We are excited to announce that former Irish youth international, Danielle Murray, has joined SRUSA as a scout.
Danielle was a four year starter for Limestone College, South Carolina and garnered All conference and All Region honours while she was a student athlete. She graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Strengthen and Conditioning.
Danielle will be joining the SRUSA team in Ireland and will be helping to provide young female soccer players with the opportunity to study and play as student athlete in America.
We are excited to have Danielle as part of the team here at SRUSA and can't wait for her to help players with the transition to America through her experience as a student athlete.
We caught up with Danielle to find out what she was looking forward to most about joining SRUSA.
What excites you about Joining the SRUSA team?
There are a lot of reasons I’m excited about joining the SRUSA team. The main reason being that I have had the pleasure of experiencing the dream that this agency are providing to talented players. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in and being a scout for talented young Irish girls, as I think it is a life changing opportunity and I’m delighted to be involved in the process to help and advise these young players. SRUSA have had a lot of success in the past number of years at placing athletes in American colleges and universities and I am thrilled to be apart of this team, where hopefully I can add to the number of successful clients.
How was your experience in the US, and what advice would you give to others thinking of going down the College Soccer route?
I moved to South Carolina in July of 2016 on a 4 year soccer scholarship to play for Limestone Women’s Soccer team and I have never wanted to come home since. In the 4 years I was there my team won 3 Conference Carolina’s Championship trophies, 3 league trophies and went to the first round of Nationals each year. Personally, I have had a lot of success, earning a place on the 2017 All-Tournament team, 2018 First team Conference Carolinas All-conference team, 2018 D2CCA Women's Soccer All-Southeast Region First Team, 2018 United Soccer Coaches All-Region Second Squad and 2019 All-Conference Squad while captaining my team.
I have also earned a bachelor’s degree in Strength and Conditioning all while playing soccer. While playing in the US I not only had an amazing experience, made many friends and memories, but also set myself up with a career for the future. I gained knowledge and skills that I can now use in my career outside of college.
To anyone with even the smallest inclination of wanting to play soccer in America I would say go for it. You will not only be living the ‘American Dream’ but you will learn and gain experiences which cannot be had anywhere else. The environment of playing college soccer while earning a degree is life changing.
What are your expectations upon joining the SRUSA team?
Having had the experience first hand that SRUSA is offering gives me an advantage, because I can share with clients my experience and give them accurate information and advice which can be of great help. From being a college soccer athlete I have done a lot of networking which is a great benefit. In my new role as a SRUSA Scout I have high expectations of the number of clients I would like to bring into the agency. There is a high volume of talented female players in Ireland who I believe fit the profile of a student-athlete playing for a college or university in America. I want to give these players the opportunities I think they deserve.
What advice would you give potential student athletes from your experience in America?
Moving to America to become a student-athlete can be a daunting task and a scary thought at leaving your family. But, you will not regret it. Time moves so quickly that before you know it, it will be the end of your time as a student-athlete and you will be wishing to start it all over again. Take every day as it comes and put 100% into everything you do. Being offered a scholarship to play college soccer in America is a privilege and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Although I know that anyone looking to move to America is passionate about their sport and wouldn’t consider this experience without knowing it is an amazing opportunity.
