Playing Between Time Zones

Vince McKeefery

After graduating high school, Vince McKeefery became one of the few athletes to make that leap and moved from Leicester, United Kingdom to the United States to continue his rugby career while pursuing a higher education. Now, he is in his second year at Grand Canyon University (GCU) in Phoenix, Arizona where he studies Business Management and plays for the school’s D1 men’s rugby team.

At 18 years old, the option to play professional rugby was appealing, but McKeefery knew the career would come with a lot of unnecessary pressure, especially at his young age.

Instead, he decided to move across the world to a country where the sport has grown by 27 percent among youth over the last five years.

Youth participation in rugby has dropped 15 percent in many European countries, making the U.S. a more appealing long-term option.

So, to the number eight, it made more sense to play at a lower level and get a degree along with it instead of dealing with the financial and legal uncertainties of Rugby Union back home.

For McKeefery, the hardest adjustments came off the pitch. 

While the transition to the U.S. didn’t bring a language barrier or major culture shock, it did change how he spent his time and who he spent his time with. Back home, McKeefery’s routine consists of hanging out with friends and enjoying the vibrant England nightlife.

“It’s not like I can just go into the pub here because I’m under 21, but in the U.K. that’s all you do,” said McKeefery. “Back home, nights mean going out with friends, grabbing a beer, and watching sports together.”

In the U.S., those moments are harder to come by. Much of his time is now centered around rugby, and when he does want to go out and unwind with teammates, options are limited due to age restrictions.

“I’m glad I have Camille on the team now because he gets it,” said McKeefery. “We have this special bond over being away from home and I can talk to him about the small European things I miss and the American things I think are weird. Coach has also helped with the transition because he is from Ireland. He really knows how to help me when I’m struggling.”

The distance from home has also meant spending long stretches without seeing the people closest to him, including his girlfriend and his mother. Back in England, those relationships were part of his everyday routine, built into his life outside of rugby.

Now, they exist across a seven-hour time difference.

Even with constant communication, the absence is noticeable when he is coming back to his apartment after a tough match or craving his mother’s homemade English food.

That distance, however, has positively reshaped how he values those relationships.

“When you go back and you haven't seen them for four or five months, and you get to see them, it makes it a lot more special.”

Vince McKeefery

McKeefery’s experience isn’t unique. Across the team, similar sacrifices take different forms.

Camille Becker

Like McKeefery, Camille Becker also moved from Europe to the United States to play rugby at GCU. In his home city of Montpellier, France, Becker attended a regular European high school and a separate academy for rugby simultaneously.

There was no comfortable way for him to balance both due to the lack of extracurriculars that the French school system provides.

As a result, Becker was forced to fully commit to school for much of the week, then make separate time to attend the Montpellier Hèrault Rugby Academy.

“In France, you have to choose between sport and school, and your schedule can get uncomfortable if you want to do both because sports and school don’t line up at all,” said Becker. “I wanted to do both.”

Since he was unable to have what Americans believe to be the typical high school student-athlete experience, Becker moved to the U.S. to become a student-athlete at GCU.

For Becker, the challenge was not just distance, it was starting over in a completely unfamiliar system.

Not only did he have to get acclimated to a new team, school system, and food options, but, unlike his British teammate, Becker also had to adjust to a new language.

That adjustment extended beyond the classroom and the field, impacting how he communicated, built relationships, and navigated everyday life.

The uncertainty was almost immediate, and the butterflies came before he hopped on the plane here.

Beyond adjusting to a new environment, Becker also had to navigate the distance from home.

Back in France, Becker grew up surrounded by family, including his three younger siblings, who were a constant part of his daily routine. Whether it was time at home stepping into his big brother role or moments between school and rugby, they were always close by.

Now, those interactions are cut up into short fragments of time.

Despite being an ocean apart, his family has remained a strong presence in his journey. When they visit, their time is spent exploring this new chapter of Becker’s life, from walking around campus to watching matches all in a place that once felt unfamiliar to him.

