The buzz in the FirstPoint USA office at the moment is surrounding our upcoming Showcase event at the London Soccerdome (near 02 Arena) in London.
This is a very exciting event for everyone connected with FirstpointUSA as this is the first time we will be inviting all our soccer clients from all over the world to play at one of the best indoor sporting arenas in Europe.
This is a huge opportunity for all our talented players to showcase their talents in front of college coaches from schools all over the United States.
Men’s Soccer is being held on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th December, and Women’s Soccer is to be on Friday 16th December 2011.
Click on the following link to download our : Coach Info Pack 2011
This is an example of a day in the life of a student-athlete attending one of America’s leading academic and sporting institutions, Oakland University.
“My name is Chris Edwards and I am a senior who plays soccer for Oakland University, or should I rephrase that to say I used to play soccer for Oakland University. The fall was my last season and it definitely upsets me to think my days of being a student-athlete are over. However, as my college career has come to an end my new career as a professional player begins.
I’d like to spend a few minutes describing a typical day in the shoes of a student-athlete:
05:45
The alarm rings. It buzzes and buzzes and does not stop. Although I am just now hearing it, I know it has been going off for at least a whole minute. I open my eyes, sit up, and turn it off. Barely awake, I perform my daily morning rituals, change into running clothes and get in the car. The clock reads 5:45am as I drive in the dark and freezing cold to training. I make my way to the Stadium, where my destiny awaits. My team-mates meet me inside. My coaches arrive just a minute before the worst begins. I still havn’t spoken. I just run, run, and run until it all ends.
07:08
I’m back in the car: and the clock reads 7:08am. I drive home, shower, eat, and change into the typical student-athlete uniform: sweatpants and our black Adidas fleece. I walk to campus for an 8am class. I sit at the front, focus and learn. I realize the importance of my education and I know why I am here. I try to speak with each professor before or after class to build a bond with them. I want their support and their understanding. The classes go well and they end at 12:30.
13:46
I walk home, eat lunch and start some studying for an exam tomorrow. After studying, it is time for practice. I get in the car again at 13:46 and drive back to the soccer stadium. I give my best effort as I want to win, and we want to be Grizzly Pride. After training I spend some time in the Sports Medicine Centre getting a massage, and then the team meet up with the Sports Psychologist to run through this week’s games.
16:43
Practice is over and I drive to Memorial Stadium, walk to the weight room and get to work. I’m ready for dinner, so I lift efficiently. my coach and I discuss my calorie intake for the rest of the week.
I need to gain more power and strength, so a nutritional package is put together for me. Once lifting is over, my team-mates and I walk across the football field. It is dinner time. We eat, have a laugh, and spend time with the other athletes.
18:29
I get back to the house, shower, change and start studying. My mum calls from home and fills me in on what has been happening with friends and family. I have been away for so long now that I no longer miss home, but it’s great to catch up. I know that I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime here at Oakland.
22:17
I get ready for bed. I set the alarm and try and get some sleep. After my exam tomorrow the team will meet at the Athletic Department before heading to the airport. We have a couple of games in California and will be away for a week, so I need to make sure I have all of my course work with me. Being a full-time athlete is tough enough, and being a full-time student at the same time is extra-challenging.
I wouldn’t change it for the world!“
Whilst perusing YouTube for some Rocky style inspiration for his running, our media champ Allen McDougall came across this motivational speech delivered by Georgia Tech football chaplain Derrick Moore before the Notre Dame game in South Bend on September 1, 2007.
Ahead of today’s client games in Glasgow, we thought we would share this video as a motivational tool for our players….Enjoy!
After watching this, Allen managed to run 6 miles!! …to the kebab shop.
“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Allen McDougall
We are looking forward to our client games for Men’s Soccer to be held at Toryglen football centre in Glasgow tomorrow.
We will be holding registration at 14:30, and as usual, we are expecting a high standard of player. Our clients have been selected, invited and confirmed and team sheets have been created so please do not just show up on the day without having booked a spot!
