Marmion’s Barry O’Neill is not your average American teenager.
The senior midfielder is more international in spirit and sensibility, the natural byproduct of spending much of the first half of his childhood living abroad.
“I was born in Chicago,” he said. “But I also have lived in the Netherlands and Ireland.”
Thrust into the unknown of different cultures, languages and history, O’Neill found solace — and increasingly his identity — by playing soccer.
“I don’t have really good memories of Amsterdam or remember much about starting soccer there,” he said. “It was really in Dublin, where my grandfather got me into the sport when I was about 6 or 7.”
Soccer became his gateway to the world.
“Growing up in Dublin, soccer was my life there,” O’Neill said. “I played all day, every day. That’s where I learned the game.
“My favorite team is Manchester United and my favorite player is Wayne Rooney. I try to model my game after him.”
Jumping around due to his father’s job, O’Neill moved to St. Charles at age 12 and adjusted back to being in the United States.
His unique perspective makes him a young player for all seasons — born in America, but toughened and shaped through a distinctly European lens.
A three-year varsity starter who also has played defender and forward, O’Neill has excelled the last two seasons in the midfield as a distributor and finisher for the Cadets.
“Barry caught my eye as a sophomore,” Marmion coach Gerardo Alvarez said. “He was a soft-spoken kid, but when he stepped on the field, he transformed into a protagonist.
“He makes plays that win games.”
O’Neill has flashed a heady command and deeply intuitive feel for the game this season for the Cadets (6-8-5).
He exudes confidence. He’s always under control, anticipating the flow and different patterns of a game, according to senior forward Harley Karner.
“Barry is very shifty and his soccer IQ is great,” Karner said. “He’s not afraid to take defenders on, which generates many of our scoring opportunities.”
Technical skill is just part of the equation. The crucial act is knowing where to be and making an impact.
“I think I am very good at reading the game and learning where to be at all times,” O’Neill said. “I understand the tempo of the game, whether to speed it up or slow it down.”
Although O’Neill was named a captain, his manner is not vocal or outgoing.
Junior midfielder Alvaro Alanis confirmed O’Neill simply sets a tone his teammates follow.
“I absolutely love playing with Barry,” Alanis said. “He’s very unselfish. I have learned a lot from him, with his technical ability and his competitiveness.”
An up-and-down regular season is now just a memory for Marmion, which played a schedule consisting primarily of Class 3A teams.
The Cadets are the second seed in the subsectional of the Class 2A Glenbard South Sectional. Marmion opens up Tuesday in a regional at Hinsdale South.
It’s a chance to regenerate and begin anew.
“Obviously the regular season didn’t pan out as we wanted,” O’Neill said. “But I am ready to lead my team on a deep playoff run.”
O’Neill is still staking out his future, with his plans for college remaining up in the air. He’s mulling different academic and playing options.
Regardless of the outcome, certain qualities about him transcend time and place.
As Hamlet famously said, there’s the rub.
But whatever side of the world O’Neill is practicing his craft, the only certainty is he does so with utter conviction.
“I love the competition,” he said. “I am always going to give it my all whenever there’s a ball and an opponent.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
