Maeve Williams,
Sport Coaching and Business Management (Soccer), SETU Carlow

In school I never quite saw myself as, well, academic. Any future aspirations of mine always brought my thought process towards a career in professional sport. When I was in transition year, it became clear to me that all I wanted in my future was football. The majority of my teachers at the time saw this as an unrealistic goal, which if I’m honest, pushed me away from school even more.

During my Leaving Cert years, the majority of my attention was focused on my desire to develop as a footballer and less on my academic results. School became an obstacle for me as all I could ever think about was football.

I started to explore my options after school and what could be on the cards that my Leaving Cert couldn’t define. Living in Waterford, I was aware of the FAI-ETB course. This seemed like a good option for me as I was still young, leaving school, and pursuing football abroad seemed very daunting at the time.

Applying for the course was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Although I was set on a career in sport, I was unsure whether I wanted to tie myself down to football. I spent the year training every day under the guidance of FAI coaches as well as learning about Sports Nutrition, Sports Anatomy and Strength & Conditioning. It quickly became clear to me this was what I wanted to pursue. The course is closely linked with the sports coaching and business management degree in SETU Carlow, so the next step seemed obvious. I applied for the CAO that year with only one course on my list.

Fast forward two years and I’m halfway through my second year in Carlow, loving every minute. Sixteen-year-old Maeve had no aspirations of coming to college or putting myself through any more hours of education than was necessary, but throughout the course I took after my Leaving Cert, my outlook on education changed completely. I realised a good education didn’t just mean higher level maths and a foreign language. Education should be interesting and enjoyable.

In SETU Carlow, I can combine my love for football with my newfound love for education. I spend each day with like-minded people still with aspirations of pursuing professional football. The difference now being that it seems like a much more realistic goal.

Twenty-year-old Maeve is excited to be working towards her degree in football. The course mimics a full-time footballing environment and I still leave the house each morning with the aim of developing myself as an athlete. An athlete with a degree in sport.

Read the full Education Special in the current issue of Hot Press: