Player Profile: Daniel Befekadu Jiregna

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Full Name: Daniel Befekadu Jiregna

Nickname: Tiny

Date of Birth: Septemeber 14, 1982
Place of Birth: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Current Residence: Overland Park, Kansas- USA
Height: 5 -10

Weight: 160

College: Park University , Kansas "The Pirates"
Position: Midfielder and Defender
Major: Civil Engineering

Older brother Eyob was an All-American soccer player at Johnson County Community College (JCCC)

 

Honors & Awards:
High school:
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, Overland Park, Kansas. Played for Coach Matt Ireland, Earned three Varsity letters in soccer.... Helped his team win a state championship in 1998 and 1999. All-Metro, All-Conference honors. As a senior, I was awarded All-Sun Country and All-Northeast Kansas honors.

 

From Park University Men's Soccer Website:

• Park University men's soccer team Senior Daniel Jiregna (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) was chosen All-Americans Honorable Mention.
• Park University men's soccer team senior Daniel Jiregna (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), Jiregna who started 20 games as a defender and midfielder this season was chosen to the first team all-region.
• Park University men's soccer team Daniel Jiregna (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), was chosen Midland Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC Men's Soccer All-Conference Teams.
• Park University men's soccer team Daniel Jiregna receives The NAIA Champions of Character Award program serves to create an environment in which every student-athlete, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through five tenets-respect, integrity, responsibility, servant leadership and sportsmanship.

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Q & A

 

Can you tell us a little bit about your soccer career?

As I was growing up, nobody in my family really wanted me to play soccer. However, my oldest brother Eyob played soccer, and since I always hung out with him, I wanted to be like him. So, I started playing when I was maybe five or six years old. I would say that Eyob had the greatest influence in my career.

Who were some of the Ethiopian and international teams and players that you admired growing up? How about now?
Growing up in Ethiopia, I admired the Ethiopian Insurance Football Club (Medhen) team because I liked their style of play and because some of Medhen players also lived in my neighborhood. As for individual players, I admired Bayu Mulu, who used to play for St. George and then went on to play professionally in Belgium. As for international soccer, I liked Liverpool Football Club and admired Eric Cantona of France who played for Manchester United.

Now, the team I like in Ethiopia is St. George. Though, I don't get a chance to watch them play, I still hear and read about them. A player that I admire in Ethiopia right now is Anteneh Alamerew, who currently plays for Defense. I had chance to play against him in Atlanta and I have watched him play for the national team, and I think he is one of the dominant central players in Ethiopia.

I still admire and support Liverpool, and enjoy watching Ashley Cole of Arsenal; who in my opinion is currently the best defender in the English Premier League.

How did you get recruited to play college soccer at Park University?
I was recruited by several colleges, including Park University, I went there for a recruiting visit, loved the mix of academics and the people. I also liked the personality and professionalism of coach Efrem Shimlis, who also happens to be an Ethiopian. So, I signed up for Park University.

Has Efrem influenced or helped your career in any way?
Coach Efrem has influenced me in many ways. He has been a great influence in my soccer career, but also a great mentor in my life. I would say that he helped me become a better player and also pushed me to strive and be the best that I can be.

College soccer might seem easy compared to professional soccer but at the same time, it's tough because you have to balance your schoolwork with the sport. So, how did you manage to do that yourself?
Yes, it is hard to maintain a balance between schoolwork and soccer in college. Your coaches expect you to do well in the classroom as well as on the soccer fields, but pretty soon, you do likewise. Time commitment was a major deciding factor for me. Everyday after class, we have a training session. In addition to that, we have road trips for away matches; which forced me to miss many of my classes throughout the season. So, I kept a close contact with all my professors in order to keep up with my class work. I would notify them that I would miss class because of soccer; and then ask them if I can submit the assignments early or do makeup assignments upon my return. Coach Efrem always said that I am a "student-athlete;" meaning that I am a student first and an athlete second, and that I have to do well in my class work in order to play soccer.

