In this episode, SPUSA Director Alexia sits down with the Director of Play Overseas, Harry Newton to announce their new partnership which will help US graduates obtain graduate opportunities in UK. Together, Harry & Alexia chat with an NCAA track athlete in the USA to see how her sporting interests led to her postgraduate studies in the UK on a netball scholarship.
Learn more here:
https://www.playoverseas.co.uk/studyandplayusa/
In this episode, SPUSA Director Alexia sits down with the Director of Play Overseas, Harry Newton to announce their new partnership which will help US graduates obtain graduate opportunities in UK. Together, Harry & Alexia chat with an NCAA track athlete in the USA to see how her sporting interests led to her postgraduate studies in the UK on a netball scholarship.
Learn more here:
https://www.playoverseas.co.uk/studyandplayusa/
Alexia
Welcome everyone to another exciting episode of the Study and Play USA In the Huddle podcast. Today is a really special podcast because I am joined by not just one guest, but two, so I'm going to start and introduce our first guest, Harry Newton. Welcome Harry.
Harry
Hi Alexia.
Alexia:
Now Harry is the founder of Play Overseas and is based in the southeast of England and has been immersed in the world of sport and education for over a decade now. Harry himself moved to the United States as a student athlete on a soccer scholarship and, after living in two different states and completing his degree, Harry returned to the UK where he started a recruiting company, just like Study and Play USA, to help like-minded students to pursue similarly exciting adventures in the US. Being based in the UK, Harry began networking with UK universities and forming them of the opportunity to recruit his returning student athletes for their master's degree. So, due to the popular demand Play Overseas decided to focus all of their efforts on helping student athletes pursue their studies in the UK and, after helping hundreds of former NCAA and NAIA student athletes, they recently expanded further, launching the Student Sport Company with the goal of assisting a wider range of international student athletes, not just those who are former US college athletes. So, Harry, that's for another podcast that we're going to talk about but today we're focusing on The Play Overseas and the opportunity for our student athletes to, after they've graduated from the US, to be able to continue their studies in the UK. So yeah, welcome Harry.
Harry
Yeah, thanks for having me, excited to be on here.
Alexia:
Yeah, it's excellent, excellent, to have you. So I guess from our perspective, Harry, when we first met you and heard about this gosh pretty amazing experience, ., opportunity for our student athletes. I think . it was from our perspective and no brainer because it really ., for us to work together. And I guess that's why I'm equal parts thrilled and excited for our podcast today because, firstly, we get discussed this amazing opportunity but, secondly, this podcast serves as the official announcement of our partnership between Study and Play USA and Play Overseas, which is really exciting, yeah, and we're really excited, yeah, and it's great for us to have this partnership.
Harry
We're really passionate about helping students combine sport and education, and hopefully this partnership will allow more students to explore what options are over here in the UK.
Alexia
Yeah, absolutely, and that's why this makes sense to us, because as an entity ourselves, we're not just about placing student athletes into college in the US. We want to give students the framework to be able to set themselves up for their most successful life, whatever that is. So for some that can be continuing their studies and their sport in another country and by doing the postgraduate studies in the UK, our student athletes are using those skills, that confidence, the independence that they've gained, over those four years in the US and developed those in college and they're implying them to an equally life changing opportunity in another country, which is awesome.
Harry
Yeah, absolutely. And where you mentioned that, the students can essentially use their sport to help further their ambitions, whatever that may be. So our applicants they have varying ambitions. Some are aspiring professionals and want to use this as an opportunity to see how far they can take their sport. Some see it as an opportunity where they can perhaps get a scholarship to reduce the cost of their masters, and others they just love their sport. That's probably why they accepted an option to go to the US in the first place, and this is an opportunity where they can keep sport and education combined for a further year.
Alexia
Yeah, absolutely. And furthering the development of the CV as well, because, imagine coming back to wherever it is, Australia, whatever country you're from and having on your resume that you have lived and studied in two different countries, in our team we refer to that as a pile topper, those types of things and experiences listed on a CV it takes you straight to the top of the pile for any potential employer, they have to meet you.
Harry
Oh definitely, I mean we always say to potential applicants and students like a study abroad experience on your CV without doubt makes you stand out. But for potentially like some of the students that we work with from yourself that perhaps have progressed from Australia to America to start with, then come to the UK to have to to live in two different cultures, like that experience, education in two different countries, like I mean, not many people have got that sort of life experience, let alone qualities like on their CV. So that is yeah, that's something that's really going to help students stand out when looking for jobs.
Alexia
Yeah, absolutely so. I guess. From your perspective, Harry, what sort of synergies do you see or did you see initially, I suppose between Study and Play USA and Play Overseas?
