“I often try and visualize that metallic taste in my mouth, that is the visualization I have, kissing the trophy.”
Jason Hoffman bites his tongue.
He bites just hard enough that he can taste the blood.
Sounds a little strange, right?
But it’s proof of just how driven the 32-year-old still is.
Visualisation is a tool that is often used in sport to maintain focus on your goals, but for Hoffman, it is everything.
Hoffman draws on his rookie season as his inspiration.
It was that year the Jets won the grand final.
“My first year as a professional, I won the league and I didn’t really take it for granted because I knew it was a huge achievement, but in a way, I was a bit young and bright eyed,” Hoffman reflected.
And 13 years on, he can still taste the championship.
“I often try and visualize that metallic taste in my mouth, that is the visualization I have, kissing the trophy,” Hoffman said.
“Sometimes I’ll even bite my tongue just a little bit harder just to have that metallic taste in my mouth from the blood.”
Edging out rivals Central Coast in a 1-0 victory is what dreams are made of, especially when you’re a local.
Coming through the ranks as a supporter to a now long serving senior player, Hoffman’s love for this club is something that would be hard to match.
“I think I have a different view of our clubs to some of the players, even within change room, just because I started out supporting the Newcastle breakers and then Newcastle United into the Newcastle jets,” he said.
“So, for me being an avid supporter, I always had a close connection to what the clubs stood for and how the football style could reflect the hardworking nature of the town.”
Hoffman is a Jets veteran and epitomises this great town both on and off the field.
He’s hard working, selfless and resilient.
“The culture of being a working-class town reflects our football environment here.” he stated,” he said.
“We are a very humble group and a humble city.”
With football in his blood, his passion, determination and pride for the jersey is something to be admired.
“I’ve always loved having a ball in the backyard and the moment I could join under 5’s at Mayfield United, I just started, and I never looked back,” he said.
Hoffman dedicates a lot of his success as a player to those around him and aside from the pursuit of A-League glory, it is his loved ones driving him.
“Family is the most influential network I have in my life,” Hoffman said
“It turns from a support network into a driving force.
“Having two kids, they’re the reason I still am hungry to do well and succeed, to make them proud.”
In his time off, Hoffman continues to expand his knowledge of the game, studying business sport management, so when the time comes to hang up the boots, he can give back to the game that has given him so much.
“I have a real interest and hunger to learn more about the marketing field and how sports interact with the business world,” Hoffman said.
While he is planning for life after football, hanging up the boots is not at the forefront of his mind.
His focus is on helping develop the next generation of local products.
“It’s a really exciting challenge, knowing that the future looks bright and as a senior player, you want to be a part of that as you want to extend your football career as long as you can,” Hoffman stated.
In helping the next generation realise their dreams, the right winger can power towards his goal of once again kissing that trophy and tasting the metal.
“My number one driving goal is to see the stadium full again in the grand final,” he declared.
“That is the burning force, that as long as I can still run, I will try and do well for this club.”
