Power to him.
Clare hurler Shane O’Donnell has been offered a prestigious academic scholarship to America’s Harvard University, one of the world’s most esteemed academic seats, which will begin in September 2018.
The Banner forward has spent the last four years in University College Cork where he studied Genetics, and having recently graduated with an honours degree, he is set to pursue a PhD in the Cork college over the next few months.
Once he has completed that, he has an American Dream to look forward to with his seat earned in Harvard as a Fullbright Scholar.
Congratulations to @townhurler Shane O'Donnell @Quercus_UCC Sports Scholar Alumni & @UCC PhD student, on being awarded a @Fulbright_Eire Scholarship to Harvard in September 2018. Fantastic News Shane!! We are so proud of you. @UCC @SEFSUCC @UCCSport @johbees @UCCAlumNetwork pic.twitter.com/u6IBwEf9wT
— QuercusUCC (@Quercus_UCC) March 22, 2018
And he’s done all that while shouldering the burden of being a modern day inter-county hurler.
How often do we hear it said that it’s near impossible to balance studies with sport? Every summer without fail, hosts of Leaving Cert and even Junior Cert students take a step back from their games.
Whether they’re encouraged by their parents to do so, or following the lead of their friends, it doesn’t really matter because either way they go and feel the need to have the time anyway to lock themselves in their rooms for seven hours and bury their heads in the books until their mind actually gives up and out.
When in reality it just defeats the purpose. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. Talk about an overreaction.
Often hear people complain about the impact of sport on studies.. That's surely put to bed with Shane O'Donnell of @ClareSenHurlers & @EireOgInisGAA now heading to Harvard?! https://t.co/LQBFS92DZX
— Páraic McMahon (@thepmanofficial) March 22, 2018
It’s all because of the modern day hype train that makes a big deal out of everything and now you’ve junior cert students subjecting themselves to an avalanche of study every night because these are the most important exams they’ll ever face.
Brendan Bugler says what should have been said ages ago about Shane O'Donnell https://t.co/o8ojjSCJi2
— Clare Page (@clarepageirl) February 20, 2018
You don’t need to do that. You won’t be able to do that.
Playing sport is probably the best thing you can possibly do during exams. Life is all about balance, we are not machines and nobody is able to confine themselves to the rotten reality of a lonely study room for every evening for six months. You can do it physically alright but mentally you’ll become a zombie.
The worst thing is, you’ll do that and you’ll waste so much time at it that you’ll become unproductive, bored and wrecked.
Balance your time, get out for training. Get out for a few pucks or a kick around. You can still do that. You can still get your study done. You don’t need to make this into Mount Everest.
It’s the exact same in college where some students take it all too seriously and the library becomes their home. Talk about a means to an end.
Just look at Shane O’Donnell. The young Clare hurler is one of the best full forwards in the game. He’s been commuting home for training twice, three nights a week all the way through his academic career.
That’s a healthy lifestyle because he’s got that balance. It takes up a lot of time but it doesn’t take up all your time. If you really want to do something you’ll always find the time to get it done, and as they always say, it’s good to be busy.
It might be a worry for the Clare senior hurlers that Shane O’Donnell is departing these shores for the states in 2018. That will likely mean he won’t be able to commit to Clare, but we can guarantee you one thing, this Éire Óg, Ennis club man will be back.
You can study and you can play. Anyone who says you can’t is lying.
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