Football taking Vernon teen on world-wide, whirlwind tour
Liam Gombrich is proof football can take you to the four corners of the world — well, at the very least across North America.
The 17-year-old Vernon native has just agreed to play university football this fall for the Saint Francis Xavier X-Men in Antigonish, N.S., after spending the past three years playing high school ball at IMG Academy in Florida.
Gombrich said in a normal year, he may have landed a scholarship (or at least an audition) to an American college, but the COVID-19 pandemic eliminated many of those chances.
“Several schools, including Saint FX, were more direct and aggressive in saying they wanted me,” Gombrich said. “St. FX is a prestigious school with high academics and high athletics and a great culture. They also made it really clear they wanted me, and really stayed close to me in the process. They helped me get comfortable and I knew from that I would be set up for success.”
His pigskin progress began innocently enough as a 15-year-old defensive lineman for the Fulton Maroons in Vernon. He’d also attended football camps in Canada and the U.S. From there, he was tagged to play for Team B.C. at the ABC Border Bowl against Team Alberta.
He’d never even considered transferring schools until his parents received a phone call one day.
“I didn’t go looking for IMG,” Gombrich said. “IMG called my parents, and told them they wanted me to join their team. …
“If I chose to stay and play in B.C., I had a good chance of continuing to stand out. But my goal wasn’t to stand out, but to live the dream I’ve had since I was six to become the greatest football player I could be.”
If IMG sounds familiar, you’re on to something. It’s the same IMG that cranks out star tennis players and reps all-pro athletes and celebrities as a management agency.
In 1987, IMG purchased Nick Bollettieri’s tennis academy in Bradenton, Fla., which the company rebranded as IMG Academy. It’s now a boarding school that offers schooling from Grades 5-12 in nine different sports for 1,300 students from around the world.
“I would describe my experience as a little kid going to Disney, so excited they couldn’t sleep the night before and then threw up from a ride or two,” Gombrich said. “It was amazing, but at some parts overwhelming and stressful, and there were times when I wanted to come back home, have good meals, a comfortable bed, and be with my friends from Vernon. But then I knew I would just be giving up on myself.”
The classroom was challenging, particularly around things like American History.
“I obviously was taught certain things from a different perspective than my teammates who grew up in the U.S.,” he added. “I had a few teachers that came from Canada, so we were able to talk one-on-one about these differences, and that helped a lot. At IMG, the teachers are really available to help and classes are small, so that was great.”
Also, it would’ve been tough to leave Florida given all the school offered.
The facilities include world-class weight and fitness facilities, a 5,000-seat stadium and direct access to a Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital clinic. Tuition can be as high as US$70,000, although the Gombrich family was offered subsidies (something similar to a scholarship).
Not to mention, Gombrich was able to rub shoulders with some of the greatest athletes and coaches in the world who train at IMG.
“A highlight of mine would be having the San Francisco 49ers practice here for a week in 2019, the year they went to the Super Bowl,” he said. “I tried to play it cool, but they were my favourite team ever since I was a little kid.”
Now, his attention has turned to the next phase of his life. St. FX may be about as far away from Florida as you can get. It’s a small school in a small Maritime town.
That was one of the draws. He’ll study human kinetics and sports medicine in Nova Scotia with an eye toward strength coaching.
“I want to dominate in the classroom and the field and have fun while I do it,” Gombrich says. “I want to leave a legacy while I’m there and be remembered by being respected for my actions.
“At IMG, we are coached and mentored around everything we do, from our position to our nutrition to our flexibility to our mental focus and strength in the face of trouble. I think it’s all made me a better person. I want to do that for others.”