Jack Falle, the GSU Men’s Soccer team goalkeeper, has been playing soccer almost since the moment he was able to walk, and it’s all due to his older sister.

“She started playing, which got me into it. She played forward, which is how I became a keeper.”

Falle was three years old when he began playing the game. His father was the vice president/co-owner of the club Falle played at, so he was always around soccer.

“Once I started walking, they put a ball in front of me, and I just started kicking it.”

It is evident that Falle’s early introduction to soccer has paid off for him. After graduating from Parkview High School in 2011, he committed to play at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he was redshirted. He transferred after his first year.

“I knew Chase Park, and a couple of guys here who all knew I had gotten my release. I came down for a visit and loved it, and I’ve been here ever since.”

College soccer players must secure a release to talk to and transfer to another school.

Falle’s biggest inspiration and role model has always been his sister, who is four years older.

“She threw me in goal when I was young and basically just pelted the ball at me. I was target practice. It’s a true story. Still, to this day, she will shoot on me. She played college soccer, too. It just kinda caught on, and she has supported me ever since.”

Falle’s sister tries to make every game that she can. His parents attend every one of his games as do many of his friends, giving him a great support system, he said.

Overall, Falle loves the competitiveness and fast-paced movement of the game he has been playing since childhood.

“It’s always constant. There’s always someone battling for the ball. Even though I’m sitting in the back, I always have to be turned on mentally. You’re always moving, always thinking. It’s never boring.”

Falle admits that balancing the roles of both student and athlete is challenging at times, particularly his first year.

“Freshman year, it was, cause you wanna do both. You’re trying to figure out your academics. It’s gotten a lot easier since. You learn time management very well. Instead of hanging out with friends, you do your homework first.”

Being the Eagles goalkeeper certainly hasn’t kept Falle from succeeding off the field; he’s double majoring in Management and Logistics with a minor in Information Systems.

“My mom’s a huge academics person, and my dad’s a businessman, so I kinda get pounded from both sides. If you can do one, you can do two.”

Falle’s sister also pointed out that he was only four classes away from a minor, which prompted him to add that to his transcripts.

Though he saw no action on the Eagles’ field last year, Falle has quickly proved himself a valuable asset to the team this season. In the opening week of the season, he was named Sunbelt Defensive Player of the Week and continues to prove his worth between the goalposts.

The Eagles take on Howard on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. in their next home game before heading to Boone, N.C. to take on Appalachian State on Oct. 25.