What did you like about playing college soccer?
I liked a lot of things about college soccer, but the one thing I like about Park is that, we have great fans and they bring a lot of excitement to the game, which I love. Their support helps me boost my level of play. So, I would say that I had great experience playing here at Park.

Most Ethiopian players make the mistake of putting all their eggs in one basket when it comes to pursuing their soccer career. They pursue professional soccer career with nothing to fall back on if things didn't work out for them. Do you think that college soccer could be a good alternative for them?
Yes, I believe that college soccer is a great alternative for anyone. Having the chance to play soccer in college and at the same time get an education is incredible. College is a time where you learn about yourself, such as your goals and limitations. To be part of a college sports team is a perfect opportunity to find out about the level of commitment you are willing to make. For me it is a great way to experience what life is all about and at the same time receive a degree that would last for a lifetime. Like my coach Efrem said, "Your soccer career can be taken away from you any time but your degree will last as long as you live."

Have you been to Ethiopia in the last few years? And if so, what do you think of the standard of the game back home?
I have not been back home since coming to the US, but I have watched videotapes of our national team play in the CECAFA soccer tournaments, as well as some league game. I think that the standard of the game is getting better, we are seeing tremendous improvement in our national team and the Ethiopian Premier League has become very competitive. It is good to see improvement, and I believe that we can improve the standard of the game by building more soccer facilities and providing soccer equipment.

Do you aspire to play for Ethiopia some day?
Yes, it would be great honor to represent Ethiopia, to get the chance to defend the colors of your flag and your country is indeed great. It is the highest level a player can achieve.

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Efrem Shimlis, Head Coach

We also wanted to find out what Coach Efrem Shimlis, who was named 2005 Midland Collegiate Athletic Conference's Coach of the Year, had to say about young Daniel.

What did you like about him when you first recruited him?
There were a lot of things I liked about Daniel when I recruited him. I was fortunate to know him personally and seen him play several times. Without any doubt, Daniel fits the mold of a tough player who can also play the finesse game. He really loves to grind it out against his opponents, play a physical brand of soccer, force the opponent to work twice as hard as they are used to and just wear them down. He is always busy on the field and he uses his speed and quickness to get to every ball. Daniel is also a very skilled player with solid ball handling skills, terrific field vision that works well with his excellent passing skills, great touch and power on set plays. Although he is an aggressive player, Daniel is very disciplined and smart.

How much progress has you seen in his play?
I feel that Daniel's own efforts to get better and the fact that he start playing with better players against better opponents, has helped me improve his game tremendously. He has become an all around player. He learned to play his role very well. We usually give him the responsibility to mark the opponent's best player, and Daniel takes that responsibility with pride and executes well all the instructions he gets from his coaches.

What do you thing is his greatest asset?
Daniel greatest asset is his enthusiasm to improve and his attitude. After coming to Park University, Daniel's work ethic and efforts to learn earned him respect among his peers and coaches. He captained our team in his last year of school here and was by far one of the best defenders in our region. He was voted First Team All Conference MCAC, First Team on Region IV and All-American mention in 2005 season. If given the chance, I believe that, if given the chance, Daniel could play at the highest level.

What in your opinion does he need to work on or improve?
Daniel is tremendous player all around. I have to think deep to really find a major weakness in him, but if I have to really say one thing, then maybe he doesn't need to try to carry the team on his shoulder. I believe that if he gets an opportunity to play at a higher level, he would need to trust his teammates.

Anything you want to add?
I had a great pleasure coaching Daniel for the past three years. However, my greatest joy is to have known him as a person. I have a lot of respect for this young man and I know that whatever he chooses to do in the future, I have no doubt that he will be very successful. Daniel is a goal-oriented individual who has the determination, willingness and focus to be successful. He is a wonderful teammate on and off the field. His commitment to his team and to the game is what I admire about him.

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All photos courtsey of Park University