Football: Teenager Patrick O’Beirne quits sports to focus on joining the Navy

Patrick O’Beirne is 6 feet 2, 175 pounds, 16 years old and waking up at 4:30 a.m. to work out. A couple weeks ago, he quit the football team at Monrovia High, where he was a kicker. He says his sports career is over even though he’s a junior.

“I want to be different,” he said. “I’ve had many coaches tell me I had potential to be a DI kicker. I trained really hard for being a kicker.”

But he made the decision he has a much bigger goal in mind _ joining the Navy _ and wanting to become a Navy SEAL.

“I’ve played sports all my life,” he said. “I can’t rely on it anymore. I’m up at 4:30 in the morning running five miles. I’m happy. I’m focusing. I don’t want to do what other people want me to do.”

It’s very difficult to walk away from team sports. O’Beirne said his mother was worried. Friends thought he was crazy.

“I want to be a Navy SEAL,” he said. “I’m not quitting football because I can’t take it anymore. I’m quitting because I want to focus on this.”

Some will say he could do both, but if he feels differently, good for him.
He said his mother has told him since he no longer has sports, “you have no excuse” for not getting all As on his report card.

“Heck yeah, I’m going to miss it,” he said. “Just because I’m stopping sports, it doesn’t mean I’m going to lose focus.”

But his life is changing.

“I’m not hanging out with the same people,” he said. “I’m doing what I want to do. I don’t have anyone to go with me at 4:30 in the morning and hang out on Friday. The hardest part is losing my brothers playing on Friday night. I’m trying to do something different.”

Here’s the link to what he wrote about his decision on Twitter.

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