US Women’s Professional Soccer League draftee Omolyn Davis cited sacrifice as a main component in the achievement of her professional goal.

The national player who is a recent graduate of George Mason University, was the number 10 draft pick of the Washington Freedom in Baltimore, Maryland, after making an impression during a stint with the Washington Freedom Futures last summer.

She will join the likes of US standout Abby Wombach in Maryland.

It was after a sacrifice Davis said she made to spend the summer with the team when she could instead have chosen to come home to Jamaica to party and spend time with her friends.

“You have to sacrifice sometimes. Last year I really wanted to come to Jamaica to be with family, to be with friends, maybe party a little bit, but at the end of the day I knew where I wanted to go and in order for me to do that I had to make a sacrifice and that sacrifice was… staying, playing and getting that exposure that led me to the professional scene that I’m in right now.”

Davis was also selected to the All-American team after scoring 10 goals and nine assists with her college team with which she spent four years.

“I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned that hard work does pay off. I’ve learned that education is the more important thing because at the end of the day the coaches that recruit you want you to get that degree to leave with that paper in your hand,” she told the Observer.

The former Excelsior High and Waterhouse player added: “I’ve learned to stay focussed to be humble at times because it’s not everytime things are gravy (good); there’re times when things are hard and I got to stuck through and call my mom or my coach and get advice to keep me going.”

Said the 24-year-old: “I’m still young. I have a long way to go so right now I’m focussed on soccer.”

In 2010 Davis was named in a 2010 All League team by the United Soccer League W-League. She was also selected among a group of 45 collegiate players named to the 2010 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCCA). The Hermann Trophy is the highest individual honour in intercollegiate soccer.

Davis was a guest of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) during the CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and spoke about the differences between playing football at home and in the United States.

“It’s more advanced in terms of the resources that they have. Jamaica don’t have the same resources that obviously the US and other countries have, so it’s a little bit different playing in the US because of the resources; because of the money, because of the type of players,” she said.