We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Owen Moemken, one of the newest soccer players to join the ranks here at FirstPoint USA. Hailing from Maidstone, Kent, Owen attended The High Weald Academy from 2010-2015, prior to his move to Maidstone Football Academy. Partnered with MidKent College, attending Maidstone Football Academy has given Owen the opportunity to continue his studies while also working on his sport. Here, Owen shares with us his sporting background, his reasons for wishing to pursue a soccer scholarship in the States, and what he is most looking forward to upon becoming a US student-athlete.
Owen tells us that he has always had a keen interest in sport and he has been participating in various sports for as long as he can remember. Around the age of nine, Owen began playing soccer, and has racked up a number of achievements since. Whilst at Headcorn Football Club, Owen was named Managers Player of the Year 2012-2013 as well as 2013-2014. He has also been named, Most Improved Player 2011-2012, Players Player of the Season 2010-2011, and Supporters Player of the Season 2011-2012. Additionally, Owen and his team were the Maidstone Minor League Winners 2015-2016, having been runners-up in different divisions for the three years prior.
With a number of soccer accolades to his name, we asked Owen to tell us about his favourite sporting memory to date. He told us...
“This has to be when I played in the Maidstone and District Cup semi-final, we were 2-0 down with 15mintues to go. We had a player sent off as well so things weren't going our way at all. During the period of the player being sent off, we had a team talk with our manager and that really fired us up. We had a free kick just inside the opposition half, I took it and put it between the penalty spot and the 6yard box and our centre half scored. The comeback was on we had around 5 minutes left to play. We had all the pressure and had them pinned in their half, I thought it was going to be one of those days no matter how hard we tried it just wasn’t going to happen. We then had one last corner of the game and our goalkeeper came up, the ball came in and there was a goal mouth scramble until the ball fell to our keeper on the edge of the box who hit the ball first time and put it in the top right corner. We went crazy as if we had won the cup already, I don’t think I've ever felt that good during a football match. “
Owen states that he wishes to pursue a sports scholarship in the US, as degrees from America have a great reputation, and he believes this will aid him in the future when it comes to obtaining a job. Additionally, Owen mentions that he has, “read that the teaching is some of the best in the world, and the facilities are amazing too”.
Upon becoming a US student-athlete, Owen tells us he is looking forward to the challenge that it will bring, as it will be completely different to what he is used to. As well as this, Owen states that he is looking forward to being part of a new team, the opportunity to meet new people, and the chance to travel across America.
In order to learn a bit more about Owen, we asked him to tell us who his top three sportspeople are and why...
"1. Steven Gerrard – He’s my all-time favourite athlete. This is because of the passion he has shown towards his sport, teammates and club. He would always give his all, and was a natural leader. He’s one of the people that have inspired me to play and work hard.
[caption id="attachment_12177" align="aligncenter" width="464"] Daniel Agger[/caption]- Daniel Agger – He’s in this list because I used to try and play like him. He gave his all in every game, and would put his body on the line for the game. He also had a lot of passion and showed great leadership skills.
- Matt Fraser – He is an incredible human. Winning the World’s Fittest Man 2016, and finishing 2nd in 2014 and 2015. He really shows that you can do anything if you put the effort in. As well as winning all of this, he also managed to complete a college degree whilst training for the CrossFit Games.”
Finally, we asked Owen where he sees himself being in 10 years time. He states that he hopes to be settled down with a family, and would like to be running his own business from home. Adding, that he hopes to still be involved in soccer in some way; whether this be playing or behind the scenes.
We’d like to thank Owen for catching up with us. We’ll keep you updated on Owen’s progress throughout the scholarship process across our various social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Think you’ve got what it takes? Apply to FirstPoint USA today for your chance to head to the States on a sports scholarship:
