PLAYERS
GEORGE YUSUFF, ENGLAND ADELPHI UNIVERSITY
George spent two years at St. Thomas Aquinas College in New York, racking up Rookie of the Week and All-Conference team honors. He is now a key part of DII powerhouse Adelphi University.
" I've thoroughly enjoyed my time in the U.S so far. Making plenty of friendships and memories that I will take with me.
I started off at St. Thomas Aquinas College and had a great two years there. It was my first time in New York and I loved being so close to Manhattan with plenty to do outside of the college. This combined with playing football every day with a good group of lads was an amazing experience.
However, I felt like I needed a fresh start and a new challenge. Charlie from Next Step Scholarships helped me with the transfer process, and I couldn't be happier with the outcome.
I've been at Adelphi University for one year now and it's been amazing so far. The facilities and training is top class and we're really treated like professionals here. The team is a very high standard and I enjoyed working hard to earn my place in the starting XI.
I am now going into my Senior year and I'm excited to see what the future has in store for me. I thoroughly recommend the guys at Next Step Scholarships if you're interested in an education in the States"
REECE WELDONE, IRELAND KEISER UNIVERSITY
Reece played for the Yavapai Junior College, Atlanta before transferring to the Kaiser Hawks in West Palm Beach, Florida. At Yavapai Reece scored 25 goals and was voted second team All-American.
"I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and move to another country whilst studying and playing soccer. I attended Colaiste IDE in an attempt to receive a scholarship, but it didn’t work out.
A year later I worked with an agency that helped me get offers to head over to the U.S. I went over as a young 19-year-old, back in 2014. My first year over there I studied and played in Atlanta, GA. In my second year I transferred to one of the best junior college programs in the country in Prescott, AZ. We were one the best teams in the country at time. My final year I transferred to West Palm Beach in Florida. During my time in America, I was named an All-American athlete 2 out of the 3 years I was there. If I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I would say YES 10/10 times no questions asked.
I got to see some amazing places, met some friends for life and it was all whilst doing the thing I love – playing football. The opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree while playing football doesn’t come around very often, so I’d encourage any young man/woman to jump at the chance because it is something that you will not regret. T
The opportunities are endless in the long run, whether it’s earning a master’s degree or playing professionally. It’s an experience of a lifetime and it’s something that I will never forget.
SEAN DORAN, IRELAND CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY
Sean played for the Concordia Bulldogs in Seward, Nebraska. In his junior year Doran played a massive role in helping his team become The GPAC Conference Champions and went on to experience playing in a National Tournament.
“Leaving home to attend university in the US was not easy. It forced me out of my comfort zone and made me more independent. It also allowed me to acquire a degree while playing football at a high level.
I played all four years at Concordia University Nebraska, in the NAIA. During that time, we won a conference championship and played in the national tournament.
Since graduating in 2016, I’ve moved to New York City, a place I have dreamed of living as a kid. Without the opportunity to go to college in the US this would not have been possible.
During my time at Concordia, I made some amazing friendships and memories. I would highly recommend attaining a scholarship opportunity in the US. It is an experience of a lifetime and something I will never forget.”
COACHES
CHRIS HOWE, MANAGER, PROGRAMS & PLAYER DEVELOPMENT AT LA GALAXY F.C
Chris was a dominant presence in goal for Eckerd college in St. Petersburg Florida. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree Chris started coaching soccer up and down the west coast, before finally settling down in Los Angeles. Now a key part of MLS side LA Galaxy's youth set up.
"I left Doncaster, England in August of 2003 to play for Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Playing collegiate soccer in the US is an incredible journey. It’s a unique environment that demands both a high level of dedication for both the sport and classroom academics.
For myself, being part of the team, training day to day and playing came naturally. My biggest area for growth was away from the pitch and managing all the other complicated aspects that come with being a collegiate athlete.
Time management of ensuring you were dedicating enough focus to your studies to maintain the right GPA average in order to be eligible to play in the team. Dealing with early morning training sessions at 6am, then trying to have a productive day in class to keep on top of academics. Being responsible to gain enough sleep to recover from the physical aspects of playing and also continue to produce your maximum ability. Planning your continual route of college classes in order to be sufficient and able to graduate. Understand a wide range of complicate classes that you might never normally choose participate in. Learning the cultural differences of a new country that you are not accustomed to. These are some of the many challenges international students will face when playing collegiate sports, and on top of that, you have to be mature enough to do this on your own.
Although, being part of this setting broadens your scope as a person. You are forced to succeed because of one’s desire to play soccer. This in turn elevates you as a person, being able to adapt to your surroundings and deal with your new experiences. Learning is an enormous part of the journey which is thoroughly rewarding. Being able to graduate with a degree from a US institution is a fantastic opportunity which will present many more options for your career pathway.
Next Step Scholarships are an exceptional company whom have already differentiated themselves from others in this area. Dedicated staff with first hand experience, connections and understanding of the intricacies involved in being an NCAA student athlete. They provide a credible platform for any player to succeed in playing college soccer in the US. I look forward to working with them more in the future.
LEWIS DUNNE, NOTRE DAME COLLEGE ASSISTANT MEN'S SOCCER COACH
A product of Tranmere Rovers, Dunne was an outstanding player at Urbana University in the U.S where he was named NSCAA First Team All-American (one of the best 11 players in the country). Lewis is now Assistant Coach at Notre Dame and in the Summer, Head Coach of Cleveland SC.
"The collegiate game is a fantastic journey for any budding prospective student athlete to take. It drags you out of your comfort zone and puts you in situations that allow you to grow as a person, student and an athlete.
The demand is high from a mental and physical state, but it is the overcoming of these challenges that separates student athletes from the regular student. I have experienced this process myself, and I recognize the growth that this experience provides. I had a good collegiate career, earned 2 degrees and I am now coaching in the college game. The experience has provided a lot of life opportunities that would not have been available in the UK.
At Notre Dame College (NCAA DII) and within our Men’s Soccer program, we believe this wholeheartedly. Within our program at least, we look for personality first. You must be a person that is able to embrace our core values. If you can act with integrity and respect, be a competitor on the pitch and in the classroom, display grit and determination while acting with humility at all times, there is a place for you here at NDC. These factors are more important than the athletic ability a student athlete has. Without the above, talent alone is not welcome.
As we all know, football or “Soccer” in the US is the most global sport played to date. Therefore, the game provides programs like us the opportunity to recruit internationally. This is where companies like NSS come in. By creating partnerships with these companies, we can provide an incredible student-athlete experience to their clients, and they can help our program to win championships. International recruitment also positively impacts the culture of our school, and our team.
At NDC we have student athletes from all over the globe that are all brought together through football, which provides a special culture within the program.
If you are looking to take the next step towards a collegiate career in the United States, then NSS is a perfect place to start. They have been through this experience and were once in your shoes. We look forward to continuing to work with them.