John O'Hara (soccer)
Encyclopedia
John Gerard O'Hara is an Irish football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 player, currently assistant coach for the George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...

 soccer teams.

Youth

O'Hara, who grew up in Foxford
Foxford
Foxford, historically called Bellasa , is a small village 16 km south of Ballina in County Mayo, Ireland. The village stands on the N26 national primary route from Swinford to Ballina and has a railway station served by trains between Dublin and Ballina.Situated between the Nephin and Ox...

, County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...

, represented the Republic of Ireland at both the U-15 and U-18 level and was a member of the famed Belvedere Boys Football Club.. He attended college in the States at George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...

 where he was a four year starter, four time all CAA conference team (2001–04), CAA Rookie of the Year (2001), and set many GMU school records.

Professional

O'Hara was invited to the MLS Combine
MLS Combine
The Major League Soccer Player Combine, as it is more widely known, is a four-day annual showcase, occurring every January in Fort Lauderdale, Florida's Central Broward Regional Park, where future Major League Soccer players perform physical and mental tests in front of coaches, general managers,...

 after his final season at GMU but signed with Sligo Rovers in his native Ireland for the 2005 campaign. He helped guide Rovers to the Eircom Irish First Division crown and promotion to the Premier League in his first season. O'Hara has previously played in the United Soccer Leagues
United Soccer Leagues
The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and...

 as a member of the Richmond Kickers Future
Richmond Kickers Future
Richmond Kickers Future was an American soccer team based in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Founded in 2002 as part of the development system of the Richmond Kickers USL Second Division franchise, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer...

 PDL side where he earned 2003 Goalkeeper of the Year honors and All PDL League Team honors. O'Hara was one of the first players to sign with the expansion [Carolina RailHawks]. During the 2007 season, O'Hara saw time in only three league games and left the RailHawks at the end of the season. O'Hara signed with the Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads is an American professional soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....

 of the USL Second Division
USL Second Division
The United Soccer Leagues Second Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, part of the United Soccer Leagues league pyramid...

 in the spring of 2008 where he served as captain of the team

O'Hara finished the 2008 season with DC United of the MLS, seeing time with their Reserve team.

External links

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