Nineteen years after his uncle Glenn represented Australia at the 1999 World Cup, Jacob Sheil will also represent his country in the sport of American football.
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The 17-year-old was last week officially selected in the Australian team to contest the Under 19 World Cup in Mexico in July.
The selection came after 10months of arduous training camps and matches as the national squad was whittled down to the final World Cup team.
For Sheil, it is a fantastic achievement and the result of a sustained period of hard work.
“I was over the moon,” The Albion Park product said. “It’s been a result of a lot of hard work, with all the training and games. Anything like this is a big deal for anyone, playing for their country, it doesn’t matter what sport it is.”
The offensive lineman took up the sport in 2016 after being intrigued by the game and he instantly fell in love with the multi-faceted nature of gridiron.
“It’s a sport for everyone. Myself being a larger bloke, I never really got into other sports. Doing this for the past couple of years has been good, it’s allowed me to get out and compete at a sport.”
Sheil’s uncle, Glenn Fenwick, represented Australia at the 1999 World Cup, where the team recorded a famous victory over Finland. Fenwick is extremely proud of his nephew’s achievements.
“It’s been incredible,” Fenwick said. “He’s had some pretty intensive coaching from his Mustang coaches and he’s also been following a program set by NSW and Australian coaches. He’s followed that pretty religiously and he’s reaping the benefits now.”
Sheil’s ability has progressed so quickly in just 18 months that he is now considering his options for a future in the sport. He will complete his HSC studies later this year and is striving to earn a scholarship at an American college. The upcoming competition acts as the perfect opportunity to impress college scouts.
“I would like to get a college scholarship in the US,” Sheil said. “That would be great. I’ve talked to my parents about it and we’re looking into my options..
“I’ve heard of players getting scholarships from these competitions. It’s a stage to the world and a place to showcase what I can do.”
Fenwick believes a US scholarship is not out of the question for someone as talented and driven as Sheil.
“It’s opened up a whole range of options now,” Fenwick said. “There were American scouts at the final training camp and two of the Australian coaches are also US coaches. There will be scouts at the World Cup in Mexico. It’s definitely opened his eyes that there’s a possibility it could go further than just playing here.”