in chasing birds than I was with getting the ball! I played on a rec team up until I was U10, when Coach Matt approached us after one of my games and asked if I would be interested in playing with his travel team for the remainder of the season when we could make it work.

That was when the spark was lit!

The following season I tried out for a competitive team and was chosen for the select team. A dream started to form, and I knew I wanted to play soccer at the highest level so I began to put in the extra work. During evaluations I would ask the hard questions and most of the time got equally hard answers in return. I just was not where I needed to be yet. I wasn’t fast enough, I wasn’t agile enough, my technical ability needed work. I was a late bloomer so I was also so much smaller than most everyone else my age. My ego may have been bruised, but my desire had not changed. I was more determined than ever to break into the next level.

Next stop was the premier team where I had one of the toughest coaches, he was a Navy guy and he not only helped me with my physical game but he pushed me to be mentally tough as well. I may not have always appreciated his tactics in the moment but I know now those two years with him was instrumental in shaping the player I am now. I remained on the premier team for several years and then made the elite team, one step closer.

Again, asking for feedback I was told you still aren’t quite there. I was given specific things to work on and I did, with laser focus. Next year, I was pulled up to the ECNL team. One thing I can say with confidence was nothing was ever given to me and I will forever be grateful for that. 

This club, our leadership was always honest with me. They pointed out my strengths and also told me my weaknesses and challenged me to be better. Their feedback wasn’t always wrapped up with a hug and a pat on the back, sometimes it seemed harsh but it was always exactly what I needed to hear. It lit a fire in me and maybe even gave me a little chip on my shoulder. I had something to prove! 

I have earned every minute of playing time and earned every team I made and that is just how JFC is. The work you put in will show on the field and the coaching staff will not play someone who is not working hard, so everyday must be a grind.

This journey has definitely not been all sunshine and rainbows. I have gotten discouraged; I have wanted to quit multiple times. My parents, always the realists, would tell me “quit if you don’t love the game, but you don’t get to quit because it is hard. Life is hard, there is always going to be someone that doesn’t like you. There will always be someone who gets what you think you deserve. Figure out what you want and go after it because in life nothing is ever going to be handed to you.”

I also owe a debt of gratitude to Coach Ramy! I was not a good player when we first met, but he made me feel like I was Cristiano Ronaldo. He taught me how to visualize the game, how to be mentally tough, and how to win at all costs. He taught me that “You never lose, you either win or you learn.” Coach Ramy thank you for everything! After working with Coach Ramy I became obsessed with improving so I started waking up at 4:45am so I could work out before school and then after school would be in the backyard working on technical for hours before going to practice.

It’s tryout time again……and sure enough after tryouts that next year coach Pat pulled me aside and, in my head, I’m thinking he’s going to tell me I did not make it and was honestly freaking out but I was completely wrong!  Coach Pat told me that I made the DA team and that he was so proud of me and that he has never seen a kid work harder. It took every bit of me not to start crying! That feeling of all the hard work paying off was incredible and just made me feel on top of the world.

My mom made me write a “Goal List” four years earlier and on the list was “1. Make ECNL, 2. Make DA, and 3. Go D1” as soon as I got home, I put a check next to making DA and now I had one more to go before I would need to make a new list! 

Since coach Pat told me I made the team I have been working my butt off to go D1. Again, it hasn’t been easy. The program that Coach Pat and Coach Tommy have created requires you to be mentally tough (are you starting to see a theme?). It requires accountability, it requires professionalism, it requires relentless pursuit of not just your dreams and goals but it requires you to put your team first, it requires you to understand that you don’t just represent yourself, you represent the badge on your chest.

To some it might look like I missed out on a lot of things, some days I might agree. Most days I know that missing a Friday night football game, taking the SAT in another state because I had an away game that afternoon, 4 am alarm clocks, sore muscles, exhausted body and mind, saying “no, I have to pass on that party because I have to be at the field at 8am” doesn’t feel like missing out at all.

It feels like doing what I love, and I would not trade this bumpy path for anything.

At this point we all know there is one last item on my “Goal List”.

Thank goodness so many people have helped prepare me to be mentally tough because the one thing I learned about the recruiting process is it’s NOT EASY and anything can happen. You can be told in December that you have a roster spot at your dream school and then find out in early February they changed their mind. You can choose to take a gap year at the end of February and then get thrown a curve ball with a pandemic and stuff gets really tricky. 

You know what you do when things get tricky, you reset your focus and add to your “Goal List.” 

When I met with Coach Tommy to talk to him about my plans to return this season, I told him that I wanted to see us be successful and be the first team to make the playoffs! Sure enough this team, our JFC UPSL team, has seen success! We are the current UPSL Divisional Champions, UPSL Florida Champions, and currently first place in our MLS Next League looking at a playoff spot! To top all of that off on February 11th, 2021 I committed to play Division 1 Soccer at Jacksonville University, this is a place I know embodies the values and work ethic that I have come to cherish in my youth club and that starts with the leadership! 

Playing at this club has been the best thing I have ever been a part of. Jacksonville FC has taught me so many life lessons. This club is my family and I don’t know where I would be without it. Thank you, Coach Pat and Coach Tommy, for believing in me and putting your faith in me to add me to your squad. Thank you for always being there and always being honest with me and for challenging me to be better. Thank you to my teammates, who are like my brothers, what we share is forever! 

JFC helped make me the man I am on and off the pitch and I am proud to call this club my home. One thing I can tell you from experience is never get complacent and never settle, always strive for more and always push to be the best. All the hard work will pay off!