Jonathon Jimenez of the Hartford Athletic

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hartford Athletic another big, big, big soccer match on Saturday,
May seventeenth, Trinity Hell Stadium, Louisville FC in town. Louisville
FC has like been one of the pretty awesome teams
in the USL for quite some time. So if we
can get three points against these guys on the table,
that would be huge. Jonathan Jmenez from the Hartford Athletic

(00:22):
winger on the line with me today. One thing I
don't like about your bio. You know, well, I like it,
but I don't like it. I don't know. I think
it makes you out to be like a Mexican soccer player.
But this dude's from Norwalk, man. I mean, you're from
Connecticut from what I know, Brian McMahon high School. You
come to Hartford Athletic via New York City FC. You've

(00:45):
played there for a couple of years now and then
so this is your first season with the Athletic. But
let's talk about your soccer journey. Just talk about Norwalk
McMahon and then making your way to UNC after that.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yeah yeah, so I well thanks for having me first
of all. But yeah, so I started obviously grassroots in Nowak, Connecticut,
played pretty much up till when I was like twelve thirteen,
and then I started playing for a team in Westchester,
New York called s Weshchester And after that got scouted

(01:23):
by the NYCUC Academy. So all through high school basically
played at the Academy New York. That ultimately led up
to me being scouted by UNC. Did two to three,
like two and a half years at UNC, and and
then got called in as a homegrown for NYCFC. Played

(01:46):
three years there and now now here I'm my first
year here at Hartford.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
It sounds like a lot of hard work in between
DIBs and I've really been learning about these academies over
the last couple of years, like in the United States,
Like we knew about it over in Europe, and we
knew kind of how it took off, and a little
bit about the recruiting part of it. But you know,
just like in honesty, like if you're in Spain, Spain's
just a country that can fit inside the United States.

(02:15):
If you're in Ireland that can fit inside the United States.
And I can see how they can get their academy started.
But how like in your world as a twelve year old,
did you know, of these kind of things, and what
is it like do you think now twelve years removed
from that to where it was when you started.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, I mean when I was twelve, it was you know,
it was it was just fun to me. My parents,
My family is a big, big soccer family. So for me,
it was just a way to express myself, to have fun,
to you know, have friends, but I mean become friends
of my teammates. It was more like a social kind
of thing. But right at like that twelve to thirteen

(02:58):
to fourteen A that's when like I really started to
take it serious and like, you know, start start thinking
process of maybe this could become like something that I
could do in the future, long term kind of thing.
So at that age I was, I was that was
kind of like the age where it transitioned into become

(03:20):
more serious, especially when I joined my first academy. As
I said an s us Chester, that's when I noticed
that you know, athleting more professional and everything I do
on the field and off the field.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
What is it like to make the decision to go
to college in the United States? Just as far as
going through all this academy stuff, you're somewhat in the NYFC,
you know cloud or umbrella of things like and then
you decide to go to North Carolina, Like what was
that decision and to stay for three years? Yeah, well

(03:54):
it was.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
It was definitely stressful. I mean I'm a first sun
uh college students, so so it was definitely stressful. Like
I didn't really know the process, but thankfully I had
I want you to see that helped with the whole
college application and all that all that fun stuff. I

(04:17):
that part was stressful. The part that I enjoyed was
talking to different schools, going on visits, just meeting new
new people. Uh that's the part that that I did enjoy.
But I mean I I kind of have had the
idea that I wanted to get my degree, uh just
because I want to have that, you know that the
safety the plan be of of you know, having a

(04:40):
career a degree because obviously with soccer, injuries could happen.
So that was that was kind of my mindset. It
was in the moment, it was. It was difficult because
obviously when you're young and and you know you're playing,
and you you would just want to become pro and
and have these big dreams. But uh, that that was

(05:03):
that was kind of what, uh, that's like what I
was dealing with that at that.

Speaker 1 (05:08):
Time, and then you kick button the acc and kind
of the rest is history. For the last couple of
years in your pro career, now you're a Hartford athletic.
They told me that you are kind of a bridge
guy between Spanish speaking players and English speaking players, And
I've learned how universal the language of soccer is. That
when you get on the pitch with guys like, countries

(05:30):
don't matter, language doesn't matter. Everything kind of flows like that.
Do you like that role as far as being the
bilingual guy that can kind of map out things for
everyone else.

