NSR Australia recently received the letter below from one of our former prospects who has recently received a FULL SCHOLARSHIP to an NCAA Division 1 College.
Zachary Newton from Western Australia is the perfect example of how effort and determination goes a long way. It also shows how fantastic the US pathway of Junior College and Community college is for international students.
NSR Australia is very proud of Zachary and will no doubt be in contact well into the future.
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Hi Marco & The NSR Team,
Here are a few paragraphs just outlining my experience here in the USA so far.
The opportunity to come to America to play the game I love and study at the same time has been one of the greatest experiences that I’ve had so far in my life. I’ve been to amazing places that I’d never thought I’d visit and met some amazing people so far in my stay here. I do not regret my decision to come here at all and I believe my decision to move from Australia to America has helped me grow as a person, footballer and student in so many ways.
One thing that worried me about moving here besides being away from my family and friends was the level of competition I would face in the leagues over here. Safe to say the competition is great and I’ve played with and against some extremely talented footballers who have only further enhanced my game.
We train more than state league teams back home and during season we play twice a week and train four times a week! We regularly travel to games and get the opportunity to stay in hotels overnight for games which are far away which I find very cool. College sport is really huge in America and the need for talented players is high even in this system. Some universities will even pay for you to visit them and pay for all the other expenses just to try and sign you which is a cool experience which I had when D1 SUNY Buffalo flew me to New York for a visit.
The entire experience is amazing and due to the popularity of college sport it almost makes you feel like you’re a professional athlete but instead of getting paid you’re getting your degree or most of it paid for. The great thing also about this is that after I’ve finished my 4 years of eligibility I might have the ability to be picked up by a pro team or if not I’ve still managed to obtain a degree out of it while having the experience of a lifetime!
This is true for any athlete but you will not find success unless you put in the work. Fortunately for me through my hard work in training and in class I’ve manage to gain a full scholarship from NCAA Division 1 Fairleigh Dickinson University as I did well at Peninsula College. Peninsula College is a two year college otherwise known as a Junior College or Community College. People in Australia might not know what that means but I know NSR Australia tries to explain it. Fairleigh Dickinson Uni, the school I received the Full ride too, is located in New Jersey half an hour outside of New York City! I will be signing for them on the 5th of February and after my school year here is done in June I will transfer from Washington in the Northwest to New Jersey in the Northeast in July and begin a whole new chapter in my amazing American experience.
Regards,
Zac Newton