Harry
Well, ultimately, we're both in contact with students that have ambitions to combine their sport with an overseas opportunity and the US, the NCAA, the NAIA, they are all really well known internationally, but we don't feel that UK university sport is that well known and over the last sort of six or seven years of helping student athletes pursue opportunities in the UK, we've developed networks of coaches that are really eager to engage with international students, that are really keen to explain what opportunities are offered over here, but they just don't get the same amount of applicants, the same amount of interest that coaches throughout the US will. So, we saw this as an opportunity where we could give some of those students like something else to consider, a chance to say, well, you can still combine your sport and education and here's an opportunity to do that in America and in the UK sorry, and where you do successfully place so many students in the NCAA and NAIA and Junior College every year like I think this is a great extension to those students like whenever they perhaps choose to study for their, for their undergrad degree, wherever they start like this could be an option later down the road. So I just felt it really tied in perfectly to help your students find somewhere else, but to help our coaches as well as get in contact with more motivated athletes.
Alexia
Yeah, absolutely, and I think that, further to what you said, I think students, once they take this opportunity in the US, they've got a taste for more of living in another country, and a lot of times I talk to student athletes after they've graduated and they're so glad they did it, but they're also so sad that it's over. So this is a way to be able to continue that and have new experiences. Yeah, with a similar skill set, I suppose.
Alexia
Okay, Harry. So I guess in your experience, when you see students graduate from the UK after completing their Masters, what sort of outcomes do you see for them? What sort of opportunities are next? What are, yeah, what are some examples there?
Harry
Well, we've seen a whole range of different opportunities for our graduates after they complete their master's degree in the UK. So some of our students do come to it with ambitions of furthering their sporting career and we've seen students that have been able to successfully secure professional contracts in their sport. So we've had basketballers, for instance, sign and play here professionally but also go to other countries throughout Europe. So some students use that as kind of like a launch pad into Europe and maybe go and do different trials and combines during their time in Europe to get some exposure. But also we see students use their master's degrees that they've been studying for to go either back to their home countries or elsewhere internationally to secure jobs. Our students attend some fantastic universities over here, universities that hold fantastic reputations internationally and really do help them get jobs with some fantastic employers. But also over the last few years, a lot of students have stayed in the UK. So there's a new visa opportunity at the moment called the post-study work visa, where students who graduate with a UK degree can apply to stay for two more years beyond their study and they can use this time to seek employment in any area they want. So it's a good chance for students perhaps to use that degree to get some overseas work experience before considering the next step. So yeah, still combinations of sport and education, some returning home, but also some furthering their international journey.
Alexia
Yeah, that's amazing, amazing. Well, that probably leads us into introducing our other guest who's been sitting here patiently. Hello Ruby, so nice to have you here. So I'm just going to read out a little intro to Ruby so we can learn a little bit about you and what you've been up to over the last five years now. I cannot believe it. But we first met you in 2018 and that's when you were completing high school in Victoria, and that's where you are now home with mum in Victoria. Ruby reached out to us through the recommendation of her high school career advisor, as she had mentioned in one of her career goal setting meetings, her desire to go to the US to study and run. Ruby was equally as good a netballer as she was a runner and, however, made the decision to focus on her running to be able to pursue the US college pathway with the help of Study and Play USA. So from there, Ruby, you ended up committing to St Thomas Aquinas College in New York, moved over there in 2019 and studied Criminology and was on STAC (St Thomas Aquinas College) so we'll be referring to it as STAC, but on STAC's track and field team. After four years of undergraduate studies in the US, Ruby was keen to continue her studies in sports in some capacity. Interestingly, Ruby was still very passionate about her netball and wondered if England would be a good option. At that time, Ruby learned about Play Overseas, so she reached out to Harry and the team for guidance, which led to later that same year, being accepted to the University of the West of England on a Netball scholarship. So, Ruby, you have just completed your Masters. Congratulations. That is amazing, in Environmental Management and are here to chat to us about all things US and the UK, so really welcome. It's so lovely to see you.
Ruby
Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited.
Alexia
Yeah, it's so nice! I think we talk more over message over the past four years so I think, or five, which I cannot believe, but it's so lovely to see your face and honestly, you haven't changed a bit in five years. Sadly, the ageing process on this side is a bit more. But no, yeah. So how are you? How is it being home?
Ruby
It's good. It's a very interesting experience being back home, with mum, being so independent overseas, both in America and the UK. But no, it is really lovely being home, even if it is winter. Yeah, it's always good to come home just for a little bit to just relax again.
Alexia
Yeah, nice, and when we were chatting before we started, are you working on your thesis at the moment? Is that right?
Ruby
Yes, so I have finished my in-person classes in England and have come back to Australia now to work on my thesis. As I'm getting my data for my thesis, so I've come back to do that.
