(uptempo snapping music) - My favorite thing about soccer is when I don't even have time to think.

I just... (loud whooshing) React.

(uptempo instrumental music) Honestly, the game on the field, that's the easy part for me.

My biggest struggle has always been the game inside my own head.

(uptempo instrumental music fades) (VCR clattering) - [Dad] The view from the goal.

- [Mom] He's getting mad.

(family cheering) Jacky!

(Jack chuckles) (Mom laughs) (plucky string music) - [Jack] When I was a little kid, all I wanted to do was play soccer.

- [Dad] Get on it, Jack!

- [Jack] When I had a ball at my feet, I was just super happy.

- [Dad] Come on, Jack.

- [Jack] As I got older, I was just becoming a really, really good .. (lighthearted music) - [Speaker] All you, Jack!

(people cheering) (lighthearted music) - And just really, really loved playing.

It was All-State, All-Region, All-American.

(lighthearted music continues) So when a school like Georgetown offered me a scholarship deal to be on their team... (dramatic music swells) It felt like a dream come true.

(whistle blows) (people yelling) So when I first got to Georgetown, it was a top 10 Division I program, and I had really high expectations for myself.

But I was competing against better players, and I didn't play nearly as well as I thought I would.

(soft tense music) (people chattering) All of a sudden, a lot of anxious thoughts started to come into my mind about, "What if I miss this pass?

What if I miss this shot?"

Thoughts I couldn't shut off.

Then, I'll never forget there was this one day... (tense piano music) (heartbeat thumping) My heart started beating faster.

My palms started sweating.

I started shaking.

I couldn't get control over my body.

(tense music) (water sloshes) I just remember this overwhelming f.. It felt like I was getting chased by a shark, and no matter how hard I tried to get away, it just kept getting closer.

It was just pure panic.

(tense music swells) (water splashes) Then, it just stopped.

I was just like, "Wow."

I don't know what just happened, but it was the scariest thing I'd ever felt, and I was terrified to tell anyone about it.

(soft dramatic piano music) I felt like there was something wrong with me.

I felt like this wasn't me.

I'm the person that loves soccer, that is so happy and energetic like I was as a kid.

(soft dramatic piano music) But I was just so stressed out, so anxious, I was just like, "I can't do this anymore."

- Towards the end of Jack's freshman year, he asked for a meeting to come in the office, came in and sat down and said, "You know, Coach, this is really hard for me, but I don't think I can come back next year.

I think I need a break from soccer."

His mind's made up.

It wasn't a "I'm out because I'm not playing."

He's just like, "I'm out."

It was one of those things you're like, "Whoa, what?"

(Brian chuckles) You still ran that game.

You're mak.. As a coach, you're looking at this kid, and this is one of your best players.

He's a great kid.

No issues.

Why is he out?

(airplane softly whirs) I could tell in his voice he's got something that he's struggling with, you know, but he couldn't talk about it.

And you know, the only response for us was like, "Well, door's open to come back.

You know, take the time you need."

(bell tolls) - I left the team, took off my sophomore season, but eventually I felt like I couldn't just give up on soccer.

So in the spring, I told my coach that I wanted to come back and give it another go.

(ball thuds) (tense piano note) So, coming into junior year, I thought I would finally be ready.

But when I got back on the team, within hours it started happening again.

(tense string music) I felt the panic creeping up, and the worst fear was to let my teammates see me in such an anxious state.

So I got a room at a hotel by myself, and I was just in panic mode 24/7 for three days.

(soft dramatic piano music) No one knew what I was going through, but there came a point where I couldn't keep it in anymore.

(whistle blows) - [Speaker] Come on!

- The day before we were leaving for our preseason, Jack calls and says, "Coach, I can't go."

And it was one of those moments where you're like, "Whoa, what is..." Right?

It's like a deja vu thing, right?

(soft piano music) But in this call, for the first time really, is when he started talking about why.

- I told him about all these thoughts and feelings and panic attacks and everything.

It was the first time I really opened up to him, and I'll never forget what he said to me.

- The initial reaction was, "Hey, we got you.

We're here for you.

We are here for you."

And, you know, there was a lot of hurt and anxiety in his voice, and he's saying he's letting us down, he's letting his teammates down.

