As a complement to their sporting potential, players must demonstrate a need for our services in addition to a commitment to self-improvement on and off the field. We are interested in talented players with big dreams for their lives beyond the soccer field. We do not take applications for the program, and rely on a scouting network and personal references in order to allocate our resources where they are best served.

Through a series of face-to-face interviews, we speak with the player about their goals and current situation. Based on conversations with the player and the player's family, we determine the best path forward for the individual based on their needs. We use our resources to make sure we provide academic, sporting, and personal development opportunities to each player. Our services are non-binding and do not cost a penny for participants. We believe this is the only way we can guarantee a true commitment to the individual's well-being. Being a part of our program is a choice and at any point in time, a player is able to leave our program without penalty.

As part of our program, our player's must agree to adhere to certain off the field standards in order to receive our support. They must maintain a 2.5 GPA in their studies at school, attend all classes, and not be in disciplinary trouble either at school or with the law. We also expect our players to commit to a certain amount of community service hours (depending on age) per year and to be leaders in their community.

For players who do not meet these standards, we can make certain allowances to those who are willing to make a genuine commitment to meet these standards going forward. We recognize everyone is capable of change and will not exclude anyone who wants to become a better player and person. However, because we expect our candidates to take the lessons they learn as part of the foundation off the field, just being a talented player is not enough.

We are partnered with soccer coaches who possess the top credentials available in the sport. These coaches have worked at a variety of professional sporting organizations and include goalkeeping coaches. Additionally, we have an extensive network of athletic trainers, nutritionists, strength and agility coaches, and mental coaches available for our players. We pay for and provide transport to and from all training sessions.

Additionally, we provide academic tutoring, and access to other types of curricular enrichment beyond soccer and school. We want players to be able to pursue their interests beyond soccer and school because we believe well-rounded people, due to the depth of their experiences, are more able to make genuine commitments to the things they love.

Soccer is a game of technical skill that requires a chess-player's mind. Individual ability is essential in order to succeed as a valuable member of a team. We dedicate 20%-30% of training time to individual skill development. As much of the training as possible will take place in the context of game-realistic scenarios in order to help players understand how best to apply their skills in service of the team.

Because we are not a club, our training is designed to supplement the training that players will receive as member's of other sporting organizations. We will match up players with the right club and coaching environment outside of the foundation and will coordinate with these entities in order to keep up to date with our player's progress and help them work on the things they need most help with.

A big part of improvement is being able to see yourself play and correct your mistakes while also understanding your strengths. We try to film as many matches as possible in order to provide video analysis sessions for our players. These videos can also be used for recruitment purposes down the road.

Soccer in the United States provides many opportunities for academic enrichment. Universities and Private Schools are always on the lookout for players who can further the institutions mission on and off the field. We help our players by connecting them to college and high school coaches and preparing them for the admissions process. We require academic excellence from our players so that they can take the skills they have learned with the Anthony Rougier Foundation and use them to make the world a better place.

Our players are encouraged to always think beyond soccer. Soccer is a game that we love, but we cannot play soccer forever, and you are very lucky if you are good enough in order to make it far enough as a player to earn a living that can support both you and your family. As part of our academic services, we are looking to provide players with off the field experiences that can give them an idea of what they would like to do with their lives beyond the game of soccer.

The world can never have enough leaders. No matter what outcome is the result of our training for our players, we hope that our graduates will take the lessons that they've learned from soccer and use them to benefit others in the same way.