Alexia
Wow, okay, that's amazing. So that's till September, right?
Ruby
Yes, so the thesis is due at the beginning of September. So not too long, yeah
Alexia
Well, I'm going to ask you to cast your mind back and tell us a little bit about your time in the US. Some of the highlights yeah, for everyone listening, give them a bit of an overview of what your four years in America was like.
Ruby
Well, I remember the day that I landed I think was New Year's Day in 2019, and it was snowing and obviously it doesn't snow a whole heap here in Australia and I was just like, oh my goodness, I love it already. I was like, oh my goodness, there's snow everywhere and all the American accents, when you just go into this brand new place and you're just yeah, I was very overwhelmed, but in a good way, I guess. I was just yeah, and the people were so inviting. Like the coach picked me up from the airport with a fellow Australian who was from Melbourne, so I went over with her, which was really, really helpful because it was my first, like really long overseas trip, and so she was there with me, which made it so much more comfortable. And then picked up by the coach and he was lovely and gave me this massive package of clothes and shoes and all this stuff that I've not even imagined having. And yeah, that's where it really began. And then just being in that. So obviously I was on the track and field team, so being in that team environment was really really good. I think the day after I had training I was introduced to everyone and I felt terrible because I couldn't remember everyone's names, but it was just so quick to make friends really, which was really great because we'd have breakfast, lunch and dinner together during pre-season. We were just together the whole time. So it was really quick to get in, which was good in a way, because I made heaps of friends. And then, yeah, absolutely loved my time. I can't believe that it's been and gone and it's been over a year already. I made some really good friends because I came in January, which is funnily enough halfway through their year, which is a little different to over here. I was slotted in with some softball players, which was great because they usually try and keep the teams all together in accommodation as well. But because I came in halfway through the year, I was put with softball players and I think that was also really good because I was with the track team the whole time. To get into another team and become friends with more athletic teams was really, really good. So I became friends with the softballers and the baseballers and the basketballers, which is really really good and the girls that I lived with became my really really good friends and still are today. But, yeah, I don't know, it's really hard to go past New York. I absolutely loved it. The university was about a half an hour drive out of New York City and it was just an incredible experience and we'd go all over America for track meets. I remember maybe a couple of weeks when I, after I arrived, I went to Texas for a track meet.
Alexia
It's a bit different to New York!
Ruby
I got New York down, pat. Then you moved to Texas and you're like, oh my goodness
Alexia
Yea yea like another country!
Ruby
Oh gosh, yeah, it was just exactly like the movies. I would say, yeah, right, there's it, and cactus and Texas roadhouses and yeah, no, it was incredible. But I think, yeah, the real highlight over those four years was making those really strong friendships and travelling America and having new experiences, and I absolutely loved my course as well. So I did criminology, which I was really interested in, and just really amazing classes and ex-NYPD police officers teaching those classes and it was just like with real life experience and I was like, oh my goodness. So, yeah, I really, really enjoyed it. It was great.
Alexia
How did you balance that? If you think of a student, let's say, here in Australia, who thinks, okay, I'm going to study criminology, I think that is a very full on course, right. And then here you are saying you're travelling to other states, you're competing for the team at a pretty elite level, tell us, how did you balance that, and what does the college system do to support that that people might not be aware of?
Ruby
So I think it's really important. In America, you're first and foremost a student, then an athlete, which I do think is really important because, yes, we are there to compete in your sport and train and do meets and things like that. But you also are there ultimately to get your undergraduate or postgraduate degree, and so they work really well around that. You have to maintain a certain GPA to be able to compete, which I think is really, really important, so you've got to be able to keep up your marks and compete at the same time. But they do offer a whole lot of tutoring outside of training and so they give athletes first preference of class times and schedules, so they'll go through the list. It'll be like Seniors would get first pick and then Juniors and that but if you're a Senior athlete you get that very, very first pick and things like that. So you've got that ability to put your classes in around your training schedule so that they don't clash, which is really important and it's really good for us because we're able to be like, okay, we've got training at two till five, I'm going to have class from 10 to 12 and then I've got time to do this and this and this, which is really great for the university to offer that to athletes. So they'll try to put trainings at the start of the day and at the end of the day so you're not clashing too much. But, yeah, always opportunities to see tutors and that extra opportunity for athletes again, which is really great. The traveling Friday is a day that not a lot of classes are on on mainly for that, if you're an athlete, that you are able to travel interstate. So a lot of the time that's when we did travel, which was good. But if you were to travel during classes, you'd have to get a form and to explain why, and they will be able to catch you up on what you've missed. So that was really really good on being like you are a student and an athlete and we'll give you the support to be able to do that. So, yeah, it was really good.
