A Hero's Journey: Brendan L

If I had to choose a moment that made me proud, I would most definitely choose when we won the Jeff Cup in 2017. The Jeff Cup is a nationally ranked tournament and is very hard to win. There are great teams from all over the east coast competing to win a trophy.

Even though there were many great teams; my teammates and I were prepared to win. We also had to bring into consideration the weather because of how it might affect our play. It was going to be windy and very cold. Even though the conditions were tough; my team and I succeeded. This makes me proud because of how much I contributed to my team this tournament.

The first major thing that led me to picking this moment was the fact that we won. This tournament was hard. We played a top team from Virginia in the final. They were called the LMVSC Patriots. They were technical and knew how to play the game the right way.

We were down 1-0 at halftime and knew we were going to be in an uphill battle. 2 minutes after halftime we got a corner. We flooded many people into the box which led to us scoring. I had shot it and a player from their team deflected it in.

Everyone was ready to work to their best ability. The game would go into overtime and then penalties where we won. At the end of the weekend, it all felt worth it because of the trophy in our hands.

The second reason I chose this moment was because of how much I contributed to this tournament. I’m not usually a goal scorer, but I realized that when people up front weren’t getting it done; that I would have to do something. I scored 2 goals in the semi-final where we won 3-2. And I also had the shot that deflected off the opposing team's player for a goal in the final. I had to do what my team needed from me. I also didn’t play in my usual position as a defensive mid; I was playing the role of attacking mid. I had to work hard up front, to then run back and defend. I was all over the pitch helping my team in every aspect. This made me feel dependable. I felt like my team could rely on me.

The third reason I came to choose this moment was because of what I learned from it. I would not be the player I am today without it. One thing that I learned was I needed to be better at taking penalties. I was up 5th to take a penalty and missed the one to win it all. It would have been the icing on the cake to a perfect weekend. We would still go on to win, but I was disappointed with myself. I felt as if I had let my team down. This is why when I got home; I practiced penalties in my backyard for 2 weeks straight; preparing for the next time we would have a penalty shootout. Another thing that I learned was to be a better defender. There were many good players on the other teams that were dribbling by me. This made me want to become the best defender I could. I would again at home practice in my backyard. I would let my sister dribble against me in 1v1s. I would do backwards shuffles keeping her in front of me at all times. This would be a common thing where my sister and I would do this. Without Jeff Cup, I wouldn’t be who the player I am today.

- BRENDAN (#9), IDF PLAYER SINCE 2015