Athlete of the Week: Jay Alberts

By Anna Dolinsky

Jay Alberts', SY '03, toughest moment so far on the Yale soccer team came when he stepped out on the field the first day of practice and realized he had to learn everyone's name.

The St. Louis, Mo., native, who has been playing soccer since the age of three, managed to memorize his teammates' names within a week. "Once we all got to know each other, everybody was really supportive," he said. "We all get along really well and help each other out." Now, with two weeks left in Yale's surprisingly successful fall season, Alberts is driving his team to a league championship with his swift pace and fierce intensity. His consistent speed led Yale to a 2-0 victory over league rival Columbia on Sat., Oct. 23. Alberts dominated the Lions defense, scoring both of the Elis' goals.

"We're always a little more pumped up for the league games," he explained. "With Columbia, we had to make sure not to get pushed into the other team's style of play and finish every chance we had. I just went out there with a desire to win and with no intention of giving up."

Jay Alberts Soccer forward Height: 5'7" Weight: 140 lbs. Hometown: St. Louis, Mo. Favorite professional hockey team: The St. Louis Blues Years playing soccer: 15 Favorite Movie: The Unusual Suspects Favorite food: Cereal

Alberts has been playing soccer for most of his life. He spent 10 years on club teams and two years on his area's regional team and went out for the youth national team three times. He has traveled to Austria, Mexico, and Germany to compete in international tournaments. His enthusiasm for soccer has remained motivated by the the excitement he garners from playing his favorite sport.

"[It's] the joy I get from playing, the joy I get from never giving up on the field and wearing down the opposing players," Alberts said.

Alberts' tenacious desire to win and his breakaway speed distinguishes him from other players, but there's more to Alberts than simply his top-drawer playing skills. "I've always played up [in a higher age bracket] on club teams, so in order to step up and play with the older and better kids, I've always had to push myself," he said. "And my coaches were always pushing me too. When I play here, I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone except myself. Everyone expects me to get the job done, so I really have to make myself do better and better. So I'm the only one pushing myself."

Alberts will keep pushing himself to improve for the next four years. And afterwards? "If I have a good career here, I would like to try to play professionally," he explained. For now, this southern-drawling forward will keep practicing, training to get stronger while watching the seniors for inspiration and experience. "I really look up to the older guys on the team," he said. "They have a wide range of personalities and experiences and I want to take a little bit from each one and make myself better on and off the field."

Photo by John Yi.

Back to Sports...