Alexia
Yeah, that's awesome. This bringing back memories, Harry?
Harry
Yeah, I mean distant memories, but it's bringing back some very good memories. Yeah, and it's great to hear that, like you down the line, like Ruby, you're having like exactly the same experience. Like you mentioned, you're still in touch with your softball roommates, like I'm still in touch with my roommates from my freshman year. It does make lifelong memories. It's really great to hear.
Alexia
Yeah, and I think what we see is that the bonds form really quickly because majority of you are all away from home so, yeah, sometimes at school if you think high school coming to and from and things like that, it can take a little bit longer for those deep connections that could last a lifetime to form, whereas, you're sort of all in the same boat in college right.
Harry
Definitely. I think being in sport as well helps, you've got that already shared interest. In some cases you're sharing schedules and you're doing a bit more than just normal students are perhaps, sharing class together, you're traveling together, you're training together, there's so much more time as well.
Alexia
Yeah, and if you think back, really to when you were making your choice of where you were going to go, I think by the sounds of it you have no regrets of where you went and choosing St Thomas Aquinas, but back then, why did you choose it? What stood out for you to choose that college over any other?
Ruby
Well, as we were doing, I was doing quite a few interviews with coaches to see where I'd like to go and ultimately, for me, it was the coach. I had the most amazing conversation with the coach at St Thomas Aquinas and he was just so enthusiastic and excited for me as an athlete and the opportunities that I've gotten from coming from Australia to the US, and I just really did and he kept in contact with me a lot. He would be texting and emailing me and if you have any questions about this, please let me know. He just put in a real, a lot of effort into me and that's ultimately why I picked him. I hadn't, I didn't really have, like I didn't have a state that I wanted to be in. I was just like wherever's great. I'm pretty open, yeah, exactly, but even better that he was in New York, but it was it was definitely the coach that cemented my decision for me. I was just like, look he's, if you put into this much effort into an athlete that's technically not even your athlete yet, then how is he going to continue this when I am his athlete? So yeah, that's why I picked St Thomas Aquinas.
Alexia
Comparing your athletic experience in Australia to the US and that transition, was there a big difference in terms of how much you trained, intensity of training, amount that you competed? What was that difference and how did you handle that and transition into that?
Ruby
Well, at the end of 2016, 17 and 18, I was competing at a national level in Australia, so I was going to nationals in 400 hurdles, I think it was at the time. So my training schedule was already pretty busy and I was training each day. And then, obviously, when I went to America, that continued with a bit more emphasis on going to the gym, just like a lot more about nutrition and, yeah, strength and power, rather than just running for miles on end, which I love doing. But they put a lot more into are you eating properly? Are you making sure you do your injury prevention? Have you seen the physio? Are you getting your massage? Is you doing this? Are you doing that? Which I really enjoyed. I was like, oh my gosh, I'm getting that. Yeah yeah, and the facilities that they have is just amazing. So they have all the facilities that they need to do that and I absolutely, in Australia, absolutely loved the amount of training I was doing. I just loved running and doing sport and things like that. So to continue to do that in America wasn't like a complete shock to me in that sense but just all the added extras, it was just really amazing with that. And then it was mainly though competing again on the weekends, which I would do in Australia as well, it was kind of just like I was continuing on in a different country and kind of enhancing my abilities and getting looked after a bit more, which was great. So, yeah, no, it was. It was a reasonably easy transition for me, and my coach in Australia, after hearing that I was going to go to America, she kind of enhanced my training a bit more to get me ready. Yeah, to get me ready for what it would be like in America, which was super helpful.
Alexia
That's incredible and that's something that we're seeing happen more and more for our student athletes in that, whether they start in the January or the August mid year or starting at the beginning of that academic year, is that preparation that you can do between when you graduate and whenever you go can make a huge difference. Just because you hit pardon the pun for you, but hit the ground running and you're, you feel integral to the team when you get there, that sense of belonging, that I'm competing at the same level, I have the same fitness, all of those things, anything that you can do. And further to your point about the strength and conditioning that is what we hear so much, is that the strength and conditioning, the focus on that in the US is just huge. But we just had our family catch ups here in Australia that we do with all of our returning student athletes, and Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and one of the catch ups, one of our soccer players, I remember her saying to me "honestly, before I went over to the US I'd go to the gym once a week, maybe as a part of my team, that's just what we did." She said, "because for me training was with a ball, if I didn't have a ball, that's not training, I'm not enhancing my skill set" she said, "but now I'm in the gym in the US as a part of the soccer program four to five times a week." And she said, "I am so strong and I actually challenge anyone to try and get the ball off me now."
