Edinburgh man's 'stick in school' advice after 'crazy' American experience
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An Edinburgh lad who played in front of thousands as a successful college soccer and American football player is on a quest to offer the same experience to others in the capital.
Tom Irving, originally from Clermiston but now based in South Gyle, was a talented youth football player.
He tasted success with local clubs such as Hutchison Vale and Spartans but sadly was unable to make the cut when he got an opportunity at Cowdenbeath. When a career in football seemed like a distant dream, he believed he would settle down and get a job in a local bank after leaving high school.
University had never crossed his mind but when friends of his began discussing US soccer scholarships, his ears perked up. After doing some research he applied to go with a scholarship agency run by David Binnie.
Before he knew it, he was jetting off to the other side of the Atlantic where he became a student athlete, spending time at three different universities.
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'I was an ok footballer, I had a decent youth career but to be honest I was not the best,' he said. 'I played in a good side at Hutchi but my pro youth move to Cowdenbeath sadly didn't work out.
'At high school I was not considering university. I never bothered applying as a senior as I was happy to leave school and get a role in a bank where I'd work my way up.
'So I did just that. I got a job at Lloyd's and I'd probably still be there now if I did not hear a couple of mates talking about going to the US on a soccer scholarship.
'I looked into a few agencies but David Binnie was really personal. I connected with him and felt like her cared.
'There were various meetings and trial days I had to go through before I ended up getting a few offers. I was not really thinking about the education side of college in the states, so I picked the best school from a football point of view.
'I went to the University of Maine at Fort Kent. It was great at first as they had some really reputable young players there, but after a year I realised the education was not what was best for me.
'I decided I wanted to do something to do with exercise science which was not on offer at the first college so I started to put out feelers elsewhere. I ended up at Point University in Georgia which was amazing, almost everyone was an athlete and I was able to study the course I wanted.
'It was a proper college experience with the stadiums but the weather was brutal, it was really hot. What I failed to realise was I'd have to complete a minor in biblical studies at the school and it would take me five years to graduate.
'I transferred again to Nebraska Midlands University and graduated within four and a half years. But what was amazing is I got onto the American football team as a kicker which was just a crazy experience, playing in front of thousands.'
Tom said the experience was life changing and as a result, he has set up his own agency where he will look to get teenagers from Edinburgh and Scotland onto scholarships across the pond. The 32-year-old applied to new schools and navigated the scholarship system off his own back, and he argues this has put him in a great position to be able to guide others on their journey to playing soccer in the States.
He was recently made redundant from his role as a project co-ordinator which motivated him to set up his own agency, College Scout USA. Tom has extensive experience in football scouting, having worked in Luxembourg, Malta and even domestically with Stranraer.
His greatest achievement to date was working with Finnish club, SJK, who recently qualified for the European Conference League with the fifth youngest squad in the world.
'What I would say to anyone considering the move is that it is important to stick in at school,' he added. 'Academics could be the difference between your family being able to afford it or not as you can sometimes combine a sports and academic scholarship.
'There are different levels which can accommodate different abilities as well. You could have missed out on getting a youth contract in Scotland and look at top soccer colleges which play at a high level and can lead to offers from pro teams.
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'But there are also more junior options for people with backgrounds similar to mine where you are a good player but you are not going to make it professionally. The level of education you can get over there is incredible and the sport facilities are so advanced.
'Obviously the portrayal of the college experience in movies and tv can be quite extreme but it is sort of what you can expect. It is a different experience to what you get back home.
(Image: Jamie Lee Photography.)
'It definitely made me more open minded and it allowed me to learn about different cultures and grow as a person. It opened a lot of doors for me, building connections, and I am a different person to who I was before I made the move.
'There are a huge range of people who could benefit from a move over there.'
Tom is open to speaking to anyone considering a future college application to play soccer, whether from Edinburgh or further afield. He added he will be involved on a personal level of every player he sends across there while utilising his extensive data focused scouting experience to provide the best agency experience possible.
Tom can be contacted through his website here.
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