Balancing Professional Rugby and an ICMS Property Degree: Reuben Garrick’s Winning Game Plan

For Manly Sea Eagles NRL player Reuben Garrick, life moves at a fast pace. Between intense training schedules, high-stakes games, and a busy family life, he is also tackling his future head-on as a property student at ICMS.

It’s a demanding balance, but one he manages with a clear strategy grounded in organisation, passion, and a forward-thinking mindset.

A Foundation in Property

Reuben’s interest in property isn’t new; it’s a passion that was built from the ground up, inspired by his family.

“I’ve always had a really keen interest in property from a young age,” Reuben explains.

“My dad’s a builder and my mum’s always managed Airbnbs, so I’ve had a pretty good look into that side of property and investment and flipping houses and stuff like that.”

This early exposure showed him how property can create wealth, but he also saw its deeper value.

“Property also has that sort of emotional side to it as well. It’s not just numbers on a page; you can also get attached to a place and it’s tangible.”

Having attended Kiama High School before studying further, the ICMS Bachelor of Property (Development, Investment and Valuation) degree stood out to him because it covered the diverse areas he was drawn to.

“It has a variety of different parts and aspects of property that I’m interested in,” he says.

“So there’s development, investment and valuation. And I like the valuation side of it, but then also, I guess, the investment side personally.”

The Playbook for Balance and Pressure

Juggling a professional sports career, studies, and a young family requires more than just good time management. It demands discipline and a strong support system.

“Juggling that with obviously professional sport and studying, it is quite a lot at the moment,” Reuben admits.

The key, he says, is to stay organised.

“As long as I’m staying organised and prepared for class and the weekend’s games, I’ve been able to find quite a bit of time to spend at home.”

He also gives credit to his fiancée, Riley, who “does the lion’s share of the work at home, so I’m very lucky there.”

On the field, Reuben operates in a high-pressure environment. He brings the mental tools he’s learned in rugby into his daily life to maintain focus.

“We work really hard at footy with, I guess, we call them mental coaches,” he shares.

“Breathwork is one massive tool that we use all the time.”

He describes a weekly team ritual to reset and refocus.

“It’s a good chance to reset… We talk about wiping the whiteboard clean, starting a new week and you can use that in everyday life as well.

“If something’s not going right or you’ve made a mistake, the quicker you can bounce back and move on to your next job at hand, the better prepared you are.”

Unlocking Leadership On and Off the Field

While already a leader in his sport, Reuben’s studies at ICMS have given him new perspectives on what it means to lead.

He points to one subject in particular, Unlocking Your Leadership Potential, as a turning point.

“It’s about discovering who you are and what makes you tick and how you can help bring other people up,” he says.

“That’s something I’ve definitely tried to adapt towards… it’s just about trying to help people, especially young guys at training.”

This mindset shift was put to the test when he was named captain during pre-season games.

While a “massive honour,” he found himself worrying too much about delivering the perfect speech rather than leading by example.

The experience taught him a valuable lesson: “It’s more just about doing your actions well and leading by that and not worrying… sort of more being true to yourself.”

 

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Why Every Athlete Should Consider Studying

For Reuben, studying provides a crucial anchor outside the intense world of professional sport.

He believes it offers a necessary balance and prepares athletes for life after their sporting careers.

“I think it’s an awesome balance and it gives you something away from your chosen sport,” he advises other athletes.

“You can be very pigeon-holed and tunnel-vision on your goal… But it gives you a good way to break away from that and put a lot of effort and to take that same mindset into something else.”

The flexibility offered by ICMS makes this balance achievable.

“That’s definitely something that I’ve found here at ICMS that I’m loving, that bit of flexibility with our timetable.”

That support extends beyond schedules.

For Reuben, the personal approach from lecturers has made a significant impact.

“I’ve never had lecturers that supportive before,” he reflects.

“You can message them whenever and they’ll pretty much all get back to you straight away. That’s something that I’ve never experienced before but I really love about ICMS.”

With an interest in sustainable construction and a clear vision for his future, Reuben Garrick is building a game plan that extends far beyond the rugby field.

@icmscampusMillie’s passion for property became a career at ICMS. With internships and real-world experience, she’s thriving. It starts with you!♬ original sound – ICMS