Claire Oates attending SMI in Italy to realize her dream

Claire Oates from Long Beach (CA) has always dreamed of playing professional soccer. She started to play at the age of 4 and years later found herself part of one of the best Division 1 program in the nation: Southern Methodist University (SMU).

The Oates’ family loves sports and they all played in college : Claire’s parents Mike and Vicki played basketball and volleyball respectively while her sister Mallory played soccer. That is part of the reason why Claire has received so much support from them when she decided to attend Soccer Management Institute in Italy. “They were extremely excited for me and for them as well because they will be visiting me. They think this will be a great opportunity and know that I am one step closer to my dream of becoming a professional soccer player.”

“I chose SMI because it seems like a great opportunity as I have always wanted to play soccer professionally and this program seems like it will help me reach my goal. I studied Sports Management at SMU so getting a master’s at SMI in sports management and soccer coaching as well as playing and studying in Florence, Italy will be an experience of a lifetime!”

There is a lot of excitement in Claire’s words and it could not be otherwise when there is so much on the table. “I have never been to Italy but I am very excited to experience the culture,
meet the people and living in a new country. I also love to cook so I’m looking
forward to making authentic Italian food!” 

“In the future I want to work in the sports industry so getting a masters in sports management & soccer coaching will allow me to gain additional tools and knowledge to be successful in this industry. Having a diverse background in learning will be priceless in my future careers.”

Other than being a professional opportunity from both an academic and soccer standpoint, attending SMI is also a life learning experience. Our student-athletes not only will get to experience the Italian culture, they will also have the chance to explore Europe. “I have always wanted to travel and I can’t think of a better place to start my travel adventure than Italy. I have read and heard about the beautiful country, art and history and look forward to exploring when I have free time. Having the opportunity to live in Florence, showcasing my talent to
reach the professional level, and getting a masters degree abroad still sounds like a dream to me but everything is about to become real.” 

SMI Press Office