#33 PARENT Geni O’Keeffe – "It’s the Whole Family’s Journey”

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Intro:

Todays guest is Geni O’Keeffe.

Geni is a mum to Poppy. A 17 year old talented football player, currently with our Melbourne Victory A league women’s squad as a youth development contracted player.

This is a great conversation about navigating the challenges of the professional level as a teenage athlete, relocating the family to access better opportunities, the challenges of balancing education and sporting commitments and much more.

Geni is a sporting parent who is finding solutions to the daily challenges of having a high performing, talented youth athlete in the house, which we know resonates with a large part of our audience. 

There’s plenty to get out of this episode.

OK, Lets go!

Family

• 4 children, all sporty, especially tennis.

Poppy (16 years old):

• Murray United
  • Playing in a boys team up to U13s
  • Played representative soccer
• Football Victory NTC & Emerging programs
  • NTC U17, U20 and NPLW competitions
  • National Youth Championship  
  • National Futsal (2020 – present), Championship Winners (2023)
• Melbourne Victory A league women’s
  • Pre Academy Centre (2019 - 2020)
  • Elite Girls Program (2021 – 2023)
  • Train on player (2023/24)
  • Youth Development Contract (2023 - 25)
    • A league pre season match vs Western United
• Football Australia
  • Aus Junior Matildas U17 training camps (2023 - 2024)

Chapters

• 0:20 Gareth & Geni’s connection story
• 4:30 Growing up in Regional Victoria
• 15:00 The car rides
• 23:00 Balancing challenging family dynamics
• 26:45 Relocating to Melbourne for sporting opportunities
• 33:00 Educational challenges
• 41:00 Youth contract with Melbourne Victory A League Women’s team
• 52:45 interactions with coaches
• 59:00 Advice to aspiring athlete’s
• 1:02:45 Advice to support networks / parents
• 1:08:20 Quick Fire Questions