UDA: The Ultimate Soccer Experience
The University Degrees Abroad program offers the best of both worlds. It provides the mentorship to excel in university education and the opportunity to develop athletically at a professional level. UDA was started to offer young individuals the chance to succeed in the soccer industry, but the directors also wanted to give every student the option of “multiple degree options and multiple pathways for their career goals”.
Jeff Thompson, UDA’S director shares how the program initially got started. He states how he had “a vision to start a university level soccer academy” which is currently in the United Kingdom and has been established at the University of Chester. At the University of Chester, there are currently 50 athletes who are being professionally trained and are being guided through their education to reach their degrees.
The UDA program is currently in the process of expanding to multiple universities in the United Kingdom, which is focused for international students, excluding Americans. This raises the question of American athletes wanting to join the UDA program.
If you’re interested in joining the UDA program and you’re a resident of the United States. You’re in luck! UDA has recruited 25 players from the United States and they just launched their first US project at New Mexico State University. The academic and sports program does not just focus on athletes but they actually aspire to work with all kinds of students as they promote their desire to change lives through education.
Thompson chose NMSU because it “offers a wide variety of educational opportunities”. He also chose NMSU because of the athletic limitations within the area. He expresses his shock with the limitations on NCAA men’s soccer teams within Las Cruces and El Paso, yet the proximity of quality players are obviously present within the area. Thompson states, “If this American project goes well, we’re anticipating another 5 to 7 transfers each semester at NMSU.”
I was able to have the opportunity of talking with one of the soccer athletes in the UDA program. His name is Jose Ignacio Ruiz, but he goes by the name of Nacho. Nacho is 18 years of age, and is currently a freshmen at NMSU. Nacho is number 13 on the field and has graceful yet strong legs that help him dominate the sport. Nacho is from Pasadena, Texas and has been playing the sport for about 8 years.
He was inspired to join the sport due to the death of his cousin. “I just want to fulfill my cousins’ dreams. He was one step away from becoming a pro but he got caught up in a drive by.” He goes on to state, “I’m trying to do what he couldn’t accomplish.” Nacho also shares how soccer was the only thing that helped him escape mentally and he also adds how it saved him from the streets.
One of the things that Thomspon shares about his program is the incredible difference between UDA and the NCAA program. He expresses how UDA is better off being an independent program, due to the restrictions that the NCAA holds. For example, the seasons are not regulated with a specific time frame, as well as the soccer practices.
Thompson states that this “helps players to develop freely to the best of their abilities, which is one of the biggest motivators in the athletic perspective.” Even though the UDA is not associated with the restricting guidelines of the NCAA, there are some slight conflicts that are present. Thompson states, “Unlike NCAA, these students are not funded with scholarships from an athletic standpoint.”
Some of the students have received academic scholarships which are available to all scholars that are in good academic standing. This presents the question of how the UDA program supports athletes. Thompson explains that the athletes are never alone when searching for scholarships. He describes how the UDA offers support in finding the right answers for athletes.
It’s obvious that the Coronavirus is still impacting nations worldwide. This raises the question as to how practices and matches will run at NMSU due to the safety protocols that are required. Thompson explains that because they are on campus, the university has given them the opportunity to have regular practices.
He states, “We don’t huddle, we don’t do high fives, we sanitize and we take temperatures often. When we scrimmage, we scrimmage ourselves.” He’s happy to have full practices concerning the situation with Covid-19 but they are not allowed to have any matches until March of next year. He shares,“Covid is random. It has no boundaries. I think up to this point we’ve tried our best to mitigate that.”
