Professional basketballer Jolie McKeirnan talks to ROBERT CARRY about how the sport has driven her life and her struggle with red tape over her status as an Irish player
“I've played a game of basketball in 15 different countries in the last five years,” says Jolie McKeirnan, the US-born pro-basketball player who is probably one of the most well-travelled in the Irish women's game. “I think it’s amazing that a rubber ball and a metal ring has brought me to so many different places.”
Jolie, who grew up in St Louis Missouri, feels there was a certain inevitability about which sport she went into: “St Louis is a huge basketball city. Everyone around me ended up playing, so I did too,” says the player. “My father played in the air force, so it's pretty much in my blood.”
After finishing school Jolie went on to study in Arkansas State where she excelled on the court and became a two-time Kodak All America candidate. The respected institution also provided an opportunity to plan for a career outside the game: “I got a master’s in radio, tv and media,” she recalls.
Jolie's love of basketball ultimately proved strong enough to drag her away from her studies, but it's something she's philosophical about: “I started a graduate degree, but I decided to put it on hold so I could focus on basketball,” says the Irish-American. “You can always go back to school, you can't always go back to basketball.”
Offers started coming in from Europe and it didn't take Jolie long to make the decision as to whether or not she would go: “I think anyone who can go and experience another country should do it. Basketball aside, I think it helps you become a better human being.”
Jolie was very much bitten by the travel bug and wound up playing professionally in Spain, Austria, Sweden and Finland before finally settling in Ireland. One of the highlights of her European experience came in Sweden in 2006: “We won the championship there,” she recalls. “They [Swedes] are very intense in their training and very committed. I was really impressed with the level of sacrifice that people went through for the common goal of a gold medal. And we got that gold medal – it was really cool.”
In 2004, two years into her professional playing career, Jolie came to Ireland for the first time. Despite her relatively short stint in the Irish game, she feels she has witnessed massive change: “It's amazing to see how it has come up,” says Jolie. “It used to be a hobby but kids are understanding that they can grow up and play at a pro level – they're realising it can be their job, it can be their profession.”
Jolie, who was named Most Valuable Player for her role in the 2005 Austrian Cup, believes that the standard in Ireland will only improve over the coming years: “There's a good crop of Irish kids coming up at the moment that really want to excel,” she says. “They're not afraid to say they want to go away and play in another country and then come back and play for Ireland. I really like that.”
The young American, who is now settled in here and is due to marry an Irishman next year, got the chance to pull on the jersey of her adopted country, But so far, the fact that she has no Irish passport has limited her to friendly outings.
“I played with the women’s senior national team last season in a friendly against Portugal without a passport, but immigration – they kill me – they're strict on the rule that Americans have got to have a grandparent or parent born on the island.”
Her up-coming marriage might help her secure an Irish passport but she fears that by the time it comes through, it may be too late, “I'm getting marred next year to an Irish guy but I think the wait for a passport from there is around three years. By then I'll be around 30 and I might be past my prime. That said, I would love to play at any age. If I get a passport when I'm 60 I'll still probably be thinking I could play!”
Jolie's attempt at making her competitive debut for Ireland may have been put on hold until after the wedding, but she's still a prominent figure in the Irish game. Jolie, who currently lives outside Dublin, will be playing for Tolka Rovers in the Women's Superleague this season: “I'll be playing in the NBA at the end of September so I have six weeks before the opening weekend – that's the big debut – so I'm pretty excited.”
Jolie has also been heavily involved in Basketball Ireland's camps, which have been drawing youngsters into the game all over the country. She acted as camp director for a training programme in Trim last week which attracted dozens of youngsters: “Basketball Ireland are working a lot on development and bringing the game to the more rural parts of the country,” she says.
Working with kids is something Jolie, who is now a well-established coach in her own right, wants to keep doing, “Basketball has opened so many opportunities for me in life and I really want to show everyone how exciting and fun it can be.”
Jolie concludes: “Ireland has become my home away from home these past few years and I owe that all to basketball.”