Ruby
No, it's crazy. It makes a difference because when I was running track and field, I was like "why do I need to be in a gym? Why do I need to try to get strong if I'm just running", but it makes an incredible difference, like and they do, they put so much emphasis on it and that I think mainly also for that injury prevention right, which is really good, which you just kind of don't think about, I guess, when you're younger and all you want to do is run or play, whatever, you just want to be out there on the court or on the track. But, yeah, they make sure that they've got everything there for you to be able to do that strength and conditioning as well,
Harry
Yeah, and that applies across all sports out there, doesn't it? It doesn't matter if you're going over as a track athlete. You mentioned a soccer player, like I remember even like working with golfers who hadn't maybe done much gym work before, and then they would be getting their specialist like strength and conditioning program ahead of going out to the states and like sometimes then well, their parents being shocked at how comprehensive that is. But across all sports, yeah, they take really good care of you in whatever your sport is, but make sure you're doing all the work around that to give yourself the best chance of making that impact.
Alexia
Yeah, absolutely, and to the point now that we're actually encouraging our student athletes in that break to reach out to their coaches in the US once they've committed and know where they're going. "Hey, coach, have you got strength and conditioning program you'd like me to follow for the next six months once I've graduated school", just so that if you don't have access to that yourself here, that you're getting the college one to get yourself ready as well.
Harry
So important to give yourself success.
Alexia
Absolutely, absolutely. So, Ruby, tell me, when did you start thinking about the UK?
Ruby
I started thinking about the UK during COVID. Actually, I had a bit of a thought about it because I'd been coming back during the summer breaks and now winter breaks here and been playing a fair bit of netball and netball is not a very big sport over in America. So I was playing a fair bit of netball back here and kind of just got into loving it. I thought I think that little break off it and then coming back into it just kind of enhanced my love for it. So I was doing a bit of netball back here and I was thinking, I still want to be able to study and play sport. And then I was like I still want to also be overseas so I wonder if UK would be a bit of an option. So yeah, I started thinking about the UK kind of two years in and then I thought, because I was even thinking, go halfway through my undergrad. And then I thought, actually I want to ride it out, I'll finish it and then I'll see if I could possibly do a post graduate degree over in the UK and play netball. And that's when I heard about Play Overseas. Actually, my friend told me about it. She goes to NYU and I was telling her about netball and she had no idea what netball was. And I was like, oh usually in the Commonwealth countries and then the Commonwealth and everything like that, and she was like, oh. I was like, oh, I played in the UK and I'd really love to go over there and she was like, oh, that's so random. I just got this email. Because she was a track and field athlete as well. She's like I just got this email from this Play Overseas company, offering postgraduate degrees and being able to do your sport. And I was like, oh, my gosh, could you forward that to me please? And she was like, absolutely, and I think there was a form that I filled out just so you knew more about me, and netball wasn't on it only because I think it was directed at the American students who had no idea what it was, and I think I put in that. I was like I was just wondering if you do netball. And you're like, absolutely, and straight into it.
Harry
I still remember in the office when your inquiry came in, like we love helping all of our students with different backgrounds, regardless of, like where they've played in competitions. But I just remember like talking about like how cool is this? Here we've got this college track athlete like who's competed to a high level, but actually she's looking to come over and do netball. Like those unique cases that they really stand out to us and like it was such a pleasure to then, like help you try and find an opportunity to get back into the sport and actually, with some coaches across the UK, like I still remember the point of you first asking for that so it was such a cool, unique case and then to see you actually then go forward and accept an opportunity and now being at the point where you're right in your final dissertation, about to complete your master's degree.
Ruby
It was amazing how responsive you were as well, because I was kind of like I'll just see, possibly, if they'd be able to do it, and the fact that you were was just incredible and got me straight into it. So, no, I very much appreciate you.
Harry
Well, yeah, we appreciate you as well, like trusting us with that stage of your career and like with regards to being responsive. Like we know, student athletes have so many opportunities when they graduate. They could be looking at jobs, ga positions or various other opportunities back home. So I think if we can give them all the information as quickly as possible, at least then they've got all the info they need to put the UK in the picture and give it some consideration. It was so good to hear you talk so positively about your experience in America and I know you were only in Bristol here in the UK for a fraction of the time, but hopefully you have some positive memories from your time over here, your year over here.
