A growing number of Australian athletes are heading to US colleges to pursue an international career in Women’s basketball and Men’s football.

“I’ve taken every opportunity that’s opened up and now I’m here.” said Georgia Amoore, a player from Ballarat who was drafted sixth overall by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA. 

Amoore is one of a growing number of Australian athletes making their mark on the global stage through the US college system. Particularly in basketball where scholarships and international exposure are drawing in more players and the sport has noted 'growing demand' with the need to support families. 

According to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), thousands of Australian student athletes join college teams annually. For National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Divisions I and II, this number has grown each year. Women’s basketball and men’s football have seen the most significant growth.

Sam Tomlinson is the founder of Aussie Basketball USA, an organisation that helps young Australian basketballers secure US scholarships. Tomlinson said that the US college pathway aids Australian athletes to reach international success. 

US scholarships can be valued at up to half a million dollars as they provide Australian athletes with accommodation, flights, food, physiotherapy and travel – essentially everything an athlete needs to thrive. 

Tomlinson said the biggest benefits of the US college sport system were the scale and visibility of basketball.

“More exposure, more people helping you, more fans, more people follow the women's game over there,” she said.

Australia has been described as the sporting nation, with national survey data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing 60 per cent of kids participated in organised sport over a 12 month period. This strong sporting tradition has driven many young Australians to pursue athletic careers, including through US college pathways.

Tomlinson said that Aussie children often started playing basketball representative sport earlier than Americans, giving them an advantage in developing skills early on.

“We tend to get our kids into representative sport as early as the age of six over here… over in America it's not as organized at that age group” she said.

Georgia Amoore is a product of the US basketball college pathway. Amoore graduated from the University of Kentucky after transferring from Virginia Tech University.

Tomlinson said that the US universities helped Amoore reach the level she is at today, being drafted sixth to the Washington Mystics.

“She was not chosen to play for Australia when she was under 19, so a lot of her work came from the United States system” she said.

Australian players competing on the global stage has inspired the younger generation to follow their basketball ambition. Tomlinson said that Georgia Amoore, has challenged the stereotype that basketballers need to be tall in order to be successful, giveing hope to young girls who worry their height might hold them back.

“So if you're going to dream, dream big."

"Because anything in this landscape is possible at the moment for women in basketball all around the world” she said.

Tomlinson said the opportunities for Australian athletes in the US college basketball system continued to expand and evolve.

“Players are going to get agents and managers earlier than ever before because it's becoming just very competitive in that landscape at the moment” she said.

Australia is the most represented audience in the NBA and WNBA outside of North America. This has coincided with the sport’s growing popularity at home. Australia has more NBA League Pass subscribers than any other country outside the US in previous seasons. 

Proposed changes to the ‘Name, Image, Likeness’ (NIL) deals have contributed to the growing interest in US college sports among international student-athletes. NIL refers to an individual’s legal right to control how their image is used, including for commercial purposes. Until recently, college athletes in the US were not allowed to profit from their fame, but rule changes have relaxed these restrictions. And the rules are more complex for international students.

These potential future arrangements have influenced Australian footy players to join US university’s football teams. AFL players have become strong candidates for the position of punter, in American football - a specialist kicker who punts the ball downfield to limit the opponent’s field position.

A major contributor to this pathway is Prokick Australia, an organisation which identifies and trains athletes with the potential to transition into American football, coaching them in punting mechanics, the rules of the game and the university recruiting process.

Tim Gleeson has worked in coaching and recruitment for Prokick. He said that the growing interest in American football can be attributed to Australian players in the National Championship and former AFL players transitioning to the NFL, both of which have increased media exposure.

Gleeson said that there has been a gradual increase for the program with Prokick’s beginnings consisting of three scholarships in 2009 and this year it has done more than sixty.

Over that time, Gleeson said that Prokick has built a close relationship with American football coaches, helping them secure scholarships.

“The coaches know the quality we put out, they trust us, they know that we can fill their needs most of the time and get them a player of the calibre that they want,” he said.

Earning a scholarship at a US college gives Australian students access to a world class education.

“A lot of these schools have pretty extensive alumni networks…, you might just land your dream job just from sort of being at a great school and networking with some pretty powerful alumni.”

Some Prokick athletes even go on to be drafted into professional leagues.

“A 1 in 20 chance to sort of extend your career through either the NFL or sometimes even the CFL,” he said.

Recent NFL draftees Jeremy Crawshaw and Torrey Taylor, who both got their start from Prokick.

Australian-raised punters in the NFL include Mitch Wishnowsky, Michael Dickson, Cameron Johnston and Matt Hayball.