We ask that our clients bring their own football boots, suitable for 3G Astroturf, and also please bring your own water/refreshments. Kit will be provided for you.
Our coaches, Simone, John and Kevin will be in attendance to assess, manage and offer feedback to our players. Our camera man, Craig will also be filming the match to then edit each players individual footage for their online profiles.
Please get involved with the discussion on Twitter and find out if our coaches are mentioning YOU! @FirstPointUSA1 #GlasgowClient
Well done to former FirstPoint USA client and Yellow Jackets Sophomore forward Ike Ekwueme (Manchester, England). He scored two second half goals to lead the American International College men’s soccer team to a 3-0 Northeats-10 victory at the University of New Haven Tuesday afternoon.
The Yellow Jackets improved to 3-4-1 overall and 2-3-0 in the NE-10, while the loss dropped the Chargers’ record to 0-6-2 overall and 0-5-0 in conference play.
Senior forward Thomas Denomme (North Smithfield, R.I.) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 34th-minute with the assist credited to senior back Barnaba Madol (Manchester, N.H.). It was his team-leading fourth goal of the season and his third in two games.
Denomme setup Ekwueme’s first goal of the game in the 79th-minute and Ekwueme capped buried his second shot of the game 10 minutes later off a feed from sophomore midfielder Miguel Rodriguez-Lapman (Cheshire, Conn.).
Sophomore keeper Jason Ryan (Peabody, Mass.) stopped four shots to earn his third shutout of the season, while senior keeper J.J. Corneau (Wallingford, Conn.) recorded two saves in taking the loss for New Haven.
AIC outshot the Chargers 11-10 in the match and claimed a 3-1 margin in corner kicks.
You can view the article by clicking here
Well done Ike, we wish you all the best for the rest of your time in the USA!
Congratulations to former FirstPoint USA client, Patrick O’Neil who has been named the Sun Conference Defensive Player of the week for the week ending September 19th 2011.
The Northwood University (Florida Campus Seahawks) sophomore goalkeeper had a strong performance against Truett McConnell college (Bears) where he tallied 7 saves while only allowing 1 goal as the Seahawks were forced to play down a man for the entire second half due to a red card on Mayowa Tola-Isaac. The nationally ranked No. 17 Seahawks defeated the Bears by a score of 5-1.
“I am very happy for Pat,” said head coach Ty Brewer. ”Even though he did not have many saves to make, the ones he did were crucial. Also us having to play the entire second half down a man, put more pressure on him to keep us organized. The success of our team depends on players being ready when they are called upon, and Pat did just that!”
The Seahawks overall record improved to 4-0-1 on the year. The Seahawks will return to action on Sept. 25 when they travel to Savannah, Georgia to face the Bees of Savannah College of Art and Design at 3:30 p.m.
You can check out the full article by clicking here.
Well done to Patrick, we wish you continued success in Florida!
Thank you for your patience while our website was undergoing some construction over the last few weeks!
Our new blog has now been added to the site itself, so if you havn’t done so already – please check it out and let us know what you think!
There are a few exciting things coming up for FirstPoint USA over the next few months, so be sure to subscribe or keep following our Twitter/Blog and Facebook for updates!
At FirstPoint USA, we are proud to have expanded our locations for our Client Games to include Sheffied.
Our clients from the North of England have been invited to attend Shirecliffe, the training ground for Sheffield United for 12pm registration. Our coaches will be on hand as usual to assess our clients and offer feedback, advice and support. Allen from our Media team will also be on hand to film the game so we can edit each individual players footage to build up their profiles.
Keep up to date with all the action from the games by following us on Twitter @FirstPointUSA1 and hashtag #ClientSheffield for all the banter!
We’re looking forward to seeing you there!
Former FirstPoint USA women’s soccer client, Nicole Calder has just recently earned her first career Atlantic Sun Women’s Soccer Player of the Week honor.
Nicole is from Australia and is currently a freshman at Kennesaw State University.
You can read the full article about her achievement by clicking here
You can also check out her FirstPoint USA footage!
Well done Nicole!