Ruby
Oh, definitely, definitely, although it was very quick and I can't believe I'm already back home. No, it was absolutely amazing. The British are very, very kind and along with the Americans as well. But I was trying to remember back to when I first got over there. I was always a big fan of England and my grandma was over there for a long time and she was always like you must go over to England, it's so amazing. And I was like one day and I thought, maybe just for a holiday. But then, with play overseas, I was like, no, I could actually make this, get a real experience out of this and be able to study and play netball. And it was absolutely amazing. I literally I landed and I was playing a game the next day. Absolutely love that. I feel like it was the same in America. I landed in the next day. I was running, which is always a good way to get started. Yeah, no, everyone was so, so supportive and although with the jet lag, I probably wasn't the most pleasant person, but no, they were very supportive and helped me get myself organised. I made sure I got there a few weeks before actual classes started so I knew where everything was. And, yeah, the coach also picked me up, which is great. It's always good when the coach picks you up, because it's just kind of like they're so supportive of you and that you're in the right place for you when they've come and picked you up, and it's just a really good feeling when they've done that for you because they know that they really care that you're there, which was really great. So she picked me up and got me sorted out, got pillows and doonas and everything for my accommodation and got everything ready and, no, it was just the most amazing experiences. So I was in three netball teams while I was over there, which was great. Obviously, I love staying busy, as you probably could tell from me being in America.
Harry
So it was those three teams across then the university and did you join then clubs outside of the university?
Ruby
Yes. So I was in the university team and then my coach was also in a premier team. So she was like, oh, I really love you to play for this team. And I was like, sure, why not? So I played for a premier league team as well, and then I was also training with the professional team, we're called team Bath, which is very close to Bristol, which was very good. So I was training with team Bath as well, which was just an incredible experience to be able to train at the professional level and the girls were absolutely amazing. There was a girl from New Zealand who plays for team Bath. That made me feel a bit more at home, which is great. But every single team that I was in they made me feel a part of and it was just a really, really wonderful experience. And I absolutely loved my course as well. So I did environmental management and made really really great friends out of that course as well that I've really enjoyed and stayed in touched with. But yeah, on a whole, that experience is great, and it also snows over there as well, which I love.
Alexia
I feel like you're going to have somewhere to stay, a couch in every country in the world, you're never going to have to pay for accommodation again.
Ruby
Exactly, I'd be like, hey, I'm coming over. Can I stay at yours?
Harry
Ruby, just from your experience. Like we like to meet up with our student athletes where we can, throughout the UK as well throughout the year, and one of the questions that I love to ask is just having had the experience of being an NCAA athlete and having that structure for four years, how did you find the difference between that system that you came from in America to the UK University sports system? What were some of the main differences that you saw?
Ruby
I think being in the NCAA system, the structure was a lot more rigid. It was a lot more this is how the day is going to go, which is great. I think you have a little bit more flexibility in the UK I found, it's also a little bit different because I was doing different sports, but they would also get you in contact with the strength and conditioning and have your program set out. But because I was with heaps of different teams, it was kind of hard to be to do it with just the one team, so I would do it by myself really, which was fine with me. And because in the university team there was people doing their undergraduate and doing their masters and the coach recognised that and as long as you're doing these things, then you're good and we'd be trying to be together as a team as much as possible but she understood that we were in different, doing different classes, yeah, different schedules, which was really kind of fun, yeah, but yeah, I think in America they're much more got that really rigid schedule and a bit more strict on things, which is fine. But no, it was a really great experience in the UK as well. Like I did have all the opportunities and all the facilities to do the things that I needed. Because that master's level is a bit of a step up as well, they did understand that and those longer classes if it was going further into the afternoon to the evening, you can get things done, but foremost, again, you're a student.
Harry
Yeah, I think that flexibility kind of shows how you had the opportunity to play across three different teams. As Alexia is saying, we actually see across all sports over here. So, like some are athletes that want to take sport perhaps more seriously than some others, like there's often universities will link with local clubs and, for instance, soccer players will have the chance to play a UK university season of soccer, but they'll also then compete at the weekend for a club in a various league system up to considerably high level, like depending on what experience they have, how good they are. But that's the same across all sports. I think UK universities can perhaps be a little more accommodating for maybe students that don't want to invest as much time, like they could perhaps compete for just the university team, like where Ruby started with, but then she did want to play further and she got the chance to train for a professional level team. So it has that flexibility, I think, for students at different stages of their career, depending on how much time they want to invest in their sport.
Ruby
Yeah, no, I definitely agree with that, because with the university sports that game was on a Wednesday and that kind of be like a sports day, and I'm trying to remember. So they stopped classes about midday so no other no classes would go on from that, because students would be doing sport at that time, which was really great. But then that also gives opportunity, as you said, for me to be able to play, for that Premier League team was on the weekends. So I was able to do that as well. So I think it is really great, even if you didn't want to pursue more netball, as I say, as I did, but then you have those weekends, do more study or adventure out in England or even into Europe. But no, I think for me having that opportunity to be able to play for another team and be able to compete and it wasn't all have two games on the weekend. It was one in that middle of the week and then one on the weekend, it gave me that flexibility and yeah, so that was really good.
