Does anyone recognise these young faces from FirstPoint USA?
Craig Clark (left) and Allen McDougall (right) from our Media team show off their Tennis awards in this pic from 1992!
Proof that even our media department have sporting backgrounds!
This Friday (30th March) we are hosting the first ever FirstPoint USA live twitter chat.
@FirstPointUSA1
If you are considering a sports scholarship to the USA, if you are a parent of a student-athlete in search of advice, if you are a former client in the USA, or a U.S coach looking to recruit from overseas – this is your opportunity to ask our Chief Executive any sports scholarship related questions.
Andrew Kean is our founder and Chief Executive, and he will be on Twitter for one hour from 4pm on Friday to answer your questions live.
Andrew Kean has a wealth of knowledge about all things sports scholarship related, having started FirstPoint USA in 2001, after studying and playing soccer at the University of Cincinnati. Andrew was inducted into the Hall of Fame there, and was the first ever soccer All-American!
Choosing to study and play in the USA, is a once in a lifetime opportunity and can open many doors for you both academically and athletically…..but it is also a big decision, with a lot to consider!
Get your questions ready…..
Log on to Twitter at 4pm this Friday…..
Use the hashtag #FPUSAlive…..
Andrew will respond (to all reasonable and appropriate!) questions you may have!
Simple!
We would like to announce our nominations for Man of The Match from yesterdays excellent Soccer client game at Toryglen in Glasgow.
Congratulations to :
Ross Mackie (Red)
and
Sam Walker (White)
Well done boys!
To find out more about a soccer scholarship with FirstPoint USA, check out our website.
Every month, we select an American institution which we feel is deserving of our FirstPoint USA “University of the Month”
This month we have decided on The University Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) as one of our Sports Consultants, John Crawley earned his degree and played soccer there.
Check out this interview as John shares his experiences from his time there :
Also, check out his soccer highlights from his time at UNLV (First goal is pretty special!)
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is a public, co-ed University located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada. The 337 acre campus is located approximately 1.5 miles (2.5 km) east of the famous Las Vegas Strip!
UNLV offers over 220 programs of study in varying fields leading to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, which are taught by approximately 850 faculty members.
UNLV’s colleges include:
UNLV’s schools include:
UNLV Athletics
UNLV supports varsity teams in 17 different sports. The men’s basketball team is referred to as the Runnin’ Rebels and the men’s baseball team is referred to as the Hustlin’ Rebels. The Rebels are a founding member of the Mountain West Conference, in the NCAA’s Division I. The only exception is the UNLV men’s soccer team, which competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
The school’s official colors of scarlet and gray can be traced to the late-1950s when UNLV adopted as mascot a wolf wearing a Confederate uniform. Scarlet and Gray were traditional colors of the Confederacy with its gray uniforms and red-based flag. UNLV’s mascot is Hey Reb, the toned down version of the original mascot named Beauregard, which was a wolf character dressed in Confederate hat and uniform. UNLV’s Hey Reb mascot made his debut in 1983. He received his first makeover in 1997 and second in 2009. Named one of 12 All-American Mascots, he competed for the title of 2004 Capital One Mascot of the Year and made a strong showing by coming in second in online voting. No stranger to national television, Hey Reb has also appeared in two memorable ESPN SportsCenter commercials.
UNLV has many traditions in its athletic programs. Each year the men’s football team plays the Nevada Wolf Pack in a football game called the Battle for Nevada. The trophy for that game is the Fremont Cannon. Built by the Kennecott Copper Corp., Nevada Mines Division, the cannon is valued at more than $10,000 and is considered one of the best, and loudest, symbols of rivalry in college football.
UNLV is most known for its men’s basketball program. Made famous by Coach Jerry Tarkanian in the 1970s–1990s, the Runnin’ Rebels are the third most winning team in Division I basketball history by percentage, only behind Kentucky and North Carolina.(.713, 1037-418 through 2008) UNLV is well known for their 1990 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship by defeating Duke University 103-73, which was and still is the largest margin of victory in a championship game. In that same game, UNLV became the first team to ever break 100 points in a championship game.
UNLV is also well known for its golf program. Led by coach Dwaine Knight, the UNLV Golf program has turned out PGA Tour pros such as Adam Scott, Chris Riley, Chad Campbell, Ryan Moore, Skip Kendall, Charlie Hoffman, Bill Lunde, and Andres Gonzales. They won the NCAA National golf team championship in 1998. In February 2011, the Rebel men’s swimming and diving team won their seventh straight Mountain West Conference titles. Three Rebel swimmers competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics; Joe Bartoch and Richard Hortness represented Canada and Jonas Anderson represented Sweden.
Are you ready for the next step?
Apply Online today with FirstPoint USA for a soccer scholarship to the USA!
Check out this great article on the Rocky Mountain College website about former FirstPoint USA client, Oliver Gore :
Battlin’ Bear Oliver Gore : Advantage RMC
Oliver Gore tears up the fields at Rocky Moutain College.
The soccer fields, that is. This Stafford, England native had an impressive freshman year. He averaged 1.07 goals per game and received the NSCAA National Soccer Award – All-Region and All-Conference – during his first season with the RMC Battlin’ Bears.
