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Profile of the Week

Victor Navas Jr.

  • Award
    Profile of the Week
  • Week Of
    9/24/2018
  • Sport
    Men's Soccer
  • Bio
    View Full Bio
By Jim Hague

As he began his final season playing for the Rutgers-Newark men's soccer team, Victor Navas Jr.realized that he had established a vital role with the Scarlet Raiders.
 
"I wanted to help the freshmen get ready," said the senior midfielder. "We've had some success while I've been here and I just wanted it to continue. I remember the struggles of what it was like when I was a freshman, so I wanted to do whatever I could to make this the best season possible. I wanted to show them how to do the little things you need. I told them about the intensity. I told them how they needed to focus at all times. We have about three or four freshmen ready to make an impact right away. I prepared for this season the most that I could and I wanted to show them the hard work attitude."
 
The approach with the young players was something that was not lost with R-N head men's soccer coach Kevin East.
 
"Victor has been very good with the freshmen," East said. "I think he's a calming presence in the midfield. He's seen everything he's going to see in soccer, so he especially helps with the younger guys."
 
Even if it meant that Navas' work with the freshman Scarlet Raiders would cut into his playing time, Navas Jr. was willing to help.
 
"I do like that," Navas Jr. said. "I like it a lot. I like helping the other players."
 
Navas Jr. hasn't exactly enjoyed a walk in the park during his stint with the Scarlet Raiders. He has been battling injuries to his back and especially his hamstrings.
 
"It's been very frustrating for Victor over the last two years," East said. "He's missed a lot of time. He's been unlucky battling injuries."
 
"It's been that way all four years," Navas Jr. said. "It's been tough, but I've been taking care of it."
 
East believed that Navas' conditioning wasn't as good as it could have been.
 
"I thought fitness-wise, he needed to improve," East said. "I thought soccer-wise, he was solid. But now, he's really taking care of himself. He's done a lot of running and working out. He's always working out in the gym, so I give him credit for that. He's done a good job in that aspect."
 
Navas Jr. came to Rutgers-Newark after a successful career at North Plainfield High School. He admits that he almost enrolled at rival Montclair State, but there were a couple of members of the Scarlet Raider roster at the time that helped to steer Navas Jr. away from the Red Hawks.
 
"I talked to them and it started to interest me," Navas Jr. said. "I also liked the business school and its reputation."
 
Navas Jr. knew that he wanted to major in supply chain management, so the Rutgers business school was a step in the right direction.
 
"It was a perfect combination for me," Navas Jr. said.
 
East said that he saw Navas Jr. playing for his club team, NJSA04, and was impressed with Navas Jr.'s skills.
 
"He had a very good left foot and was very skillful on the ball," East said. "I also noticed that he had a very good soccer IQ. I thought that his left foot would help open the field for us."
 
Navas Jr. is more of a defensive midfielder who helps with controlling possession of the ball. Navas Jr. is currently a reserve player for the Scarlet Raiders.
 
"We're doing a good job managing his minutes," East said. "We needed some senior leadership coming off the bench. Once the game has a flow to it, then Victor is able to make an impact."

East loves Navas Jr.'s approach to the game.
 
"He's a soccer junkie," East said. "He absolutely loves the game. Sure, I know he wants to be out there more. Every kid wants to play. I just want him to get through the year healthy. I'm glad he's with us and I'm glad he's healthy."
 
"Anyone who is competitive wants to get that starting role," Navas Jr. said. "I can't worry about that now. I just have to worry about being out there, focusing on what I have to do when I get my chance to be out there."
 
Navas Jr. likes being able to help control the pace of the game.
 
"A lot of other teams are run and gun types," Navas Jr. said. "I like to be able to calm things down a little and slow the pace down. I like trying to help the team with the speed of play, calm things down a little."
 
East likes Navas Jr.'s personality.
 
"He's an outgoing guy," East said. "He gets along with all the other guys on the team. He wants to win and be a part of good things. He has a lot of good traits and helps our team a lot. He always has a good frame of mind. He's a mature player and a mature young man."
 
Navas Jr. doesn't know what the future holds after graduation next May. He hopes to take his business degree in supply chain management and make an interesting plunge into the business world.
 
"I'm interested in forecasting," Navas Jr. said. "I would like to help companies with the idea of when they should sell or when they should buy, what they should sell and what they could buy. I think I'd be very good at that."
 
For now, he wants to make solid contributions to the Scarlet Raiders both on and off the field for the two months he has left playing for the Scarlet Raiders.
 
"If we can put everything together, this could be the best year yet," Navas Jr. said. "We have more than enough talent to do things. We are young, but if we keep progressing and getting better, this could be a year to remember."

And it could be a campaign that could carry Navas Jr. into the rest of his life.


Athlete Awards
Date Athlete Sport
12/11/2017 Hassan Haywood Men's Track & Field
11/29/2017 Mark Isiofia-Thomas Men's Basketball
11/21/2017 Nicole Skelly Women's Basketball
11/2/2017 Chigozie Atubi Men's Soccer
10/27/2017 Kerry Collado Women's Cross Country
10/18/2017 Diana Carvalho Women's Soccer
10/10/2017 Timothy Farias Men's Soccer
10/2/2017 Michael Peralta Men's Cross Country
9/25/2017 Morgan Schweitzer Women's Volleyball
9/18/2017 Iné Collins Women's Soccer
9/11/2017 Hubert Dul Men's Soccer
5/18/2017 Mike Zibrin Baseball
4/25/2017 Success Uhunmwangho Women's Track & Field
4/11/2017 Ray Fan Men's Tennis
3/24/2017 Sarah Stiehler Softball
3/15/2017 Josh Cote Baseball
2/28/2017 Jake Connors Men's Volleyball
2/8/2017 Faith & Hannah Ashby Women's Basketball
1/18/2017 LJ McKenzie Men's Track & Field
12/9/2016 Emani Formeus-Marshall Women's Basketball
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