[READ THIS ARTICLE IN THE WASHINGTON POST]
His scoring barrage spurred local dominance, helping Langley capture its first soccer state championship last spring. His motivation, as it turns out, drew sustenance from a more global vision: Jacob Labovitz wanted to thrive in Europe.
Labovitz explored the idea with his family as a 16-year-old sophomore last winter, just weeks before he spearheaded a 20-win season that granted the Saxons soccer supremacy. The precocious striker had heard about Marbella United FC, an American-run soccer academy in southern Spain that competes in premier amateur league play and participates in professional tours around Europe. He wanted to take a risk. He wanted to get better.
“Pretty much all of my life, just watching everyone on TV in Europe, it’s just very appealing,” Labovitz said. “If you want to go pro, that’s the way to go.”
And off Labovitz went last summer, equipped with a student visa that granted him temporary stay in Spain. He was set for daily training and online classes at Marbella United, an extension of the US Soccer Academy LLC established by Richmond Kickers founder Bobby Lennon.