For as long as he can remember, Oliver’s played soccer.
“I love everything about it: the socializing, meeting new people and the competitiveness,” he says. “I am a very competitive person.”
When seeking a college, Oliver knew soccer would be a top priority. He engaged an international recruiting service (-FirstPoint USA) to help him find an institution that fit his academic needs and his soccer wishes.
“I got a nice offer from RMC, and my parents encouraged me to come and see the world as well as starting someplace new.”
Coming to a new country and a new school sight unseen was risky, and life in Montana was much different than Oliver expected.
“Back home we play soccer from August to May,” he says. “The season here runs from August until the end of November, so that was an adjustment.”
Having several other international students on the team, however, has helped Oliver’s transition. Of 19 players, 10 are from other countries: five from England, one from Scotland, three from Sweden and one from Ireland. Not to mention, RMC soccer coach Richard Duffy, who is from Glasgow, Scotland.
Oliver’s first year wasn’t all studying and playing soccer though. He explored the Crazy Mountains, camped, rock-climbed and sledded in Yellowstone National Park.
He also volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club with the Futebol de Salao program started by RMC Professor Paul Roper, which encourages physical and emotional development for local kids.
Oliver also volunteers his time coaching with the Billings’ Magic City Soccer Club. During his time coaching with Magic City last year, he met Dr. Steven Klepps, who offered to host Oliver this year.
“They are a really nice family,” Oliver says. “I’m looking forward to being back in a family environment. I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”
Coming to RMC was a leap of faith for Oliver, but with two years left, the positive experiences will continue.
“Everyone knows each other and everyone is so friendly. The professors are very helpful. You get to know them well, which is a really good thing. It means you have a better chance of doing well at this school. There are so many opportunities and things you can do.”
Well done Oliver, we wish you continued success in the USA!
Today we have enjoyed a little visit to our Glasgow office, from 2 week old Jay Crawley.
Our sports consultant John, and his partner Cheryl were delighted to show off their little bundle of joy to us all today, and it was great to meet him!
Wonder if he’ll be a soccer player like his Daddy?
Do you have some serious showboating skills in your sport you want to showcase?
If so, then we want to see them!
If you are a FirstPoint USA client current or former, no matter what sport – get out the video camera on your phone and get shooting!
Email your entries to kirstine.hughes@firstpointusa.com and the best from every sport will be edited into a flashy video! Simple!
Do you like to show off your skills? FirstPointUSA.com has on average 80,000 views per month! ……. Who knows who could see you in action?!
The more creative, the better!
Get shooting!
Please Note : Entries must be received by Tuesday 1st May to be included in the final videos. Please keep video entries at a maximum of 30 seconds in length.
Community college tuition and fees average $6,500 per year, which is significantly lower than at 4-year colleges and universities. Students can lower the overall cost of a bachelor’s degree by taking the first 2 years of course credits at a community college.
Most community colleges have agreements with 4-year colleges and universities (called articulation or “2 + 2” transfer agreements) which allow students to transfer their community college credits toward a university degree. Thus, students first go to a community college for 2 years of study, obtain an associate degree, and then complete 2 years at a university to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Good to Know: Many state universities give preference to qualified students who transfer from a community college in that state.
Because community colleges provide their own assessment and offer Intensive English Programs (IEPs) to students who require additional English proficiency, TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores are not always critical to the admissions process. Further, some community colleges will accept an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score in place of the TOEFL score.
Community college students enjoy a great deal of personal attention from their professors. Additionally, community colleges seek out faculty with work experience in their subject area, adding a real-world perspective to students’ studies.
The average community college class size is between 15 and 20 students which allows professors to devote more time to individual students and for students to interact with each other. Small classes are highly beneficial for international students who may need to adjust to the pace of U.S. academic life and practice their English-language skills.
International students with F-1 visa status are eligible to do one year of Optional Practical Training (OPT) in their field of study immediately following completion of an associate degree, and a second year of OPT immediately following completion of a bachelor’s degree.
Because of their strong ties with business and industry, most community colleges are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, classrooms, and facilities. Community colleges lead the nation in educating students in cutting-edge fields such as biomedical engineering, biotechnology, robotics, laser optics, Internet and computer technologies, and geographic information systems.
Community colleges offer programs in all major fields of study which can transfer to 4-year colleges and universities. Majors range from art to political science to zoology. Programs especially popular among international students currently include business, engineering, computer science, computer graphics, Internet technology, multimedia, hotel management, restaurant management, psychology, accounting, early childhood education, and environmental conservation.
Because community colleges have strong ties to their surrounding communities, they offer
international students both a rich academic environment and a unique opportunity to experience many aspects of life in the United States—both on and off campus.
Community colleges are committed to attracting a diverse student population and ensuring that all students succeed. The colleges offer a variety of support services and cross-cultural programs, including tutoring, advising, career planning, study skills and counselling — many of which are designed specifically for international students.
Congratulations to Andrew McLeavy who has secured a Soccer Scholarship to Marymount College in California.
Well done Andrew, we wish you every success in the USA!
Are you ready for the next step?
Apply online today for a Soccer Scholarship with FirstPoint USA!