Harry
Yeah, it's great, there are definitely opportunities for all and some of our students are happy to come over, accept a chance to play on a Wednesday for their uni and use the weekends to do that, traveling, and maybe they've dedicated four years in the NCAA to their sport and they see it as a time to kind of slowly transition. Yeah, but then we do have the others that, like you, will take every opportunity to play at the highest level.
Alexia
Yeah, that's awesome, Ruby. I loved hearing about that. That's I think, what I'm learning too about the opportunities in the UK, because this is still, I think, Harry pretty new for us too. So yeah, to have those opportunities should you want them, you don't have to take them, you can make that experience what you want, probably a little bit more than, if you're playing NCAA Division one or Division two sport, you've got a certain level and a certain expectation that is required of you for that whole time and everyone's at that same level academically and athletically. But then within the US there's other divisions that might be slightly more holistic and things like that. But then in the UK you're getting to choose that yourself.
Harry
Exactly all of those in one. Yeah, you can go for those more scheduled approaches and fill your free time with those additional teams, but you don't have to do that.
Alexia
Yeah, well, see, I've also got in my mind. I'm asking lots of questions for our student athletes, but also for our son. He's a cricketer and that's all he wants to do is play cricket, cricket, cricket. So he's goodness 14 and still already talking about UK and cricket, and we often get approached by students at different events that we host or that different schools that are at, and their sport is netball, or cricket, and obviously that's not something that, Study and Play USA can assist with. But to be able to have such a great partnership and connection in Play Overseas with you guys, Harry, is just incredibly valuable.
Harry
Yeah, and we're really looking forward to it. And, like you mentioned, cricket, netball, like they're all popular sports over here. But I mean, there's so many sports I think the NCAA runs around 26, 28 sports in all but UK University sport last year there was annual competitions and leagues in 50 different sports, like there's new sports such as like wheelchair basketball, speed climbing. There's so much going on beyond the sports that, like the football, rugby, cricket, netball, golf, like all the major ones you would think, but like beyond that, there are archery, e-sports, like there's so many more that are available here. And yeah, we're just really trying to push the awareness of that because I think if more students know about this, potentially they do make different decisions on where they choose to study, because I just think they don't actually know what's offered over here.
Alexia
Yeah, absolutely, and that is also part of what our education is that a lot of student athletes don't know that they're good enough to do either of these pathways as well. So not knowing what's out there and then making a natural assumption which, if I think of the Australian culture can be oh I wouldn't be good enough for that. I think that can be a part of our culture too. So it's a big education piece on both fronts of how much opportunity there is, how many different sports there are, but also different varying levels.
Harry
Yeah, and there's a lot of differences to consider as well. Like we talk about as well how fast Ruby's journey has been Like the fact that a UK master's degree is one year for a lot of our applicants as well, which is a reason that they decide to apply for that service after they graduated. Chance to complete a master's in 12 months for a lot of them they see it as a really good use of time, especially if they were considering staying in the States and doing most graduate programs over two years.
Alexia
And that's what I said to Ruby before. I said oh so you head back in September. And she said no, no, no, I'm done! One year I was like wow, okay, that's amazing, it is a completely different education system.
Harry
No, our undergrad degrees over here are three years, four if you opt to include like a work placement, but in most courses that can be an optional element. So in theory a student can come to the UK, get their bachelor's degree in three years, their master's degree in one. So potentially the time that someone could spend in America they could do both undergrad and post grad here in the UK.
Alexia
Yeah, right, wow, okay, harry, I'm learning so much. This is an education piece for all. Including the host.
Alexia
Do you know what I also remembered as you were speaking earlier, ruby, when you said I remember you coming home during COVID and I had many conversations with your mom over that time and I remember her saying about your desire for netball and asking me about the US I'm sorry, yeah. I can't help you with anything there. If she wants to continue in the US, it has to be a track and field. And then, I think, after you'd gone back and you would have been in your junior year, I think, or maybe just starting your senior, and mom called and she said listen, I just wanted to pick your brain because Ruby has reached out to this company. And it was you, Harry, and I didn't know at the time. And she said they can help her get scholarship to do her masters and to be able to play netball in the UK. And I distinctly remember, like a very protective mother, saying, okay, now, okay, you need to make sure, ask them this, this, this. If they say this, and giving her this whole of oh, I don't know about this, and then, just seeing the experience that you've had, Ruby and also your mom, saying to me, oh no, they do this and they do this and I was thinking, oh, okay, great, excellent, that sounds awesome, but that was without knowing you, Harry and what you guys did. But I just remembered that conversation with mom Ruby as you were talking before and I thought that's so funny and look at us now we're sitting here talking about that experience over there and Harry, us knowing you and Play Overseas so much better now and knowing what a great job you guys do.