And I remember telling him, I said, "You have a group of teammates that love .. Don't sit and be embarrassed about it.

There's not a single guy in that locker room who's gonna judge you, who isn't gonna welcome you, and everyone you care about in this team is here for you."

- He wanted to support me.

He wanted to really understand what I was going through, not just as a player but as a person.

And over time... (text message dings) My teammates did the same thing.

And that motivated me to see a psychiatrist as well.

He recommended taking medication for the anxiety.

And when I was met with love and support, it changed everything for me.

(tense music) So right when I joined back, I was shocked at how good we were compared to other years.

- [Person] Come on, Jack!

(crowd cheering) - [Commentator] What a move by beer!

- [Jack] We had really, really good players, and I knew we kind of had something special.

- [Commentator] cooped it in, shot it at goal!

- [Commentator] They have responded emphatically.

- [Jack] Not only was I not nervous for myself, but I knew we had each other's backs.

- Who are we?

We're family!

Who are we?

We're champions!

- [Players] Hoyas!

- Let's go!

- Let's go!

- [Jack] Didn't matter who you were, you were gonna belong on the field, and you were part of our family.

- [Commentator] It is a right footed strike that finds its way in!

- [Jack] We went undefeated in the league.

Won the Big East.

- [Commentator] Rise to the occasion, Jack Beer, the junior!

- [Jack] We went on to the NCAA tournament.

(crowd cheers) - [Commentator] What a response from .. - [Jack] Won the first two games, and we got all the way to the National Championship.

- [Commentator] And it's game on here at Cary.

Georgetown seeking their first ever National Championship.

- [Jack] That game, it was just like back and forth, up and down.

- [Commentator] Georgetown has taken a 3 to 2 lead here!

- [Jack] We scored in the last couple minutes, 3-2, I thought, "That's it, we won everything."

(crowd cheers) And then they scored in like the last minute.

- [Commentator] And it's all tied up!

- And I remember thinking, "This is definitely gonna go to penalty kicks."

- [Crowd] Let's go Hoyas!

- [Announcer] Penalty kicks, Georgetown.

- [Jack] So, to take a penalty kick is one of the most stressful things that you can do in the game of soccer.

You have fans in the stands... - [Crowd] Let's go Hoyas!

- Your teammates, your coaches.

All these people are now solely focused on you.

And then you have the goalie standing right across from you.

You're only 12 yards out.

It's like, how can you not score?

(tense music) - [Announcer] Up next for the Hoya.. - [Commentator] Remember, he took an entire season off last year, and now finds himself taking a penalty in the National Championship game.

(whistle blows) - But when I was stood behind the pena.. that was actually the least nervous that I was in the entire game.

(calming music) In that moment, I took myself back to when I was younger.

(soft piano music) - [Person] Yeah!

- [Jack] Where it was just me and a soccer ball, just enjoying playing.

- [Person] Yay, it's beautiful!

(soft piano music continues) (crowd cheers) - [Jack] Stepped up to it... (ball thuds) (crowd cheers) - [Commentator] Georgetown continuing to keep the pressure on Virginia.

- [Commentator] And that's a beautifully taken penalty.

- [Commentator] What a moment for Jack Beer now.

- Thankfully, I scored.

And all seven of my teammates scored their penalty.

(crowd cheers) (whistle blows) - [Commentator] The Georgetown Hoyas hav.. their first ever National Championship!

- [Jack] It was incredible.

- [Players] Whoa!

(players cheering) (soft dramatic music) - You know, one of the more proud coaching moments I've ever had is to see that kid actually figure it out.

He was someone that almost quit, but because he was able to articulate what's happening, we're able to help.

(players cheering) (soft string music) - [Player] Yo, we did that, Coach.

- You know, six months ago, I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't breathe, and now I was just with all these people that had helped me through such a dark time.

And... (Jack sniffles) I couldn't have done it by myself.

I mean, I needed these specific human beings to help me walk when I didn't have legs at the time.

(soft piano music) I kind of realized like, "Wow, it's so important to ask for help.

It's so important to show the weak signs of you, and trust other people, because it might turn out better than you think."

(players cheering) - Let's go!

(soft string music) (soft string music continues) (soft string music continues) (soft string music continues) (soft string music continues) (soft string music fades)