“My siblings love the U.S.,” said Becker. “They think it’s really cool and they love meeting my teammates as well.”

Even with those visits, the dynamic has shifted.

“When you see people every day, it’s like a routine. Now I just see them for two weeks, so I enjoy my time with them more. I’m very blessed by them, but I miss them a lot.”

Camille Becker

With his family’s support, the transition for the young rugby player has been easier than it probably is for other international athletes and has ultimately shown Becker that his decision to move abroad, while challenging, is only part of a larger, worthwhile step forward.

Jess Haines

Jess Haines also left her European roots to get a taste of the American student-athlete life. The 21-year-old golfer from London has been living in the U.S. since the fall of 2023, and she has seen glimpses of both the corn fields of Indiana and the desert of Arizona. 

Haines initially attended the University of Indianapolis (UIndy) where she played Division II golf, but when her coach announced that he was moving to GCU, she followed.

The original move was inspired by the American athletic system. The individuality of golf never gave Haines the chance to be a part of a true team in London. She competed in tournaments and played rounds at her father’s countryside golf course, but she never had teammates to mess around with at practice or cheer on at competitions.

Now, Haines is finishing up her second year in Phoenix, balancing classes, building relationships with peers, and competing at the Division I level with a support system of teammates and coaches she never had growing up.  

The move to the U.S. gave Haines the team environment she had always wanted, but it also meant leaving behind the team who has stood behind her since birth.

In London, having a grandmother who lives just down the road from her and a brother and father who share Haines’ love for golf made it easy to feel constantly connected to both her family and her sport.

Those routines were once effortless, and now they require distance and planning.

She wonders if it is because of her natural desire to be independent or because she was so certain that America was the right decision for her, but Haines wasn’t as concerned about adjusting to a new environment as most people would be.

“I wasn’t worried about coming to America for myself. I was more worried about leaving my family.”

Jess Haines

That distance has forced her into a new level of independence.

“Being over here by yourself, you kind of just have to fend for yourself and figure out life as you go,” said Haines. “My maturity has definitely increased too and even though I’ve only been here a few years, I feel a lot older now than I did before I came to college.”

While she has grown a lot from being on her own, it doesn’t take away from how much she values time with her family, especially when she gets to go home for family gatherings.

Titus Wright

Unlike the other athletes who desired a higher education, Titus Wright wanted to take the route that would help him avoid school as much as possible.

After moving from Yakima, Washington to Casa Grande, Arizona to attend the Barca Residency Academy at 14 years old, Wright knew there was more in store for him after he completed his time there.

Now, Wright finds himself in Madrid, Spain, where he plays for the Real Club Deportivo Carabanchel semi-professional fútbol team.

He was never a straight A student, so he was perfectly okay when his focus from education drifted as he fully committed to the game he’s loved since he was three years old.

Coming from a place where American fútbol often overshadows soccer, Wright was eager to experience his favorite sport in its purest element.

However, pursuing that opportunity meant leaving behind everything familiar.

In Spain, the game itself demanded adjustment just as much as the culture surrounding it.

“They see fútbol a lot differently in Europe, especially in Spain. They play the game a lot quicker and use their fútbol IQ to play faster and that is something you must adjust to when you’re here,” said Wright. “Or else you won’t make it very far.”

Off the pitch, that adjustment expanded into everyday life.

“Most people don’t realize it doesn’t just take two weeks to adjust to a new culture. It took almost a month for me to adjust, and it probably would have been longer if it weren’t for my awesome teammates who have helped me with my Spanish and taught me everything I need to know about the way of life here."

Titus Wright

While his teammates were a huge help in his adjustment, the move still brought the obvious feelings of loneliness and desire to be with his family.

Unlike some of the other athletes, Wright has fully embraced the independence that comes with being on his own in a new country. He knew there would be sacrifices along the way, but he also understood that some sacrifices are the necessary steps toward building a career in fútbol.