It’s been a while since we last checked in with Tasmanian soccer talent, Keenan Douce. We finally had the chance to do so, and boy did we have a lot to chat about!
With the assistance of NSR Australia, Keenan has been studying Sports Management with a concentration of Exercise Science at Southwestern Christian University, Oklahoma. While doing so, he has also had the opportunity to play football at an elite college level. Keenan has been a high-achieving student since 2013 and now finds himself about to enter his Senior Year.
So, what did we find out from the superstar himself? Plenty of information and international insight into what future NSR kids can expect from life in the US. Read on if you want some great stories and tips from a seasoned NSR student-athlete.
Priorities are key
The incredible opportunity to follow a passion for sport internationally while earning a highly-regarded degree is one like no other and something that Keenan certainly identifies as an invaluable experience. This is an absolute dream for the soccer enthusiast, but he also understands the importance of balance and devoting some time and effort into his education.
“College athletes always have to find that balance between playing and studying. My parents are pretty hard-core about the whole studying thing. Not only am I here to play football, I’m also here to get a degree, so if I’m going to be here to earn a degree I may as well put in as much effort as I can,” Keenan said.
The advantage of attending a smaller University in Oklahoma means Keenan can develop closer relationships with his teachers, something that can be a real benefit for international students.
Keenan puts his success at balancing football and his degree down to careful time-management.
“I manage my time quite well, so it’s doable. It is a lot of work, trying to study and play football, but it’s doable if you put your mind to it.”
The humble Tasmanian has been able to complete an internship at a local gym and is now exploring his options, looking to try his hand as a personal trainer working with like-minded athletes.
When asked if he thinks he will attempt to follow the professional football pathway or the academic work-force road, Keenan replied with a quintessentially-Aussie can-do attitude.
“I’m looking to spend a bit of time working in a gym, (but)I still want to play. I’ll play until I can’t walk,” he joked.
Keenan will graduate in May 2017.
Lifestyles of the international student
After living in a dorm for a year and squeezing into a two-bedroom apartment with three other students in his second year, Keenan is stoked to be living with one of his close English teammates in an apartment off-campus.
The two international athletes are just 15 minutes away from the centre of town where there are plenty of activities to keep the restless college student busy. Keenan also explains that there are ample events and activities on-campus for those students living in dormitories and looking for some fun on-campus.
“Being international students, we really want to get out there and experience everything we can. With the soccer team, there’s heaps of international students so we just kind of stick together and get out and try and have as much fun as we can,” he said.
Despite not being particularly relaxed in the financial department, Keenan has had plenty of chances to travel around with his roommate, his mum and his soccer team.
“I’ve had unreal opportunities. Being in Oklahoma we get to travel to Texas, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico and more. Then we’ve made the NCCAA nationals in Florida, so we’ve been able to go down there the last two years running.
“Then in the summer before my second year I got the chance to go up to Vermont and play for a team up there for a few months which was unreal, the opportunity was crazy,” Keenan explained.
The emotional rollercoaster
Keenan got particularly excited when he reflected on one of the absolute highlights of his time in America: when his mother, Francine, surprised him with a visit in September last year.
Francine originally flew over with Keenan at the start of his NSR journey to America to help him settle in. He describes his mother as being ‘incredible’ in his process getting to college.
“When she surprised me, it was the best thing to ever happen to me in my life…she hadn’t seen me play in about two and half years, so that was really cool. At that time, I was struggling a bit, so just seeing her made everything better,” he said.
Keenan really emphasises the importance of staying in contact with your family or special people from back home. It’s never easy leaving your loved ones behind and he puts his survival being away from home down to this regular contact.
Homesickness can be an obstacle faced by some of the student-athletes going overseas but Keenan suggests this interaction with family and a positive outlook on life to help subside and overcome these emotions.
“The way I sort of deal with it is that I think; I know that this opportunity doesn’t come to most people, so I have to take it as it is and go with it. There’s always positives. Even when you’re at your lowest, there’s always a positive and for me it’s just about finding those positives and focusing on them,” he said.
Sporting Success
Keenan describes his first experience training and playing soccer at college as a real eye-opener.
He recalls his first training day being conducted in brutal 40-degree heat, with three sessions taking place during the day.
“When I came in I underestimated what it was going to be like. I had to step up to the next level just to have the chance of playing. It’s unreal. The first training session I sort of figured out that they weren’t here to muck around,” Keenan admitted.
Hard work ensued for Keenan but he wouldn’t have preferred his experience any other way, describing it as unlike anything he has ever come across before.
The Southwestern Christian University Eagles have been performing to a high standard and qualified two out of the previous three years to compete in the national tournament in picturesque Florida.
“The nationals are what we work towards, so it’s special that we’ve been able to go the last two years. Our program is always improving, but that was definitely a highlight for me,” Keenan recalls.
For people wondering what really makes an Australian student-athlete crave the opportunity to relocate to the US to study and compete, Keenan had a modest response.
“Back home there aren’t a lot of opportunities to go to a school and pay your schooling off by playing a sport at a very high level.
“The simple fact that you have players from all around the world coming together into the college system of playing against each other, while getting a degree is crazy within itself. Some of the players I’ve seen and played with are going to be professionals when they’ve graduated college,” Keenan said about the opportunity.
Personal growth
Keenan admits that back home in Tasmania, he relied on his parents heavily for most things and credits this incredible opportunity for helping him grow into an independent young man.
“When I got over here I realised quite early on that I had to grow up pretty quickly, in terms of sorting myself out.
“I’ve had to become so much more independent. It goes from zero to 100 really fast. You’ve got to grow up like that. It always has its ups and downs but the pros far outweigh the cons,” Keenan remembers from back in 2013.
The aspiring student-athlete values the personal growth this NSR American adventure has given him.
“My roommate and I have just bought a car, it’s just progressing. The scary thing is that three years ago we never thought that we would have our own apartment and have to cook for ourselves every night and organise our washing. It’s just crazy, but it just makes you grow up so fast and it’s for the better,” Keenan said.
Heading into his final year at University in Oklahoma, Keenan can’t emphasise enough how incredible this experience has been for him, and leaves future NSR student-athlete hopefuls with a piece of advice on entering this journey.
“Take every opportunity with both hands and never look back,” he said.
We are so very proud of you and excited for your future, Keenan! We can’t wait to see where your life carries you after you graduate from University and to check-in with you again during that life-changing time!
