Throughout the 2010-11 seasons, the Southern Conference will feature a student-athlete from around the league in a series called the SoCon Spotlight. This will be an opportunity to see what student-athletes are doing while they are not in the classroom or competing in their sport. The question and answer session focuses on student-athletes that serve as outstanding conference representatives through their community service efforts.
This SoCon Spotlight features Elon's Clint Irwin, a senior from Charlotte, N.C. and the goalkeeper for the Phoenix men's soccer team. Outside of being a student-athlete, Irwin focuses his time on volunteering through a number of outreach programs, giving back to his community whether at home or at school. He is Elon's all-time shutout leader and has been chosen as one of the 10 men's soccer finalists for the 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a senior from Charlotte, N.C. and play goalkeeper for Elon. I am majoring in political science with minors in philosophy and classical studies, and I will be graduating in December (2010).
What do you like best about playing soccer for Elon?
I like the camaraderie among the guys on my team. We are all close as teammates and also get along really well off the field. They are my best friends, and it's always fun to play with your best friends.
Tell us about your team's community service.
As a team we try to stay involved with Special Olympics. Each spring we have an event out on our field in which Special Olympics comes and we run the soccer station for them. Over half of the team participates each year, and that's a program we continue to stay busy with. We also try to be a part of the clinics in this area to get the community involved with soccer and get them excited about the game.
You also volunteer through a program called S.T.E.P. What is that?
My family and I started helping with it a while back. The program is called S.T.E.P. Up, which stands for Strategies to Elevate People. [My family] first got paired up with another family through my church in Charlotte, N.C.. We did whatever they needed help with from day-to-day. We have also been helping out a 60-year old legally blind woman from inner-city Charlotte [for several years]. I can remember going to her house when I was younger, and we would clean up debris, paint her house, and fix her kitchen. Now she has moved a little closer to us, and we try to help her out with whatever she needs.
How do you balance being a student and an athlete?
You have to stay on top of your work as much as you can. It's really a large time commitment to be an athlete, but as long as you do the right things off the field, go to class, do your homework and stay on top of things, it makes it fairly easy.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as a student-athlete?
The biggest challenge has been the time commitment. Getting back from road trips at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and having to go to a 9:30 class is rough, but the benefits are there to be reaped.
How has being Elon's goalkeeper enabled you to become a leader on your team?
In the goalkeeper position you can see the whole field, and you are the focal point in terms of defending. I try to use my own experience back there to manage the game, manage the field and keep the team connected when we are trying to defend. Once we go forward, I don't have much responsibility. Primarily in defense, I try to keep the team organized.
What's the best part about playing in the SoCon?
I get to see my friends around the conference a lot. I have friends at Wofford and UNCG that I get to play against at least once or twice a year, and there is always a strong rivalry between us.
Find out more about Clint and vote for him to win the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award now!