When Joe Scally got into the NYCFC academy at 12, his mom drove him to games and training— a three-hour drive round trip from Long Island. Now 21, Scally is an established pro who just made 100 appearances for Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach. Sacrifices paid off. This is his story. Born in Lake Grove, Long Island, Scally has always had passion for sports, thanks to his family. His family owns a sports bar, while his older brother excelled at soccer and basketball. So the young Scally started playing those sports too. He’d also shovel snow during winters at his father’s landscaping company. By the time Scally turned 12, the NYCFC academy opened. So after dominating Long Island youth leagues, his family decided to send him there. It wasn’t easy though. The Scally family lives in deep Long Island, while the NYCFC academy is in upstate New York. It was a three-hour drive round trip from Lake Grove to Orangeburg, but his mother drove him. Sacrifices paid off, because the ...