Harry
Yeah, well, I really appreciate that and as well I mean, we see the number of athletes like that you send to the States across all different divisions, conferences, like as well it's, I think it's, I guess, for any of your students or other families that if you do work with them and provide that service, that to get them to the US, if any of them decide they do want to explore opportunities here in the UK, like it's nice to know that I feel that us, our team here, we can match that service and give them the same high quality like care for other process. So we assist our students all the way from when they inquire, helping them to find some initial options that seem to be a good fit based on their course, based on their grades and sport, but beyond that, if they decide to apply, like we've got an application team that guides the students through the exact graduate application at that university or however many they want to apply for, all the way then through if they decide to accept, with the pre-departure, the student housing visa, etc. So they have that support from the moment until they need to depart.
Alexia
Yeah, sounds like very similar.
Harry
Exactly. Yeah, it's literally matches exactly what you do at the undergrad level. So it's just an extension of the same sort of service.
Alexia
Yeah, awesome. Well, there is a lot to unpack here for our In the Huddle listeners, and I think it's and I guess that's why we have this podcast as well is to learn about not just about the US college pathway and hear Ruby, it's been great to hear about your experience in the US, but then equally about, okay, what are you doing after the US? What have you done? And just to let our listeners know is that Ruby is now considering taking an internship in Bangkok, so the travel and the experience can continue, it doesn't stop. No, no wonder your mum is loving having you at home, because she knows give it two more months and you're off again.
Ruby
I know, once you get a taste for it, you can't stop, you're just gonna keep going.
Alexia
Yeah, oh, my goodness, I honestly, Ruby, I challenge any future employer to look at your CV and not ring you immediately to at least meet you. It's such a unique experience that you've had and what you have done, you've taken every opportunity that you have and taken it with both hands and run with it and got the most out of it that you can possibly do, and I think that's really a good thing for our listeners to hear, because sometimes I'll have student athletes thank us, so much. Thank you, thank you, which is lovely, but we only play as small role, your family have also supported you to get you to this point. We've supported you, Harry and his team have supported you, but ultimately, Ruby, you're the one that's done this, you're the one that's taken every opportunity, said yes, figured it out, and not left, really, from what I can tell, any stone unturned, which is really impressive, and I believe with my whole heart that this is setting you up for your most successful life, which makes me very happy.
Ruby
No, thank you so much and thank you both so much like and you telling the story about my mum ringing you and that shows how much trust that she puts in the both of you. They're like so genuinely for her to be like, I've got to ring Alexa just to see that this is all for her, that she's looking for you for advice on all of these things, and it's just been an amazing journey with the both of you and you've both helped me out so incredibly much. Like without either of you, so I don't know where I would be at the moment, but no, you made this process just so memorable and so easy for me. I just, I feel like I've hardly done anything. You guys have just all done it for me. I just like I just agree.
Alexia
I disagree, you've done plenty of Ruby.
Ruby
It's just been so, so amazing and I'm so grateful for the both of you. It's just been an amazing experience in both countries, and to be able to come out with a Master's degree, with the undergraduate degree in America and a master's degree in the UK, is just not something that I would even think of. Back in high school I was like I guess I'll just stay in Australia, kind of and then once that career advisor was like there's opportunities in other countries, I was just like that's exactly what we're doing. Then so, yeah, I was told right then, but no, I genuinely thank you both, so so much.
Harry
Thank you for being a part of it and, yeah, now you've got so much to be proud of.
Alexia
Absolutely, and we look forward, both of us, to tracking what the next chapter for Ruby holds, which I'm excited about because it sounds like-.
Harry
It sounds exciting, whatever it's gonna be.
Alexia
Yeah, I think we need to check in again. Let's do another year, in a year's time. I'd love to hear where you've been and what you've been doing. But thank you both. Thank you Ruby, Thank you Harry, for your time. Harry, what time is it for you over there?
Harry
It is just approaching 10 past nine this morning, so we're just at the start of our day.
Alexia
Excellent. Like I said, it's gonna be a great day, But-. Thank you very much.
Ruby
I feel good stuff.
Alexia
That's it. So thank you both and for all of our listeners. You will see that when we at the bottom we'll have links to Play Overseas so that you can look into it. We will be sending out a lot of information regularly to our student athletes in their junior year, in their senior year, so that they can start considering, knowing the deadlines, just having an awareness of this and, honestly, there's just no harm in exploring it, in looking to see what your options are. It's an amazing option and it is absolutely worth exploring. So thank you both for your time. Really enjoyed chatting with you and, yeah, we'll see you both again soon.
Harry
Thanks, Alex, that's been great, cheers Ruby.