Guest Blogger: Adam Sell
Adam Sell, from Oxford, England, is our guest blogger this week, as he takes the pen and writes about his experience in the USA. A college graduate of Oakland City University, Indiana, who now plays full-time in Sweden for Strands IF. During his time in the US, "Selly" captained the Mighty Oaks and led them to a National Tournament appearance.
Adam keeps his viewers regularly updated about his adventures in Hudiksvall, Sweden, with a blog he keeps; 'Sellvscrohns' Check it out here:
Guest Blogger, Adam Sell:
For me personally, the decision to accept a scholarship in the United States was
one of the best decisions I've made in my life. As with the majority of things in life, it had
it's positives and negatives, but overall it was an incredible experience.
A question I get asked a lot is; what was the best part of being a scholar athlete in the US?
There's honestly too many different things to answer with, but the stand out is probably the
life experience. I met people from different countries, different cultures and with different
beliefs but through all of that have made some life long friends in the process. Another big
question asked is; Was/is it worth it? Looking back at some of the memories made it's an
easy yes for me. Being able to play at such a high standard daily, with access to the top
facilities whether it be for training or recovery and to come out of it with a degree was
incredible. I never expected to further my education and wouldn't have if I stayed in
England, so for football to give me that opportunity it makes the experience more valuable
than ever. In terms of football, having the chance to train daily with players from these
different countries helped me to add to my game. It offered me the chance to develop skills
and learn different playing styles which I continue to adapt today in my training methods
and in games to this day.
Studying in the US gave me many of the same experiences as my friends who went to uni
in England mainly the social aspect, but it also gave me the opportunity to see places that I
may not have ever seen. Going to watch NBA/NFL/MLS games, getting lost in huge cities
like Chicago and the excitement of a road trip for spring break. Little nuances like this were
incredible and will live with me forever and as I mentioned previously, these are things that
I may not have the chance to do if I hadn't grabbed the opportunity of a scholarship that
was presented to me.
I definitely wouldn't be where I am now had I not taken that chance. I currently find myself
still playing in Sweden but this was only available to me through contacts made during my
time in the US. Before this I have made use of my degree working for several different
companies including some multinational corporations. There are smaller benefits that I
have noticed since graduating, things like being more confident; having to speak to people
from different countries that speak in different languages, learning to work together with
new people and be a part of that team all helped to develop in this. It gave me a chance to
learn new languages with other international players, it has helped me develop skills for
CV's and interviews which is an important part of the real world and being successful in the
workplace, but as previously stated and most importantly for me was making some life
long friends during my time in the US.
