Niall Dunn’s journey to professional football came with a lifestyle change that is not typical of most teenagers. Rick Schantz, coach of Phoenix Rising FC, discovered Niall Dunn while training with his academy and invited him to train with the professional team. After three months of training in the preseason, Dunn signed a contract with the USL Academy in April. He was 16. Dunn’s father, James, said her family had to figure out what exactly an academy contract meant. A big draw was that Niall kept future opportunities open while allowing him to play with professionals. After joining Phoenix Rising FC, Niall’s training schedule came into conflict with his Hamilton High School courses, so he moved to Primavera Online School for the remainder of his sophomore year. Niall has taken summer classes to make up for the loss of credits with the transfer. He still expects to graduate around the same time as his colleagues. ALSO READ: Phoenix Rising FC Believes The New Stadium Will Bring An Enhanced Fan And Player Experience. He is grateful for his trip and said the feeling of having a national youth championship with the Phoenix Blackhawks, now Phoenix Rising FC Professional Academy win, the moment he recognized him wanted to continue to experience this joy on the football field. “The path I’ve walked through the academy and the club over the past few years, and just the hard work playing with the professional team, shows that anything is possible if you put your effort into it,” said Dunn. “If I keep improving, I want to do a college education, play in MLS or Europe – and for the national team.” Before joining the professional team, Niall was and is a member of the Phoenix Rising FC Professional Academy and took part in the MLS NEXT league participates in the highest youth competition league in the United States that helps young boys play at a professional level. And on Friday, 16 news clubs joined, increasing the competition to 24 teams across the country. Those who played for the academy weren’t allowed to play high school soccer, Niall said, but he didn’t mind. And now that he has been completely removed from his public high school, he said the decision resulted in the loss of some friendships. And because security measures still apply due to the pandemic, his communication mostly takes place via social media. “It won’t be the right path for everyone because sometimes social needs outweigh professional needs,” said James. “He made that commitment and it was good.” So far, Niall has been happy with the decision and knows the importance of helping him play at the highest level. “He is a member of the professional squad but is eligible for academy competitions and will not lose college qualifications,” said Danny Stone, assistant and academy coach, Phoenix Rising FC. Unlike James, who attended college before playing professional football for Seattle Sounders FC, his son’s path is already different. The only thing they have in common is that Niall plays the same position as his father: defender. “He’s done so much more than I’ve ever done,” said James. “What he has is the tenacity, the strength, the hardcore work aspect of the game. “It’s that worker-friendly attitude and that’s how he does his business.” Niall Dunn (center) was happy to present his new jersey with his father James and Rising trainer Rick Schantz. The 16-year-old goes his new way, even when he goes to school online. (Courtesy photo of Phoenix Rising FC) Niall already plays with pros, and if he’s hoping to go to college he still has a chance to secure a scholarship. But if Niall were to sign a professional contract 18 years ago, some teams are now allowing education to be included in the contract, James said. While fully supporting Niall in playing professional football, James said that when the time comes, Niall will have to study and play when he is young instead of waiting for his professional career to end. “At some point, college graduation will be obvious because you can’t play football for the rest of your life,” added James. With two years left in high school, Niall has college in the back of his mind and focused on navigating the professional athlete’s life. “He’s still a little boy physically and he’s got to cope with playing with adult professionals who have been doing this for a while,” said Stone. “So physically there is an adjustment.” Niall said the transition “was pretty easy, but I feel like I needed to raise my maturity level in the first week of preseason because I know they are older men and I know what they’re doing.” “When I get more mature and listen to them and really understand what they are telling me, I just fit in better than I would have been, ”he added. The help of his teammates, particularly Jon Bakero, a mentor who puts a lot of energy into training and offers advice on how to improve his game, made the transition easier. “He’s generally pretty calm about his job, trains with a good attitude and that’s great for a player who comes into a professional environment,” said Stone. Every teenager needs time to be comfortable in a professional setting, Stone said. However, Niall’s maturity, calm and serenity have helped earn his respect among the players. “Niall should be reminded of what he did to earn the opportunity and keep doing these things,” said Stone. While Niall was developing his game, James said that the focus should not be on perfection as that is not a sustainable goal. Rather, he teaches his son the importance of responding positively to challenges and learning from mistakes. Niall has not yet appeared, but is making the most of his chances if he is for Phoenix Rising FC on game day. “If I’m not in the squad, I’ll train before the game,” said Niall. He does all the necessary things – practices by himself, watches and watches movies, and really has a rest – so he’s ready when the time comes. Stone added that if Niall is not a regular at Phoenix Rising FC, he will play at the academy as playing games is essential to his development. While Nial is constantly working to get into the list of game days, a reminder comes: he’s still a kid. In fact, he only had his driver’s license for four months, James said. Playing FIFA on PlayStation is what keeps him down and reminds Niall that he’s still only 16 years old. Said Niall. Taiwo Adeshigbin Story, Cronkite News
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