Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Rookie Life: Jata Resurfaces With The Fire

Rookie Life: Diary of a Draft Pick just took their most recent episode to a whole new level. This time they devoted an entire show to Richard Jata. A late draft pick with plenty of talent, Jata showed promising skill in the preseason, but injuries and the flu forced him to miss several key games. These missed opportunities left Chicago Fire Head Coach, Denis Hamlett, with a hard decision going into the regular season. Jata was one of the last players to be released among all MLS teams, but his story continues to live on.

Episode 16 - Jata Resurfaces With The Fire gives fans an opportunity to see what the 23 year old has been doing since moving to Chicago. Right now, Jata is happy with where he is at. He's enjoying everything Chicago has to offer, plus he's been staying in great shape. Jata's been biking all around the city, playing in a men's league and continuing to train for his next opportunity with the MLS. Whether that happens this year or next year, Jata will be there with more determination than ever before.


One quick note to leave you all with.....At the 2:20 mark in this weeks' Rookie Life, Jata is shown juggling with his left foot, but dropping the ball shortly after. Don't let this clip fool you! Right before Jata left for Furman University(on a full ride) in August of 2004, he recorded an astonishing 2,316 juggles at just 18 years of age.

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