The importance of career management​

We believe that everything starts with a good education. A 13 or 14 years old teenager who aspires to become a professional football player needs to be mentored, as technical, physical and mental skills have to be developed. The Ozamba Academy is the department in charge of the next-generation of athletes  led by Aymar Moro Mve, the Head of Football Youth Department at Ozamba Sports. He pointed to the importance for these young players to be prepared for the world of  professional football, which awaits at the end of their formation period.  “The difference between a player who has assistance and the other lies in the consistency of the work.  To be able to produce and to repeat high standards of  performance on a regular basis is key. Nowadays, most of the young players are not very resistant to the effort. So, with my tailored training program, I introduce the professional world to them and train these kids to have the habit of continuous learning. 

We show them the importance of being dedicated to their professional project on a daily basis to get the outcomes they want. Should they not become professional players, they will be able to apply this mindset to another job” We also put emphasis on women’s soccer and understand that there are important differences when working with women and men. Our consultant Joy Wu explains what goes  far beyond the pay gap. “For the women’s market, the players have different timings and needs, making it an unique market that still has a lot to develop, but has huge potential. For a long time they have been alone, so now more than ever, the sharing of clear information and the fast changing of environments, is key to building strong relationships based on trust. Being a woman who also lived in this football world makes it easier to communicate with the players and make them develop not only in the field, but also help them understand their power and influence to change and improve this environment, which will benefit all women players.”

Career management needs to cover different areas of an athlete’s life so that he or she will not fall into traps. We therefore  think of an athlete as a holistic person. As a former football player and currently consultant, Flávio Colasanti explains the different aspects of life that an athlete may need assistance in. “We are here to help athletes in sectors that they don’t have any knowledge about. The services we offer are first of all listening to the wishes of the player, such as ambitions and the countries where they would like to play. But this world is not only about football consulting, but also about legal, nutritional and physical consulting. A career is short so we also have to plan their next steps and smooth their transition to a new world”