IADT and DLR County Council Sports Awards

Football has been a defining part of my life, shaping me both as an athlete and as an individual. I currently play at a semi-professional level, having competed in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and I am now taking my career to the next level by signing with an agency and gaining experience in the UK and Netherlands.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to test myself against some of the top academies and clubs in Europe, including Brentford, Barnet FC, Ajax FC, and Crystal Palace. Playing against these teams has sharpened my technical ability, tactical awareness, and competitive mindset, pushing me to continuously improve and adapt to different styles of play.

Football has not only given me incredible experiences on the pitch but has also taught me valuable life lessons: discipline, resilience, and teamwork. The challenges of balancing training, competitions, and my academic studies have strengthened my work ethic and time management skills. Every setback, whether through injury or competition, has been an opportunity to grow stronger and more determined.

With my eyes set on the future, I aim to continue developing as a player, embracing every challenge that comes my way.

My name is Nicoll. I’m a business student here at IADT, and I’m proudly part of the college football team. I’ve been playing for IADT since I joined the college in 2023, and I had great experiences with the lads on the football team. My most memorable experience with IADT is making it to the cup final in 2024. A personal achievement that stands out to me was scoring in the quarter-final of the cup this year, helping the team move onto the semi-final. Football has helped mould me into the person I am today by teaching me the value of teamwork, resilience and hard work, all which have helped me on and off the pitch. I look forward to contributing to the IADT football team and I am excited for the opportunities and achievements we can achieve together.

Hi, my name is George Anastasian, and I’m studying Business Management. I’m a footballer playing for Leicester Celtic & IADT. My achievements in my football career are more so from all the hard work I’ve put in to play at an intermediate level at my current club. When I was a young boy, I travelled to Glasgow for a football tournament, and I was the top goal scorer for my team. Sadly, we lost in the final; either way, it was an amazing experience, and I will never forget the first time I travelled overseas for a football tournament. I then proceeded to join Bohemians when I became a teenager and it was a privilege to join such a big club in Ireland. Football has really impacted my life over the past 2 to 3 years because, at the end of the day, I’m just doing the thing that I love, and that is football. I give all the Glory to God; His word says Psalm 115:1 (NIV): “Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name be the Glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” Why this verse? It reminds us that all Glory belongs to God and not ourselves, it keeps me humble, recognizing that our talents, success and even the ability to play football are gifts from Him.

I am a 22 year old visually impaired athlete. I am in my final year of New Media Studies and can’t wait to be finished and go into the workplace. I started training for para cycling in January of 2024 and took part in my first race in June 2024. I got a place on the Irish para cycling development squad in July 2024 and competed in my first international stage race in France in August. After my first season, I placed 12th in the world, which was a huge achievement. I have spent the winter training hard and am ready to compete at more international and national races this year where I hope to rank higher. The support of everyone in the para cycling community is what encouraged me to keep training and learning in order to improve myself on the bike. The sport has given me a community and support system that is behind me every step of the way.

Hi, I’m Ava Doyle, a second-year Applied Psychology student at IADT, and I play as a goalkeeper for Loreto Hockey Club in the Leinster Division 2 league. This year, our team is ranked second, and a major highlight for us was winning the Jacqui Potter Shield on St. Patrick’s Day in 2024—an achievement I’ll always cherish.

I’m fortunate to train alongside some incredible coaches and players, including former Olympian Hannah Matthews and Lizzie Murphy, a goalkeeper for the Irish national team. Their guidance has been invaluable in pushing me to improve. Last year, my team reached the Irish Junior Cup finals, and in 2025, I’ll be travelling to Prague with the 1st team to compete in the Euro Hockey Club League Finals as the reserve goalkeeper—an exciting opportunity. This season, my proudest moment was stepping in for the first team and helping them succeed in the quarterfinals of the Irish Senior Cup, the highest standard of hockey in Ireland.

My degree in Applied Psychology has played a significant role in my development both as an athlete and as a person. A key moment from my degree this year was when I studied Sport and Performance Psychology with Dr. Hurley. This module deepened my understanding of the mental aspects of sport, allowing me to apply psychological concepts directly to my hockey training and matches. Learning about mental resilience, focus, and the importance of self-reflection has helped me perform better under pressure and manage my emotions during high-stakes moments in games.

When I face mental challenges, I turn to the discipline and structure that sport provides to ground myself. Hockey, in particular, helps me manage stress through physical activity, while the camaraderie and support from my teammates make a significant difference on tough days.

