Hey guys, check out who we got to meet- the incredible, Colin Scotts! We has so much fun with Colin at the Hockey NSW Awards Night this past March that we had to have a sit down and learn more about this amazing athlete…
Growing up on the Northern beaches of New South Whales, with an uncle who was part of the Wallaby’s, Colin participated as a Wallaby himself in the Australian school boys tour. Spotted by accident, by an assistant coach whilst playing rugby, Colin faced the tough decision of giving up his Wallaby dreams for becoming an NFL player in the US. Moving to the other side of the world to compete in a sport that he’d never really engaged in, Colin took a leap of faith. Driven by the opportunity to enter one of the most well renowned tertiary environments worldwide, Colin moved to Hawaii on a full sports scholarship.
Colin tells us about his gruelling first year as a sophomore, describing his experience fitting in to the college environment. After deciding to stick to his goal of obtaining a true US college education, he put his efforts into his school and football skills. With the vast improvement of his football skills, Colin earned the respect of team mates and class mates as a top player within the college. Overall, it was an ‘awesome experience’, engaging with the culture in the US. Immersing himself in traditions including a number of college life initiations Colin experienced the true college lifestyle.
For those heading to the US for college, Colin parts a few tips is “…Prepare to be a little culture-shocked at first, but remember that this is an opportunity of a lifetime, seize it. You will have the greatest time of your life, even if you are there for only a year. Regardless, you will come home a more ‘worldly’ person with greater life experience…”
Colin tells of his training schedule he faced when entering into college football, describing it as a ‘complex game’ of high intensity. Preparation, training and time management were the key to balancing a successful college football career with a successful education. He furthers his explanation by detailing that he had to become disciplined in his training.
Many of our young athletes are looking beyond their college life into pursuing a career in their sport. Colin was drafted into the NFL, playing for the St. Louise Cardinals “…the game increase about 10 fold in intensity, the competition was tougher…” Colin was encouraged to raise the level of his game, looking after his nutritional requirements, in order to allow his body to perform at its optimal level. Being exposed to better trainers, Colin explains how he began to understand how his body worked and how to improve his physical stamina and resilience. Being smart about training and preparation, with a splash of luck, Colin managed to maintain an incredible 10 year career of NFL.
Playing his first game of NFL against the Dallas Cowboys, with an incredible two sacks during the game, was a memorable moment in Colin’s career. The game pinpointed a pinnacle of achievement within his career, allowing Colin to take in the moment that he had been working towards during his time at college.
Upon retiring from his NFL career, Colin returned home to Australia and is currently a leading ambassador fighting against Childhood Obesity. In today’s society, technology is allowing us to become a ‘still’ society. Children in particular are becoming inactive, spending a great deal of time around computers and smart phones. Colin tells of how he knows a great deal of people with kids, which has evoked a passion to fight against this disease. Holding cricket charity events including; matches and fundraisers Colin works with the ‘Bluearth Foundation’ to raise awareness and funds to fight this disease.
Colin says that anyone can get involved by just going to http://www.bluearth.org/ to donate or register to become part of the team.