Scout: Tom Polenz
WANT TO PLAY COLLEGE SPORTS?
We are the world’s leading Sport Scholarship Agency. Our college recruiting network consists of more than 20,000 college coaches in more than 20 sports within the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA.
ABOUT ME
I’m from Germany and hold a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management. My passion lies in connecting sports and management while helping young athletes unlock their full potential. I truly enjoy meeting different personalities and player types. Every athlete has a unique story and drive, and I’m excited to be part of their journey. Let’s get started!
Favorite Quote / Advice for Upcoming Athletes:
“When you’re green, you grow. When you’re ripe, you rot.”
– Dirk Nowitzki, Hall of Fame
Speech
Where and What Did You Study?
University of Tübingen – Bachelor of Science in Sports Management
Achievements & Interesting Facts:
Bachelor of Science in Sports Management – University of Tübingen
Experience in athlete development, scouting, and sports project management
Passionate about supporting young athletes on their path to success
Certificates
PFSA Talent Identification in Football (Level 1)
PFSA Performance Analysis in Football (Level 1)
PFSA Technical Scouting in Football (Level 1)
PFSA Data Analysis in Football (Level 1)
Most memorable (sports) moment?
Watching Germany win the 2014 World Cup, a moment that perfectly showed what teamwork, discipline, and belief can achieve.
INTERVIEWS
WHAT IS AN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP?
Athletic as well as academic scholarships are much more common in the US than in most other countries. Athletic scholarships are awarded to athletes of outstanding performance in order to enable them to finance their studies in the US. The athlete participates fully in practice sessions with the college team and represents the university in various tournaments and competitions. The coaches’ job is to professionally look after the teams; in this sense, he has a similar position to that of a professor and is also paid accordingly.
For what reasons are scholarships awarded?
For generations, American universities have had college teams in all kinds of sports. These teams are professionally managed by specially employed coaches and serve as an advertisement for the respective university in numerous competitions. If a team has regional or even nationwide success, the media will cover its development. That is why college teams are a means to market the university in order to recruit new students. For this reason, the universities provide the coaches with a budget to recruit talented athletes from around the world and help them finance their studies or even their entire stay abroad.
Why an athletic scholarship to America
The American College system produces some of the best sporting talent in the world. The facilities, coaching and support networks including sports science, nutrition, physiotherapy and fitness training are all world class. Universities travel the length and breadth of the United States to play each other; it is big business involving, massive corporate sponsorship, fanatical crowds, rich history, and national television coverage. Collegiate sports are as close to a professional environment as it’s possible to get. A normal schedule involves one to two training sessions or practices a day plus additional sports specific weights and fitness sessions within in a normal athletic scholarship. All this alongside a full university degree program.
Athletic Scholarships are funded sports programs that include Football (Soccer), