Tim Schmoll signed with New York Red Bulls II on Jan. 26, 2016, after playing college soccer at Harvard, including a stint with the Red Bulls U-23s. A native of Coppet, Switzerland, the 6-foot-6 defender moved to America after a successful youth career back home.
“It’s really the main sport that kids play [in Switzerland],” Schmoll said. “Where I grew up, I was playing out with some friends in the streets and in my backyard, since I can’t even remember.”
He represented Servette FC, one of the biggest club in Switzerland, and played with the team up to the Under-18 level. In 2010, he was named team captain.
When he turned 17-years-old, it was time to make a decision about his soccer career.
Schmoll hadn’t thought much about going to college, but when he met someone that also played for Geneva and had experience in college soccer, he was convinced.
“I was very fortunate in that a friend of a friend had actually followed the same exact path that I ended up taking from Geneva and from the same exact club I played at to Harvard,” Schmoll explained. “He actually told me everything about college soccer in terms of what the level is like, in terms of how serious it is, what the sort of exit opportunities are from college soccer for players, and how that’s a big part of the youth development system here in America.
“I was very intrigued by the idea of being able to continue with my education and not have to leave soccer… it was kind of a no brainer at that point.”
Schmoll chose to go to Harvard where he played for four years. Despite the difficulties of juggling soccer and an Ivy League education, the Swiss defender persevered and worked hard to find the right balance.
“I ended up finding a pretty good rhythm, but it can be definitely challenging at times,” Schmoll admitted. “It’s not the ideal environment for someone who’s solely focused on going somewhere in the sporting world because you have to absolutely make some sacrifices on the lifestyle front in terms of just the sheer number of hours that you spend in class or studying, but overall it was a great experience.
“I learned a lot about how to manage my sporting life off the field as well as keeping very busy while I was off the field with other endeavors so overall a fantastic experience.”
He mastered both, earning recognition both on and off the field. Schmoll was named to the 2014 All-Ivy League First Team and was later recognized as an Ivy League honor roll student-athlete. However, his strong junior season earned him a spot with the Red Bulls U-23s in the summer of 2015.
“That time with the U-23s left the most positive impression possible on me in terms of how the club operates and my motivation to continue to be a part of the club,” Schmoll said. “It was great getting out here and training every day with a very serious staff and very serious players so I couldn’t have asked for a better summer experience.”
With the U-23s, Schmoll played as a center back and helped New York to a 9-2-3 record. He helped the Red Bulls reach the PDL Championship game and was named to the PDL All-Eastern Conference team.
Since joining Red Bulls II, he had the opportunity to train with the first team for three weeks in Orlando, Fla., and at the Red Bulls Training Facility. Since then he has transitioned into NYRB II training and is ready to take on the challenge ahead.
“Every day I’m really happy to be here and just taking it day by day and just trying to be a part of the guys that can bring this team together for the season going forward and its coming together right now and it’s an exciting time to be a part of Red Bulls II,” Schmoll said. “We have one more game before the season starts and things are really starting to take shape, and I’m incredibly happy to be here.”
Catch Tim Schmoll and New York Red Bulls II in the USL home opener at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., on Saturday, March 26, against Toronto FC II at 3 p.m. ET. For ticket information, visit NewYorkRedBulls.com/2/tickets. All matches are streamed live at NewYorkRedBulls.com/Live.
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