Do you think you have what it takes to secure a scholarship to study & play in the USA? Apply now for your assessment!

1. Can you tell us a little bit about your sporting background?
I have played football all my life and have represented various teams throughout my childhood and also had a keen interest in swimming, athletics and rugby. Once I turned 16 and started sixth form at my school i signed for Burnham FC youth team in my first year of under 18′s football and then in my second year signed with Maidenhead United youth team where we had a very succesful youth team who did very well, in this season I was chosen to represent Berkshire & Buckinghamshire under 18′s and we won the south and west counties championship, I also captained my school’s first XI in this season. I then Left school and started university, whilst there I  began playing men’s football for Uxbridge FC and Chalfont St. Peter FC, I was part of two succesful teams at these clubs winning a league with Uxbridge whilst playing for the reserves. In my second year at university started playing for the University Team and in my last year was chosen to captain a team, whilst at University I was also chosen to represent Middlesex FA men’s representative side and have played against the army and London Amateur FA among other teams.

Do you think you have what it takes to secure a golf scholarship to study in the USA? Apply now for your assessment!

We’re pleased to update that Mitchell raised a whopping £2000 for the charity, running the 26 miles in under 4 and a half hours!

Well done Mitchell, from everyone at FirstPoint USA!

1. What originally made you choose FirstPoint USA, and are you still glad that you did?
I originally chose first point USA as I was recommended it by a friend and thought I would give it a shot. Turns out it was a great choice and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

2. What has been the highlight of your first year at UWA?

1. Philadelphia

Heartaches over the years may have only deepened the fans’ commitment. To mingle (or commiserate) with locals—who, alas, don’t rank well in the survey for being athletic themselves—check out a Chickie’s and Pete’s sports bar, and try the famous “crab fries.” Or, make like Rocky, and run up and down the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

2. Boston

With seven championships in 11 years—from the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox—Boston fans have plenty to be proud of. Not that they would gloat—of course not—but Boston locals are also pretty brainy and tech-savvy, according to voters. Sports tourists can explore Fenway (which celebrates its centennial in 2012), or follow in the footsteps of Boston champions by doing a Duck Tour, which every big team has done after bringing home a title since 2000.

3. Chicago

Wrigley attracts plenty of stadium purists—you can take insider tours around the field, dugout, and press box—and it may have helped the city score at the top for its cool local architecture. Another way to experience the sports scene is to chow down: at Michael Jordan’s Steak House, Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse, or on the more casual end, Pequod’s Pizza. The latter is covered with Blackhawks memorabilia and is an excellent place to sample the city’s top-ranked pizza.

4. New Orleans

“Who dat?” indeed: the city that won the survey for civic pride, wild weekends, and live music knows how to shower affection upon its beloved Saints. If you’re in town on a game day, head to Champions Square, just outside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, for music, local cuisine, and the chance to embrace another great spectator sport: people-watching, another survey category that New Orleans has won yet again.

5. Devner

Fans in the Mile High City may harbor fantasies of being called in from the stands to help Tim Tebow win the game. It wouldn’t be a bad idea: the locals rank as the most athletic in the nation, according to voters.

6.Kansas City

The survey’s champion for affordability has a serious case of basketball fever: every March, Kansas City hosts more college basketball games than anywhere else in the country. It’s also a great destination for fans of sports museums—notably, the interactive College Basketball Experience and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Just don’t miss a chance for tailgating-style cuisine: this year, Kansas City also won the barbecue category.

7. San Juan

This is the only city in the survey where the word football usually means soccer, but San Juan sports fans also have passion for boxing and baseball. It has hosted the Caribbean World Series nine times. Voters also gave the city high marks for its hotel options—the Ritz-Carlton’s casino is a popular place to watch games—but you can get year-round baseball magic, as well as margaritas, at Old San Juan’s Lupi’s, owned by former Yankee Eduardo Figueroa.

8. Baltimore

Camden Yards—two blocks from Babe Ruth’s birthplace, and the first of the new traditionalist stadiums—celebrates its 20th anniversary next year, and it’s a must-stop for baseball stadium lovers. For football-related thrills, look for Ravens refueling along Water Street at spots such as the Havana Club and the local Ruth’s Chris.

9. Dallas/Fort Worth

While still heartsick over the Rangers’ World Series loss, Dallas fans do have the NBA champion Mavericks—and a love-hate relationship with the over-the-top Dallas Cowboys Stadium. But you don’t need stadium tickets to hang with fans: at downtown’s Victory Park, you can watch the local teams’ away games on moving TV screens. It may be the best entertainment in town, according to voters, who ranked Big D near the bottom for theater.

10. Providence, RI

Rhode Island sports enthusiasts are often happy to hop a train to support Boston teams. But if you’re staying local, the Dunkin’ Donuts Center—home of the beloved Providence College Friars basketball—is well situated near some of the city’s highly ranked micropubs, such as Trinity Brewhouse and Union Station. Locals also love the AAA baseball Pawtucket Red Sox, whose stadium was home to the longest game in professional baseball history (33 innings).

Click here to read ‘The top 20 Sports-Crazed Cities’

Do you think you have what it takes to secure a scholarship to study & play in the USA? Apply now for your assessment!

 

Do you think you have what it takes to secure a scholarship to study & play in the USA? Apply now for your assessment!

The majority of FirstPoint USA staff have been on soccer scholarships to America, but what if they had a chance to do it all again? We decided to set up some questions for our staff, to ask them if they could go out to The States again to play a different sport, what sport would they choose? They also chose their ideal state and ideal university. For a lot of the answers it showed that some of the guys fancied playing golf in sunny California, or being big, tough, American footballers (all clearly dreams!) Have a look at what the staff did, where they originally studied, and what they would do now if they could do it all over again, playing a different sport…

Andrew Kean

Our CEO played and studied for Cincinnati in Ohio would love to go back as his bigger build and play American Football in California but study at Stanford University.

Nicole Montoya

Our California Girl went to Binghamton University in New York, but would like to have played Volleyball if she hadn’t chosen soccer. Her ideal state to work/live/study in would be Hawaii and she would have loved to go to Columbia University. Smart in the sun!

Simone Enrici

Simone went to Martin Methodist College in Tennessee but would have liked to live in sunny California playing basketball (this is definitely a dream for the wee guy!) University of Las Vegas caught Simone’s eye, and he would have liked to have studied there also.