As a psychology student, I’ve developed a deeper understanding of the connection between mental and physical health. This knowledge has allowed me to reframe my struggles with anxiety, seeing it as a challenge I can overcome with the right mindset and coping techniques, such as mental imagery. Whether it’s managing pre-game nerves or maintaining focus during a high-pressure match, the excitement of the challenge keeps me motivated, pushing me to succeed—a natural drive that comes from my competitive nature.

In addition to hockey, I’m also involved in the IADT Dance Society, which has provided me with a fantastic outlet. It’s given me many memorable experiences and the chance to try different styles, including hip-hop and ballet, when I have time away from hockey and college. Through the society, I’ve met some lovely people, and it’s been a great way to unwind and connect with others, offering balance to my busy schedule.

In short, sport and my degree in Applied Psychology have had a profound impact on my life, helping me grow both as an athlete and as an individual. I’m excited for the future and the opportunities that lie ahead.

My name is Dylan Shortt; I’m 21 years old and from County Kerry, and I am currently in my 3rd year studying Creative Music Production here at IADT. I’m a Second Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo and have been doing Taekwondo for over 15 years. I’ve been competing in Taekwondo for over a decade and have won numerous medals at County-level Competitions, Irish Opens, and International level competitions. I’ve most recently won Bronze at the BUTL National Championship representing IADT as part of the MARSOC club. I’ve been a Taekwondo instructor alongside my father as part of his club – Dragon Heart Taekwondo, for almost a decade and have recently joined the MARSOC club here at IADT.

I first wanted to start Taekwondo at the age of 6 because of my Dad, I wanted to be a Power Ranger and he told me that they all do Taekwondo! Although I didn’t become a Power Ranger, Taekwondo has immensely helped shape me into the person I am today and has tremendously contributed positively to my life. Teaching me the importance of courtesy, respect and perseverance. Building my self confidence and courage to always get back up, no matter how many times I get knocked down in life, always having an indomitable spirit.

Hello there, my name is Samuel Tavares and I am studying Graphic Design at IADT. I have been involved in sports since I was young, whether it is martial arts, dance, football or basketball. I really enjoyed the routine of learning something new every day and getting to know new people who excelled in that sport.

When I started in IADT, I became the president of the Basketball society by chance for 2 years in a row while also slightly helping out with the volleyball society. Eventually I fell in love with volleyball and decided to fully commit to it. I became the president and coach of the Volleyball Society, and with the help of the committee, we were able to create the IADT TURTLE VOLLEYBALL CLUB and play in Division 3 in the National League, both men’s and women’s teams.

The key memory I have from volleyball as a team, was being able to take 2 teams to a tournament and have both teams come out as 1st and 2nd place. It just made me realise that all the hard work I put in volleyball and the players eventually reached up to something.

However, the highest point that volleyball has offered me personally was being able to work at Volleyball Ireland during the summer to help them manage their Beach Tour visuals and tournaments. But being part of the team that manages Volleyball in Ireland is an experience that I will never forget, to see how they work and what motivates them.

Of course, I can’t forget that I had the honour to manage and guide multiple international teams during the U20’s Women’s European Volleyball Championship run in Blanchardstown last summer, with teams such as Italy, Poland, Portugal, Serbia and more.

Ultimately, I just want to say that Volleyball and Sports, in general, have helped me create friendships and taught me teamwork and discipline while helping me maintain a healthy lifestyle.

My name is Róise McGagh. I’m a fourth-year BA Art student in IADT and have been chairperson, secretary and club captain of IADT Surf Club over the past few years. I joined the IADT Surf Club in first year, and it has greatly contributed to the learning I have done in my time studying at IADT. I came to IADT as a slightly older student and joined initially just to meet new people, but ended up reigniting my love for surfing.

I participated in club swimming with Marlins SC and Donegal Surf Lifesaving throughout my teens as I lived close to the sea and would surf occasionally with my dad. I found it difficult to keep up sports in my adult life due to financial constraints and not seeing peers like myself, a woman and queer, engaging in the sports I was interested in. I had always enjoyed surfing but never had the opportunity to engage with it fully until I came to IADT. Though surfing is technically an individual sport, it is much safer and enjoyable to do alongside others. As a male-dominated sport, it can also be a very intimidating space to enter.

