Olympian Naomi Carroll swaps green jersey for graduation robe as she was conferred from UL

The graduation marks another milestone for Naomi Carroll who has enjoyed an illustrious sporting career, playing a pivotal role in the success of the Irish women’s hockey team

Naomi Carroll graduated with a Professional Diploma in School Leadership from UL’s Faculty of Education and Health Sciences

Olympian and Ireland hockey player, Naomi Carroll, swapped the green jersey for a graduation robe as she was conferred from University of Limerick.

The international hockey star, who has also played football and camogie for her native Clare, graduated with a Dioplóma Gairmiúil i gCeannaireacht Scoile (Professional Diploma in School Leadership) from UL’s Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, joining more than 1,200 students graduating at UL’s Summer Conferrings.

The graduation marks another milestone for the Cratloe woman who has enjoyed an illustrious sporting career, playing a pivotal role in the success of the Irish women’s hockey team who have captured the nation’s hearts with appearances in European Tournaments, World Leagues, a World Cup and the Olympic Games.

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For Naomi Carroll, who teaches Maths and Irish at Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh, a sense of curiosity has shaped her success both on and off the pitch.

“Curiosity has played a huge role in both my sporting and professional life. I have always wanted to learn, improve and understand things better – whether in the classroom, on the pitch or in leadership,” she said.

“Staying curious keeps you open to growth and new opportunities. It is one of the reasons I pursued further study at UL alongside elite sport and teaching, and it continues to shape how I approach everything I do.”

Having made her debut for the Irish senior hockey team in 2012, Naomi Carroll has spent many years in high-performance team environments, seeing first-hand the impact that strong leadership can have on culture, performance and wellbeing.

A desire to deepen her understanding of leadership in educational contexts led her to pursue the Dioplóma Gairmiúil i gCeannaireacht Scoile (Professional Diploma in School Leadership) at UL, a programme that granted the passionate Gaeilgeoir the flexibility to balance her international hockey commitments with postgraduate study.

She credits Professor Patricia Mannix McNamara from UL’s School of Education for helping her to think about leadership not just as a position, but as something that can positively influence school culture and the experiences of students.

“Patricia’s passion for education and leadership was evident in every lecture. Her enthusiasm for education was infectious, and many of the ideas from the programme continue to influence my teaching,” Naomi said.

While Professor Mannix McNamara may have left a lasting impact on Naomi’s teaching career, there are others at UL who have played a significant role in her sporting career, including UL Sport stalwart Noreen O’Connell who Naomi describes as being “consistently encouraging and helpful” throughout her time at UL.

However, before she came to study at UL, Naomi benefited from the expertise of Professor Tom Comyns from UL’s Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences who coached Naomi during her preparation for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

Reflecting on that time, Naomi describes Professor Comyns’ support and expertise as “invaluable”.

That 2020 trip to Tokyo was one of Naomi’s proudest sporting achievements.

Representing Ireland at the Olympics was the realisation of a dream that began when she was a young girl and one which required years of dedication to achieve.

“Walking out in an Irish jersey on the biggest sporting stage in the world is something I will never forget,” she said proudly.  

“It was the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice and support from so many people, with my parents Fintan and Margaret and my husband John being constant sources of support throughout.”

Just two years before fulfilling her dream of becoming an Olympian, Naomi experienced one of the toughest challenges of her sporting career when she suffered an ACL injury while playing football for Clare, an injury that put her out of action for close on a year.

“Physically, it required a huge amount of rehabilitation, but mentally it was just as demanding. When sport has been such a significant part of your life, losing the ability to play can be incredibly difficult.

“Looking back, the experience taught me resilience and gave me a greater appreciation for every opportunity I have to compete. It also showed me that there is life outside of sport, which was an important lesson to learn at a young age.”

The Irish team narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics after a heartbreaking defeat to Great Britain who secured the final spot.

For Naomi, the disappointment of missing out on her second Olympics was difficult to process at the time but teaching and her day-to-day life outside of hockey helped to keep her grounded and gave her perspective during that time.

“One of the greatest lessons sport teaches you is that setbacks are inevitable. You learn to keep moving forward, focus on what you can control, and appreciate the journey rather than just the outcome,” she said.

“What keeps me going is my love for the game, the friendships I have built through it, and the desire to continually challenge myself and improve.”

Her day-to-day life outside of sport has gotten a whole lot busier since the arrival of baby Peadar 8 months ago.

For Naomi, becoming a mother has been of the most rewarding experiences of her life and one which has given her a new perspective on priorities, balance and what success means.

“Life has changed completely – in the best possible way. Peadar has brought so much joy into our lives. He has also taught me to slow down and appreciate the small moments.”

Now back playing with Catholic Institute, Naomi is looking forward to the season ahead as the team prepares for the Irish Senior Cup and Irish Hockey League.

And while hockey has taken her all over the world, for Naomi, there is still something very special about pulling on the jersey for Cratloe and The Banner Ladies and playing beside those she has grown up with.

“After years in elite sport, I really value the sense of community that GAA provides and the connection to your club, parish and people.

“GAA played a huge role in my sporting development and helped build many of the skills that transferred into hockey – teamwork, resilience, competitiveness and a love of sport. Since becoming a mother, I have an even greater appreciation for being able to stay involved.”

As she enjoys this chapter of her life balancing family, teaching and sport, Naomi hopes to keep learning, keep challenging herself and keep trying to make a positive impact on the young people she works with.

“If I have learned anything through education and sport, it’s that the journey rarely goes exactly as planned!

“Sport has shaped so much of who I am. It has given me friendships, confidence, resilience and opportunities I could never have imagined growing up.

 “But some of my proudest moments have also happened outside of sport – overcoming injury setbacks, completing further education, seeing students succeed and becoming a mother.

“Those experiences have shaped me just as much as anything I have achieved on the pitch.”