SportsEdTV: We're here today with Shane O'Neill, a central defender with the Seattle Sounders. Thanks for joining us today. Shane, I know there's a deep Irish sporting background in your family and a sporting pedigree. Can you share your family’s sporting background?
Shane O'Neill: Yes. So, my dad played football (Gaelic Football) for Cork and what seems to be some of their glory years in the early 90s. He won an All-Ireland title in 1990. That was before I was born, so I didn't get to experience that really well. My first memories of other family members sporting wise would have been my uncle, Maurice Fitzgerald. He was an incredible Gaelic football player for Kerry, and I remember vividly going to a lot of his games as a kid. I've actually watched a lot of his videos and I've talked to him a little bit as well, just about his mentality, mindset, and how he made some incredible high-pressure performances.
SportsEdTV: Are there any particular things he shared with you on performing and scoring crucial scores?
Shane O'Neill: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is just learning to trust yourself and learning to let go of the shot. I remember vividly him talking a lot about unshackling yourself because you have to believe in yourself and you have to back yourself in the pressure moments. He talked a lot about visualization, which is kind of interesting because you wouldn't think that 25 years ago, that somebody playing the game would be thinking like that. I definitely think he was ahead of the game in that regard. He talked about, I kicked all these points before in my head before I ever did him, so I took a lot away from that and let yourself loose. He explained that nobody's going to make a huge impact if you're not brave. You have to take some risks at times, while not being reckless. If you want to do something special, you have to kind of put it on the line. My older brother played college football at the University of Colorado. He was a phenomenal athlete for a lot of different sports. My younger brother played college soccer at Wisconsin and then Villanova. I have a sister who plays college basketball, and my youngest brother is committed to Creighton for soccer.
SportsEdTV: For those that may not know what we're talking about, the sport of Gaelic football in Ireland, which is an amateur sport has been played at a professional level for many years. Shane's uncle was a true legend in that sport. You mentioned your older brother. Am I right in saying that he walked onto that football team?
Shane O'Neill: Yes, as a punter. He had an interesting story. He was a really good multi-sport athlete. He then focused on basketball. It's a really tough sport to crack into. I think he had all the tools and he had some offers, but he ended up deciding to just go to CU. I think he was a little burnt out and took a year off sports. Then, he walked on and played four years with the football team. He earned a scholarship after his first year. He was a proper athlete.
SportsEdTV: It's a very talented family for sure. I know growing up you played multiple sports. What sports were you playing and how did it progress to that stage of you deciding to focus on soccer?
