The Jewish Link of New Jersey and Gotham Burger would like to recognize 16-year-old Zach Israeli as this week’s Sportstar of the Week. This past spring Zach was captain of the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy JV boys’ soccer and stood out as an exceptional forward. He scored a team high 26 goals, helping guide his team to a 7-1 record (including five blowout wins) and the league championship. Coach Logan Singman told the JLNJ, “Zach was an important leader for our team. He always believed in our ability to succeed and was a great support to me as a coach. Zach truly loves the game of soccer and set the standard for future team leaders.”
JLNJ spoke with Zach to get a sense of who he is:
Zach Yasher Koach on another great season of soccer, who would you say is your role model and why?
My role model is my grandfather. Along with his family, he went through very hard times as a child but he persevered and became the inspiration that he is today. Even though, at some times, all he had to eat was grass and wild vegetation, he grew into one of the best athletes in all of what was then Palestine in the 1940s. He also fought for the State of Israel in the War of Independence and put his life on the line that the Jews could have a homeland.
Who is your favorite professional athlete?
My favorite athlete is Harry Kane. He is a twenty-two-year-old soccer player for Tottenham Hotspur. He has a reputation throughout the whole world for having an extreme passion and love for the game. Right now, he is one of the best strikers on the planet and he is a player who I try to emulate.
What is your pregame routine?
My pregame starts the night before the game, when I start my stretching. Between the night before and game time, I like to have stretched two or three times so that I’ll be loose when the game starts. I also try to drink a lot of water and eat lots of carbohydrates. In the two hours before the game, I watch highlights of my favorite players and film of previous games just to get a feel for the game.
What is your earliest sports memory?
I remember when I was about five years old I was in a little kickers soccer league and even though they didn’t keep score, me, being ultra-competitive, was able to tell anyone what happened in each and every game.
What is your favorite sports memory?
My favorite sports memory is winning the championship for Kushner in May. There’s nothing like the rush of hearing the crowd counting down the last seconds and having your teammates and your friends storm the court. Also, there’s nothing like the feeling of watching Coach Logan Singman so genuinely happy.
What are some of your favorite things to do when not playing soccer?
When I’m not playing soccer, I like to listen to and play music, and play FIFA on the XBOX.
What is the best thing about being a Sportstar?
The best thing about being the Sportstar of the Week is obviously getting the gift certificate to Gotham burger. Just kidding. Without a doubt it’s really just being able to represent my team and school in a big publication like this Jewish Link.
The Gotham Burger Sportstar of the Week will receive a $10 gift certificate to Gotham Burger. Please send nominees for next week’s Gotham Burger Sportstar of the Week to [email protected]
