.png)
Wellington, 24 September 2025 — Wellington Phoenix Academy have partnered with Platform Sports Management to give academy players and wider Kiwi football talent a direct route into US college scholarships, adding an education-led pathway alongside the club’s professional pipeline. Platform Sports, which has already helped student-athletes secure more than $200 million in U.S. scholarships and thousands of college placements over the past decade, will deliver recruitment workshops, one-to-one advisory, and showcase opportunities connecting New Zealand athletes with NCAA Division I & II, NAIA and JUCO programmes.
Wellington Phoenix Academy Business Director Ben Sippola, a former NCAA Division I player and 2010 MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist, said the move recognises that careers can progress in more than one way: “Not every player will go straight into the professional game. US university has historically been an incredible pathway for New Zealanders, it keeps football development high while adding a world-class education. This partnership gives our athletes and their families a clear, supported option alongside the pro track.”
Sippola said the academy will stay connected with graduates as they develop overseas: “We don’t ‘lose’ players to college; we track them. Four years in the US can mature an 18-year-old into a 22-year-old ready for the professional game. We’ve seen that story repeatedly with Kiwis who returned and kicked on.”
Platform Sports Director Amrit Rai said the partnership is about clarity and confidence for families: “Our job isn’t to say college is for everyone, it’s to make sure every athlete has the right options, and is actually eligible and prepared to take them. Working with the Phoenix academy means we can guide players earlier, support their academics, and help them choose the path that fits."
Rai said the NZCIS environment mirrors what athletes can expect in the US: “The NZCIS is a genuine high-performance hub. In the US, that level of facility is the status quo at top universities. It’s a mindset as much as a paycheck, learning to be professional in how you train, study, recover and lead.”
If you’re a student-athlete (or a parent of one) and want to explore similar opportunities through the U.S. college system, let’s talk
