Gavin Galloway, Sports Consultant : His Story!

The majority of our staff at FirstPoint USA have all been to the USA on Sports Scholarships, certainly our Sports Consultants have....all apart from one.... Gavin Galloway did not pursue a sports scholarship to the USA, but he did play in the USA professionally for Utah Blitz, a soccer team under the MLS league! We caught up with Gavin for more info about his sporting history, his advice on getting a sports scholarship, and about what he looks for when he signs a soccer player to our program. Hi Gavin, tell us about your Sporting background I signed for St Mirren Football Club straight from school, and then I played for Stranraer Football Club.  I knew Billy McNicol, who was one of the top coaches in Utah who wanted me to play for his team, Utah Blitz - so I then moved to the US to play for a great 2 seasons with them! I loved the experience of playing professionally in the USA! It was great to play to such a  great standard in such a great set up! Everything was new, and I was really made to feel looked after.  I loved playing with team mates from all cultures, and getting the opportunity to travel and see America was amazing. At the point where my visa was expiring, I had to make a decision where I wanted to stay.  At the time, I felt it was right to come back to Scotland to get an education, so I enrolled in the City of Glasgow College where I studied Sports Therapy.  I applied to all the Scottish premier league clubs when I graduated and was lucky enough to get a chance to work with Celtic Football Club. I was nervous and excited at first, as I would be working with such a high profile team, but I enjoyed my 7 years as a Sports Masseur with Celtic.  My favorite part of the job was definitely the traveling! It was great to travel around for the Champions League games and be put up in all the top hotels! What made you want to work for FirstPoint USA On a personal level, my wife and I had just had our second child, so it was difficult for us as a family for me to be away working every weekend, and to be traveling so much! I also believe that sports scholarships to the USA is the best option for talented young players as they get the chance to earn a degree whilst playing like a Pro! I wanted to help to give kids a chance to do that. What does your job involve? I will handle enquiries on a daily basis from our clients and also from those who have applied online at FirstPointUSA.com.  I will keep in touch with our clients and applicants to either book them in for one of our free trials that we hold around the UK.  I will also travel to the trials to assess their football skills, coach them, and provide feedback on their game.  Having good academics is also integral to securing a sports scholarship in the US, so I will interview those who have passed their assessments to ensure that they are a good candidate to play in the US. What is the best part of your job? I love to go to our assessments that we have in Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield, London, and Ireland! Its great to be paid to watch football, and find crackers! It's so rewarding to discover a player with great talent, and you know they will tear it up in the US! What do you look for in a soccer player at the assessments? Personally, I look for awareness, vision, passing, touch, how they take the ball and how they move around the pitch.  Fitness is important, but potential is more important to me - we can always help them to improve their fitness! My advice to those attending one of our assessments is - keep it simple! We want to see what you can do, so play as you would in your club games! What advice would you have for someone considering a sports scholarship to the USA? Go for it! If you have got decent ability and you are a solid student, you will do well in the US.  Coaches are not looking for the finished article when you start out - it is potential they look for so work hard and you'll succeed! My two little girls, Eva and Orlaith are still very young but they are already showing interest in sport - my five year old loves tennis, golf and football! If they decided they wanted to pursue a sports scholarship to the USA in the future I would support that!  To me, that's a no-brainer, a great opportunity. Gavin, tell us an interesting fact about yourself. Well, I (kind of) know sign language.  I was taught at a young age but I might be a little rusty now! Also, when I signed to St Mirren, I was the 2nd youngest player in their club history at the time! What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time? I love spending time with the family at home and I also love football, golf, and nights out with friends. We would like to thank Gavin for taking the time out of his busy schedule to speak with us! If you want to find out more about sport scholarships to the USA, then register with FirstPoint USA today for an assessment!