Irad Young (; born 25 March 1971) is a retired

Israeli-American Israeli Americans () are Americans who are of full or partial Israeli descent. The Israeli-American community, while predominantly Jewish, also includes various ethnic and religious minorities reflective of Israel's diverse demographics. This c ...

professional

football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player. Playing for

George Mason University George Mason University (GMU) is a Public university, public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., the university is named in honor of George Mason, a Founding Father ...

he set the school's career assist record. After college he played for

Hapoel Haifa Hapoel Haifa Football Club (, ''Moadon HaKaduregel Hapoel Haifa'') is an Israeli professional football club located in the city of Haifa. The club won one championship (1998–99) and 4 Israeli cups (1962–63, 1965–66 and 1973–74, 2 ...

, the

Washington Warthogs The Washington Warthogs were a professional indoor soccer team in the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) from 1994 to 1997. They played their home games in the USAir Arena in Landover, Maryland, an arena they shared with the Washington Bull ...

, and the

Baton Rouge Bombers The Baton Rouge Bombers were an American professional indoor soccer team based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Bombers played in the Eastern Indoor Soccer League during both of the league's seasons from 1997 to 1998. They played their home games i ...

Playing career

Irad Young began his playing career as a youth in New York. He lived in Baldwin, New York, and

Syosset, New York Syosset is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place in the Oyster Bay (town), New York, Town of Oyster Bay, in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, in New York (state ...

. In 1988 he was named Nassau County Player of the Year. He was a member of the United States U-16, U-18 US National Team. Young graduated from

Syosset High School Syosset High School (SHS) is a public high school located in Syosset, New York, United States, in Nassau County, on Long Island. It serves as the public high school for residents of the Syosset Central School District. As of the 2021–22 schoo ...

where he was an

NSCAA The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization in the world, with more than ...

First Team High School All American and a ''

Parade Magazine ''Parade'' was an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 700 newspapers nationwide in the United States until 2022. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., ''Parade'' had a circulation of 32 million and a read ...

'' All-America soccer player. Syosset reached the New York State high school championship, losing in overtime, during Young's senior season. He holds the school's career record of 54 goals. After high school, Young attended

on a full scholarship where he earned All-Conference Honors in 1990 and 1992, All-Virginia, and All-South Atlantic Region, and was inducted into the GMU Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012. During his senior year, he assisted fellow Israeli Tamir Linhart, to help his 13th nationally ranked GMU team defeat No. 1 ranked University of Virginia 2–0. This assist broke the school's career assist record (20), and tied the single season record (9). Young also became the first GMU player to notch 20 goals and 20 assists. During his senior year in college, Young was signed by professional soccer club

from the

Israel Premier League The Israeli Premier League (, Ligat HaAl, ) is a professional association football league in Israel and the highest level of the Israeli football league system. The league is contested by 14 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and rele ...

, the same club his father

Roby Young Reuven "Roby" Young (; born 15 May 1942) is a former Israeli international footballer, and captain of Hapoel Haifa. Early life Born on 15 May 1942 in Haifa, Israel, Roby Young was raised (alongside his older brother) by his mother in a small o ...

captained and starred throughout the 1960s. Irad played with Hapoel during the

1993–94 Liga Leumit The 1993–94 Liga Leumit season began on 28 August 1993 and ended on 4 June 1994, with Maccabi Haifa winning their fifth title. That season saw one of the best teams in history of Israeli football, according to many pundits, when Maccabi Haifa ...

season. His best game came in Romania against

FC Petrolul Ploiești Asociația Clubul Sportiv Petrolul 52, commonly referred to as FC Petrolul Ploiești (), Petrolul Ploiești or simply Petrolul, is a Romanian professional Association football, football Club (organization), club based in Ploiești, Prahova Count ...

, where he was named Man of the Match assisting on all three goals for a shocking 3–0 win against the European powerhouse. After his time in Israel, Young joined the American team who drafted him out of college, the

of the

Continental Indoor Soccer League The Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) was a professional indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997. History In the summer of 1989 Dr Jerry Buss, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and California Sports, told his executive Vice ...

in 1994. Young spent two seasons with the Warthogs recording 11 goals and 22 assists. On July 30, 1997, Young signed with the short-lived

of the

Eastern Indoor Soccer League The Eastern Indoor Soccer League (EISL) was an American professional regional indoor soccer league. The league featured teams from the Southeastern United States. The regular seasons were played from May to August with post-season play in Septe ...

. During the team's two years of existence, Young led the league in assists both seasons, leading the Bombers to two championship finals. Young was a two-time EISL All Star, and was runner-up for League MVP in 1997. Young retired from professional soccer to focus on his graduate degree.

Coach

Young is a professional soccer scout for a number of

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

(MLS) clubs, as well as international clubs in Israel and Europe. He is also a youth and collegiate soccer coach in the Los Angeles area. Prior to Los Angeles, Irad was a youth soccer coach in the Washington DC area. He has coached the Herndon Arsenal, BRYC Nighthawks, Springfield Youth Club Jr. Royals, and Herndon Real Jr. to VA state championships. Young was named Virginia State Coach of the Year in 2001 after taking the Nighthawks to 16th in the US, the Arsenal to 12th in the US, and the

Oakton High School Oakton High School is a public high school in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in proximity to Vienna, Virginia, in the United States. It is part of Fairfax County Public Schools in Northern Virginia. As of the 2023-24 school year, it h ...

Cougars to the state finals.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Irad 1971 births Living people American men's soccer players Baton Rouge Bombers players Continental Indoor Soccer League players George Mason Patriots men's soccer players Hapoel Haifa F.C. players American expatriate men's soccer players Northern Virginia FC players Sportspeople from Hempstead, New York Sportspeople from Syosset, New York Soccer players from Nassau County, New York Reading United AC players USL League Two players Washington Warthogs players Syosset High School alumni Men's association football midfielders American people of Israeli descent 20th-century American sportsmen