Feature: One Last Ride for Hagay Jalon

"I wanted the chance to be the oldest soccer player in the NCAA," Hagay Jalon jokes.

Jalon, a 26-year-old senior on the men's soccer team, is gearing up for one last ride in a blue and red jersey. An aspiring sports psychologist, Jalon had the opportunity to forgo his final year of eligibility to pursue his future career, but he was not quite ready to hang up the cleats.

Now as we commence the 2019 men's soccer season, Jalon is believed to be the oldest player in the NCAA and is using his wisdom and experience to lead a team of 28 individuals.

"I wanted to play one more season and I had the opportunity to do it here," said Jalon. "I love it [at FAU] and I get to be a captain, which is a great leadership exercise. The skills I will gain during the season are worth more than the other things I could have been doing."

Born and raised in Haifa, Israel, Jalon started playing soccer at the age of six and went on to play for his club team of Maccabi Haifa. He was always a goalkeeper and enjoyed protecting the net. After high school, Jalon joined the Israeli army to fulfill his mandatory service requirement, but still managed to play soccer on the side.

Jalon served three years in the army, an extra year than required. Basic training was tough. He had to wake up at 4 or 5 a.m. or sometimes in the middle of the night and possess a weapon 24/7, something he wasn't used to at the time.

After initial training, he settled into his role where he was in charge of tracking the weapons, moving them from place to place, as well as other logistics. He was not in a combat position, but still had a handful of responsibilities.

"Obviously in the army, you can't say no and always have a commander on top of you that is going to tell you what to do and when to do it," said Jalon. "I learned how to take responsibility for what I have to do."

Although Jalon had a lot on his plate while he was in the service, he still had the opportunity to play soccer. He was granted permission to go to practice almost every day to play for the Navy team, which is an opportunity he was grateful for.

Playing collegiate soccer in America never crossed Jalon's mind until about three to four months before he finished his three years in the army. He liked the idea of being able to further his education, while playing soccer at the same institution, so he packed his bags and off to the states he went.

Jalon began his collegiate playing career at California State Northridge. He was not a typical incoming freshman, as he had just turned 22 before the season started. Although Jalon was ineligible to play during his first year at CSUN, he looked on the positive side and used it as an opportunity to acclimate himself to a new country.

"The cultural differences were big," said Jalon. "Israelis are very different people than Americans, so it was kind of hard to get used to."

Fortunately for Jalon, he roomed with three Israelis, which helped mark a smooth transition into the states. Jalon enjoyed his time at Northridge, but was ready for a change.

"I chose to come here [to FAU] because I liked [Coach Worthen's] attitude and vision," said Jalon. "Also, I liked the weather and the fact we are so close to the beach."

Jalon stepped foot on FAU's campus just prior to the 2017 season. Unfortunately, he got injured in the first captain's practice and was out for the season, so it made the transition from California to Florida tough, but nothing Jalon couldn't handle.

Even though last year marked Jalon's fourth year playing collegiate soccer, it was the first year he saw action all season long and made the most out of the opportunity as the squad's starting goaltender. He led Conference USA and was 26th nationally in saves with 76 and was named to the CoSIDA All-District Academic Team. Jalon hopes to carry that momentum into his senior season, while inspiring his teammates as a leader along the way.

"When I see some of the younger players, sometimes they feel like their world is collapsing because they are not playing as much or are struggling in class," said Jalon. "I like to give them all perspective to help them understand that it is the way you see it and not the way it is. When I was 19, I had to deal with worse stuff, so I'm just trying to help them realize they are living the dream by working toward a [college] degree and getting to play soccer in Boca Raton."

Jalon is taking advantage of his role as a leader and tries to pass along key lessons and experiences he has taken away from his time in the military, as well as a collegiate soccer player.

"I know that if I went back to four years ago as a freshman, I would have done things differently," said Jalon. "Not that I did bad, but I could have done better."

Jalon is on one of the most culturally diverse teams at FAU, as 17 countries are represented. With Jalon's mom being Argentinian and his dad Israeli, Jalon is trilingual with the ability to speak Hebrew, Spanish and English. Hebrew was not as beneficial for Jalon to use during his first two years with the Owls, but is this season, as Israelis David Schwartzman and Omer Priyov have joined the squad. Jalon gets to experience instantaneous communication with these two, who are both defenders.

Approaching his final year of playing collegiate soccer, Jalon is grateful for the opportunities he has gotten on and off the field at FAU. As a senior, his biggest goal is to win the Conference USA Championship.

"I want to be remembered as someone who played a critical role in changing the [men's soccer] program around," said Jalon. "I hope we are going to have an amazing season and win the [conference] championship, but if it is not this season and after I leave, I want to be remembered as someone who had a part in it."

After this season, which kicks off at home on Friday at 7 p.m. against James Madison, Jalon wants to practice a career in sports psychology. His dream is to work as a sports psychologist for a professional sports team and use the lessons he has taken away as an athlete to help others perform at the top of their game.

Playing in his last collegiate season will be bittersweet, but Jalon is looking at the positives and the lessons he has learned on and off the field that will help him when he is officially out in the real world. But for now, Jalon is enjoying one last ride.

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Hagay Jalon

Omer Priyov

David Schwartzman

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