Northern Irish track and field coach and former athlete Laura Kerr has joined FirstPoint USA, as the company looks to grow its portfolio of international track and field athletes.

Laura joins FirstPoint as Associate Director of Athletics with a vast sporting pedigree, having competed for Great Britain, Northern Ireland and at NCAA DI level, during an impressive career as an athlete, coach and manager. Team Leader for the Great Britain & Northern Ireland team at the European U-18 Athletics Championships in 2022, under Laura’s leadership the team produced a record haul of 16 medals and 22 personal bests to top the medal table.

Laura has been Coach Development Lead, Talent Lead and more recently held the role of Acting Head of Athletics for the governing body, Athletics Northern Ireland, and the country had their most successful Commonwealth Games in more than 30 years at Birmingham 2022. A former student-athlete, Laura undertook a Master’s Degree in Human Performance at McNeese State University in Louisiana, where she competed successfully in javelin, while supporting other athletes as a coaching intern.

She will further strengthen a growing athletics program at FirstPoint which has been bolstered by the signings of two of Scotland’s top young athletes in the past year, triple jumper Kate Harvie and distance runner Kai Crawford, the latter now at the prestigious University of Alabama. 

Upon her appointment, Laura said: “Collegiate Athletics and scholarship opportunities in America provide excellent opportunities for athletes to train daily, with professional coaches and teammates in world class facilities, whilst also pursuing their degrees. The competition structures, depth across all disciplines and presentation of events is outstanding and unmatched anywhere else in the world in for university athletes.

“I have long been an advocate of dual careers and in Athletics it is essential that teenage athletes pursue their sporting goals alongside their education and preparation for future careers.  A key focus of my own career has been supporting teenage athletes and their parents with successful transitions to university. I have worked with teenage athletes to build their skills to thrive in any training environment in the world and have supported them as they have taken up scholarships in UK, Irish and NCAA Universities.

“I look forward to using my extensive network in the sport, and knowledge of the collegiate system, to educate athletes and their parents on opportunities available in the states and to ensure that those choosing to work with FirstPoint USA receive a world class support service and have access to the best possible range of scholarship offers for Track & Field and Cross Country. I am excited to work with such a diverse group of professionals from a range of sports as FirstPoint grow their team.”

Athletes such as Great Britain’s Josh Zeller in the 110m Hurdles (University of Michigan) and Ireland’s Rashida Adeleke (University of Texas) in the 100m, 200m and 400m have this year demonstrated how student athletes can hone their skills through the collegiate system and emerge to Commonwealth, European and World Championships finals.  Twins Eilish and Roisin Flanaghan from Tyrone, Northern Ireland have risen from the local junior athletics scene to become global competitors during their time at Division 2 Adam’s State in Colorado. With Eilish at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 in the Steeplechase and Roisin setting a Northern Ireland record in the Commonwealth Games 5000m final their remarkable breakthroughs show what’s possible in the right American college program.

Laura’s appointment further bolsters FirstPoint’s team following the recent arrival of former Scotland captain John Barclay as Director of Rugby, and Andrew Kean, founder and CEO of FirstPoint USA, said:

“Laura is a fantastic addition to the FirstPoint team, arriving with truly world-class credentials as both athlete and coach. She brings to the table not only her personal experience at McNeese in Louisiana, but also years of helping support and nurture talented teenage athletes across the UK,  in finding the best sporting and educational destinations to enable them to thrive in each.  

“Joining FirstPoint USA during a truly exciting phase as we strengthen the unrivalled level of service we can offer athletes and parents thanks to these key appointments across specific sports, Laura will perform a key role in increasing awareness of the lifechanging opportunities which exist. We’re thrilled to welcome Laura to FirstPoint and we are not done yet, with further announcements about our growing team coming very soon.”

To find out more about playing and studying in the USA, visit firstpointusa.com  

For more interesting running related content, check out A Heart for Running