“The first thing I noticed about student-athlete life in the USA is how similar it was to my time at CSN. My daily schedule at CSN consisted of training on the pitch daily coupled with classroom work. The same can be said of university life in the USA. Earning a full scholarship to the states is not an easy achievement.
I believe my dedication to training and academics at CSN is one of the main reasons I eventually earned a place as a student-athlete at a division one collegiate facility as both work on the pitch and in the classroom are taken into account.
Every day I trained at least twice a day sometime three times if I went to the gym also. I challenged myself to bring the same high intensity to every session which I believed would pay off for me. I enjoyed the challenge and thrived on reaching goals set out for myself in terms of fitness and performance. I owe a lot to the coaching staff at CSN who helped me reach those goals and challenged my ambition every day.
On top of all that a high SAT score is also essential. Before I took my SATs, I studied the material and earned a high score which ensured me of my place in the University. Thankfully, I had the chance to see and experience at first-hand what it is like to be a student-athlete in the US through trips to the states with CSN as we competed against university teams and received tours of the facility. These trips were well organized in advance with a thoroughly professional approach to every detail by the staff which allowed us, the players, to get the most out of the trip. Aside from being a fantastic experience to compete against teams from another country, the social aspect of the trip made it even more memorable having met and played alongside (and against) players whom I am still in contact with to this day.
I played and studied at George Mason University for five years on a full scholarship earning a degree in teaching health and physical education. I have since returned to Ireland where I play in the Airtricity League and Teach at Galway Technical Institute.”