Speaker 2 (05:41):
Yeah, I mean, I I don't mind it. It's definitely
like I I have trouble. I'm not the best translator,
but I'm learning so But but yeah, I don't. I don't.
I don't mind it. I I think it's I feel
that as more like a I'm like a helping role,
like helping these guys that I don't really understand what

(06:01):
coach is saying. I'm helping bridge that gap between players
and coaches. But yeah, I grew up speaking both languages,
so for me, it's not it's not it's not a
big issue.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
What is it like now that you are a professional,
you just had your birthday a couple of weeks ago,
What is it like? Andrew in a USL season, So like,
I don't you know, when you're u NC, that's fall ball,
and I'm sure you're playing soccer year round, but still
like it's a different setting. Now you're a pro and
you just had a birthday and you're from Normalk, so
you probably got a lot of boys here and there, Like,

(06:36):
how did this birthday go as a professional this time around?

Speaker 2 (06:40):
So my uh so we actually had a game to
twenty six. I'm my birthday is a twenty five, okay,
So I really was was really low key. I mean,
I have my whole routine that I do game day
minus one and the actual game day, so I didn't
it was. It was really low key, different than a
lot of my other birthdays when I was in the
academy or when I was I see a un C

(07:01):
where I mean we'd celebrate a little bit more. But
uh but yeah, it was really low key. We had
a game the next day, so kind of kind of swept.
But thearely kind of one of those nights.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
Arganey Jonathan Jmenez Harford Athletic. They're taking on Louisville FC
this Saturday. Two dollars beers, by the way, I always
got to bring that up when these things come around. Man,
that's always the fun stuff. Two dollars beers over there,
trad Hell Stadium, downtown Hartford. All right, zero zero last week? Man,
that is the worst, especially for a winger. What up

(07:35):
with that? What happened? Why didn't we score any goals?

Speaker 2 (07:38):
I think, uh, I mean obviously, if we look at
the positives that we had to shut out, so uh,
that was always good. I think that is we we
had a we had to work on, you know, our
attacking stuff, and that will come within time. But I
think we take the positives more so than than look
at us not scoring, because I mean, the choice a

(07:59):
great team and holding to zero goals is what we
want and what we need in this season.

Speaker 1 (08:04):
Louisville FC, from what I know, they're great. I mean,
they've just been a great program for a long time.
They're a perennial playoff team. Like what are they doing
with this year? I haven't even checked on them.

Speaker 2 (08:15):
Uh yeah, I mean obviously you said historically they're they're
they're a great team. They're with one more stronger teams
of this season. So we're we're just gonna come with
the same intent that we came with in Detroit. Defends
as hard as as hard as we can, and you know,
got and attack and try to get a goal and
and if we do, when we do, we uh we

(08:38):
lock it down and and get a win.

Speaker 1 (08:41):
What do you like about this roster? What's something about
this club that's somewhat unique to other teams that you've
been on that you're excited for like the rest of
the year for.

Speaker 2 (08:50):
I think we have a lot of young, young talent,
a lot of young talent with with high ceilings. Uh.
And I think we're all hungry. That's what it is.
That's what the the feeling is here. I know we
haven't gotten the results that we've wanted, but we are
the energy, the hunger is always there, and I think
that if we keep working the way that we are,

(09:13):
that the season's gonna turn around for us.

Speaker 1 (09:15):
We've got some old talent in the supporters section, and
when two dollars beers come around on a Saturday night, dared,
you are going to feel the effects of that. I
know the drums are going to be loved and proud
that the supporter section is always there for you. My man.
Let's get a win against Louisville FC. Seven o'clock kickoff
Saturday night. Hartford Athletic watch out for this guy all

(09:37):
season long. Jonathan Hamenez. Thanks for the time, man, Thanks
for being in Hartford. I hope you stay forever. I
hope you never leave us. Good luck on the rest
of the way this season and wherever your career takes you.

Speaker 2 (09:49):
Appreciate it. Man, Thank you for having me