Riverdale, NY - With this year being the 50th anniversary of the Manhattan Men's Soccer team we will be checking in with different alumni throughout the season to see how the program has impacted their lives.
Our third former Jasper is Randall P. Brobson, PE, '11.
What is your fondest memory of Manhattan Soccer?
"My fondest memory of Manhattan College Soccer was very early on in the campaign in my sophomore year. It was my first start between the pipes for the Jaspers and we were traveling to West Point to take on Army. We took a 1-0 lead into half time and would net a second goal in the 53rd minute before Army would get one back in the 65th minute when Patrick McVey (who would become somewhat of a rival over the next 3 years) hit a beautiful curling shot far post. But from that point our defense, anchored by Kyle Lauchman and Chris Holihan, really bunkered down and held off the next 25 minutes of Army attack. This victory snapped a 22 game winless streak against the Black Knights and was the first time Manhattan took down Army in program history. I made 6 saves in the contest and cemented myself as the starting goalkeeper."
What does being a member of the Manhattan Soccer family mean to you?
"The Manhattan Soccer family extends way beyond the time you spend with your teammates on the pitch during your four years. It is truly a brotherhood that continues to look out for each other long after graduation. One of my teammates and a great friends to this day, Jake Ostrov, served as my roommate on the Upper East Side right after graduation when we were both trying to find our way in the corporate world. I have sought career advice from Jasper family members that came through the program before me and have had the pleasure of recruiting younger teammates like CJ Dragovich and Jose Armas to work at my firm after they graduated. I have also worked on construction projects where the firm across the table is represented by a fellow teammate in Paul Rolston (Negotiating is much easier this way). I have relied on coaches to write letters of recommendation on my behalf to gain acceptance to grad school. The Manhattan Soccer family, to me, is a great group of guys bound by mutual respect for each other who I know will always be there for me in a time of need."
What are you doing now?
"After graduating, I spent five-plus years working as a mechanical engineer at a consulting engineering firm in midtown NYC. While there, I negotiated hundreds of leases, designed millions of square feet of commercial office space and gained my professional engineering (PE) license. Just this past December I decided to leverage my knowledge of real estate and construction and take a job at Goldman Sachs in their Real Estate division. Here, my team handles all aspects of the entire Goldman Sachs real estate portfolio in the Americas. In my spare time I am a member / sit on the board of several non-profits including The Boxer Bowtie Club, and The Michael J. Fox Foundation - Young Professional, and also participate in the Manhattan College Engineering Mentorship Program. I am currently pursuing my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and planning a wedding. I recently moved to Jersey City, NJ where I reside with my Fiance, Katelyn and my cocker spaniel, Chloe."
How has what you learned as being a member of the soccer program at Manhattan helped you in life?
"There are three major lessons that I learned while competing for the Jaspers that I utilize daily. The first thing you learn when you step foot in Riverdale as a freshman is the criticality of time management. Balancing practices, road trips, film sessions, engineering courses and still finding time to fraternize with fellow students takes a lot of prep work. This skill came in handy when I joined the workforce. I found myself far less overwhelmed by the stress of work deadlines, conference calls and meetings all over the city than my fellow 'just out of school' colleagues. The second thing I learned was how to compartmentalize things in your mind. I could not worry about a 9:00 am thermodynamics exam at a 6:00 am training session. Similarly, I couldn't harp on a goal that I let in the night before when I am sitting in a calculus lecture. In both cases I am shortchanging myself by not giving 100% of my focus to the task at hand. This is a truly undervalued skill and it has helped me immensely in life. I don't let the negativity of a bad day at work carry with me when I go home for the night. I do not let the stress of one project jog my thought process on another. This allows me to work much more efficiently than my peers. Finally being a part of the team has really shaped my management style. When my teammates would get into a rut, some need an encouraging 'pick-me-up' and some just need to figure it out on their own. At work, similar to the my time on the pitch, I have a team of individuals all working to a common goal. Just like on the soccer field, I have to treat each member of the team as an individual and take different approaches to motivate them to perform at their highest level."
The 50th anniversary event of Manhattan Men's Soccer is set for Saturday, September 30. Click
HERE for more information.
