Patrick Murphy signs with Drexel after experience with Union Academy

Patrick+Murphy%2C+North+Penn+senior%2C+signs+his+letter+of+intent+surround+by+his+family%3A+grandfather+Ray%2C+mother%2C+Karin%2C+father%2C+Terry%2C+brother+Sean%2C+and+grandmother%2C+Nancy

Patrick Murphy, North Penn senior, signs his letter of intent surround by his family: grandfather Ray, mother, Karin, father, Terry, brother Sean, and grandmother, Nancy

TOWAMENCIN- When it comes to collegiate sport recruiting, one usually looks at high school sports teams to discover the best athletes a school has to offer. However, that is not the case for North Penn student and senior soccer player Patrick Murphy who is committed to be a Drexel Dragon.

Murphy is not a member of the North Penn Men’s Soccer Team because he plays for the Philadelphia Union Academy U-18 team (the team has a ten month season that allows for around eight weeks off per year). The Philadelphia Union Academy offers a different kind of athletic program that has given Murphy the opportunity to not only grow as a soccer player, but grow as an adult as well.

“The team really matured Pat  because it is a professional environment, and they treat the athletes like adults; they have been great to him,” said Pat’s dad, Terry Murphy.

This prestigious club team requires a more rigorous commitment than other high school sports, which puts Murphy in a unique situation. Murphy is required to attend practice Mondays through Fridays at 2:30pm, and  because of Murphy’s intense practice schedule, North Penn has constructed a personal schedule that can accommodate both his academic and athletic needs.

“I come to school second through fifth period, and then I leave because I have to get to practice by 2:30,” explained Murphy.

Everybody here at the district, from Pat’s teachers to his counselors and principals, have been so accommodating and understanding with his schedule

— Karin Murphy

“Everybody here at the district, from Pat’s teachers to his counselors and principals, have been so accommodating and understanding with his schedule,” said Pat’s mother, Karin Murphy.

In addition to the Monday through Friday practices, Murphy travels for several days at a time for games, often missing multiple days of school. This frequent travel requires Murphy to be in constant contact with his teachers so that he can stay  on top of his grades and not miss any assignments. Murphy and his family couldn’t be more thankful for the support Murphy gets from his teachers while he is absent from school.

Growing up, Murphy always had soccer as a big part of his life..

“I probably started playing soccer as soon as I could walk,” said Murphy.

His dad played soccer, and his brother, Sean Murphy, played soccer for North Penn, so Pat grew very familiar with the sport at a young age. When his brother played as a Knight, he was even the ball boy for North Penn for three years.

While he did participate in other sports such as basketball and baseball, in ninth grade, he had to make the decision to pursue soccer alone in order to play for the Union Academy. When he made the decision to play for the Union Academy, he also made the decision to not play for North Penn, a decision that was not an easy one.

“It’s upsetting to not play for the high school because I always looked forward to it as a kid, but I had to make that decision,” said Murphy.

Luckily, throughout the process, Murphy had has the strong support of his family. For the first three years of high school, Murphy wasn’t only dealing his most important academic years, but he was also dealing with a new and time consuming soccer regime. From school to practice, he would be on the go from 6:30am to 7:30pm, which was extremely difficult as a high school student.

“Especially when he didn’t drive,” joked his mom, reminiscing on the days before Pat could drive, “It was a huge commitment from the whole family to get him to practice.”

Now that Murphy can drive himself to his practices, he only relies on a ride from his grandfather once a week.

Since Murphy has major support from his family on and off the field, his family played a major role in deciding which college he wanted the attend.
“[Distance] was a big factor- for my mom especially,” laughed Murphy, “she’s really excited about Drexel being so close so she can come to the home games.”