Without Hesitation, Extremely Free: Aaron Molloy Player Spotlight

With age comes reality. It can be said that our worth is measured in increments of success and that the level of frivolity with which we attack life has a direct correlation to its outcomes. It is of no surprise to me that when I sat down to speak with Aaron Molloy, I found him to be ripe for inquisition. He was humble, open, and honest — it felt oddly like interviewing a fellow classmate and not a professional soccer player with aspirations of playing for the Irish national team.

Aaron Molloy is about his business. He works out to life coaching and improvement podcasts, takes care of his body 25/8, and attacks the offseason with ferocity. But where does this determination come from? Molloy has played footy all his life. He inherited the game from his father. He recalls the influence his father had on his own desire to play. His voice began to deepen with bass, and he looked a bit off into the distance as if he were watching his childhood on a big screen in front of him. The pride in his upbringing and his love for the game was palpable. For Molloy, success — as subjective as it may be — was not a choice. His childhood was rough and, in short, footy was the element of life that kept him from darker narrows. Out of respect for him, I didn’t want to turn his spotlight into an introspective session that capitalized off his past traumas, but one thing is for certain, anyone who grows up playing their favorite sport on concrete streets is bound to attack the game with a different tenacity and inspiration.

Molloy’s skills earned him a scholarship offer to play at Penn State University, where he continued to fall “madly in love” with the game. I quizzed him on how he views the game; as a job to be done, or a love to be appreciated; he chose the latter. He referenced hours upon hours of pick-up soccer wherever he could find a ball and an open space, and he mentioned that upon embarking on his professional career in the states he was on the search for people with the same mentality as himself.

Meeting Dylan almost felt kismet, according to Molloy. He expressed his gratitude for someone who was willing to do so much to ensure he was able to fine tune his craft. For a while, and perhaps maybe still, Dylan or co-owner Jordan Saling would drive to the Secaucus train station — however many minutes away that may be — to pick Molloy up and take him to train with other pros. As his career experiences ebbs and flows the tribulations are met with a staunch roster of mates behind the Irish footy hopeful. Molloy, dressed as if he was about to go train after this interview, made important reference to the culture that UltraFooty exposed him to.

There is top to bottom talent at UltraFooty. But whether you’re a youth or a pro, Molloy believes the tools to get to the next level are prevalent. There was no grandiose gesture of praise for UltraFooty, no “I can’t thank these guys enough,” and no “without them” moment. And I’m happy about it. Instead, there was an authentic thought process that led to Molloy’s understanding of where he is at in his career and where he plans to go.

So, what are the goals and keys to the next level for Molloy? The first is to stay healthy.

And what of the reason he is at UltraFooty? Molloy flourishes in the opportunity to play freely and unapologetically.

There was no hesitation in Molloy’s voice when I asked him what his final line in a love letter to the sport would be. With resolve, like he had the million-dollar answer on Jeopardy he said, “just thank you.” Molloy talked about the why and what to a great extent. His hallmark moment in our discussion whizzed by quickly and without reassurance. As I scribbled chicken scratch onto an old notepad, I caught his words that made me shift in my seat.

“Anybody can work hard two hours a day, it’s about how you treat yourself in the other 22 that really matters.”

He talked about his peace in this life being his fiancé. He mentioned Rich Roll, Talk & Bollocks, and Top Performance being his go to podcasts for collective thought and introspection. Molloy hammered home the outside aspects of the game that allow him to fully expose himself to the beauties and terrors of soccer. There was a certain comfort for Molloy knowing that the other 22 hours of the day were covered. Without hesitation, extremely free, and altogether unapologetic, Aaron Molloy can continue to write his love letter to the game that saved him.