The peers I met in IADT allowed me to participate in the sport in a way that felt safe and inclusive. They were enthusiastic and generous; they brought me along on day trips, where we would set off for the west coast at 5am, and shared equipment and knowledge. Through meeting a diverse group of people in the IADT Surf Club I have been able to reignite my love of water sports and be an example for people like myself to follow. I joined the surf committee in my second year of college and began sharing my own knowledge and equipment with people who were interested in surfing. That year, while I was club captain, the club went on its first ever abroad training trip and brought our largest team ever to the intervarsity competition. My own surfing also progressed that year. I surfed new and bigger breaks, which culminated in getting to the intermediate semi-finals at intervarsities, where I surfed alongside some of the best young Irish female surfers. Though I am proud of this, I am even more proud that one of the people I worked with on the diversity and inclusion of the club, and who I trained with, placed 2nd in the women’s beginner category. And someone whom we had both encouraged to join the club and train with us placed 3rd in the same competition.

Over the next few years, I worked on making the club larger and more inclusive so that more people could get the opportunity to try out and progress in a sport that can be difficult to do financially. I set a 65%  subsidy rate for the club, helped to shape the club’s code of conduct and safety guidelines, ran water safety workshops and held weekly swim training in the local pool in Monkstown. My involvement with the surf club also led me to other sports, like wall climbing with the IADT climbing club and sea swimming in Leinster Open swims over the summer.

During my time in IADT surfing has helped with my confidence, contributed to a more healthy lifestyle, influenced my art, introduced me to some of my now closest friends and taught me how to have patience with learning and be generous with sharing knowledge. When I joined the surf club in IADT I never expected to meet a group of people like me who were also interested in surfing, which I think is quite unique to IADT – to have a club made up of a majority of women and queer people. At intervarsity competitions, we continue to be the only team and club made up of a majority of women. I am proud to have been able to help a diverse group of people involved in surfing in my time at IADT while also making friends and personally achieving a level of surfing that before never seemed possible to me.

My name is Michael Nolan. I am a first-year student in IADT studying Business Management. I currently play on the college football team, where I recently won the Freshers of the Year award. Sports has always been a major factor in my life. I have played GAA and football since I can remember. It’s always been a way for me to expand friendships and feel accomplished; playing in Dalymount Park in the Lions Cup Final, two years on the County Wicklow football team and now Intermediate GAA for Laragh.

I feel as if sports have let me be better in a lot of aspects of life, socially and mentally. It’s kept me in a positive routine where I feel like I can better myself each day. There is a sacrifice for the time you put into it, but for me, it is worth it.

I hope to bring the same intensity in my second year of football for the collage and we can go on to win the cup and bring it home for IADT.

My name is Patrick; I’m a 2nd year at IADT studying Music Production. When I came in last year, I looked to get involved in extracurricular activities to get to know more people and to get me on campus more, as my course is based in the city centre. I wanted to do something physical/sporty as I enjoy exercise; I just wasn’t sure which club/soc was right for me. I settled on IMTKD, the Taekwon-Do Society. Taekwon-Do is a style of kickboxing created in the 60s by the Korean military. I’ve always been interested in martial arts and combat sports, especially as I grew older, so being able to train for little to no cost in Dublin was very ideal as a college student. Since starting around September two years ago, I’ve been able to go to 6 tournaments. Two of which were located outside of Ireland, in Belgium and the UK. Competing is one of the highlights of Taekwon-Do; being able to travel to other countries with your team and compete in front of hundreds of people makes the trips so fun and memorable. Competition day is never easy, however, and neither is training, but willingly putting yourself in these uncomfortable and intense environments grows confidence and resilience dramatically. That confidence translates over to all other aspects of life, making you a better version of yourself. For me, my biggest achievement in the sport is getting bronze in sparring in the World Championships, but also being able to work my way up the belt system has also given me great satisfaction too. I didn’t initially know what to expect when I started; I was going to the gym, so I was focused on my strength and physicality more than speed and mobility. That shifted dramatically when I joined IMTKD. We stretched every training session, and within 2-3 months I saw a huge difference in my mobility; I didn’t get sore as easily, I stopped getting cramps, and so on. I find having something after school to look forward to helps you get through the day; it also helped me develop a stricter weekly routine. I would highly recommend joining a sports team during your time in IADT; as much as mental health is important, physical health is just as important, and it’ll provide you with friendships and memories that will stick with you forever.