ORLANDO, FLORIDA (9/12/22) – It’s the start of a new school year, and at Soccer Resilience® we’re excited to kick it off with a brand new partnership that’s all about supporting student-athletes. SAI Academy, home to elite level youth soccer players, is partnering up with Soccer Resilience® for the 2022-23 academic year to bring top-notch mental performance skills training to each and every one of their student-athletes.
SAI Academy is a private school with a blended academic model that combines virtual learning with face-to-face instruction, while also incorporating on-the-field training with professional soccer coaches. Current student-athletes enrolled at SAI Academy include MLS Academy players from Orlando City SC, Inter Miami CF, Chicago Fire Football Academy and Austin FC, in addition to the students within their partnership with the Talentprojekt in Germany and a brick and mortar school in Sanford, Florida.
This school year, SAI Academy and Soccer Resilience® are joining forces to prioritize the development of a healthy mentality for players, both in soccer and in life. Student-athletes at SAI Academy will work with Soccer Resilience® to develop a strong foundation of skills to help not only impact their performance ON the field, but also their mental health and overall well-being OFF the field. Over the course of the year, SAI Academy student-athletes will be participating in live mental skills training sessions each month, plus given full access to the Soccer Resilience® FC content database chalked full of resources, tools and content to further their growth.
Upon learning that they would be partnering with Soccer Resilience® this school year, SAI Academy student-athletes expressed a lot of excitement for the program. Here’s what a few of them had to say:
“I’m super excited to be working with Soccer Resilience® and eager to learn about what my mind is capable of doing. I’ve learned throughout the years that this sport isn’t just about your technique or your ability with the ball, however, the most important part of your development is your mindset and ability to focus in the moments where most people can’t. Thankfully, with Soccer Resilience® FC, I will look forward to being able to consistently put these mental actions into the game, and hopefully, as the season passes by, I will be able to see a huge improvement in the moments I’m under pressure, where it all comes down to mindset. I hope this helps everyone understand that it does not matter if you just started playing or if you are at a high professional level, mindset is what makes the difference in elite athletes. I’m truly thankful for being able to work with Soccer Resilience® and hope to impact other athletes’ lives in the future as much as this will impact mine.”
Theo Franca
SAI Academy Student-Athlete
Orlando City SC Academy
“One thing I’m looking forward to is the different challenges and experiences I’m going to encounter which will push me not only as a player, but also a person.”
Finley O’Mahony
SAI Academy Student-Athlete
Austin FC Academy
“As a young athlete, Soccer Resilience® will be very beneficial to me! I didn’t really realize how any techniques or mental exercises may improve my performance until I heard about Soccer Resilience® and how it could help athletes. I had no idea how much of a difference it could make. Soccer players of any level will benefit from these exercises on how to train your brain because they are straightforward and easy to understand. I really look forward to working more with Soccer Resilience®.”
Benjamin Cremaschi
SAI Academy Student-Athlete
Inter Miami CF Academy
U19 United States National Team
SAI Academy’s vision “is to provide a leading academic alternative for elite athletes. We have a modern academic curriculum, a world-class athletic development program, and a strong foundation of core values resulting in the successful development of exceptional student-athletes.” Their partnership with Soccer Resilience® shows that they are committed to their goal of providing a complete development experience for their players.
By partnering with Soccer Resilience® and bringing a mental fitness training routine into the student-athletes Academic curriculum, SAI Academy is doing their players a huge service that will continue to pay forward for years to come. The training that SAI Academy students will be receiving with Soccer Resilience® will help players optimize their performance on the field through cultivating a growth mindset and recharging their mental game. Students will learn about the brain’s negative bias and how to harness positive self-talk to manage stress and anxiety. They’ll spend time learning the tools they need to conquer setbacks, identify & harness purpose and enhance performance on and off the field!
Overall, this partnership will give SAI Academy student-athletes the opportunity to train the most underutilized competitive edge in sports – the mind! It’s going to be a great school year, and soccer season!
LET’S GO!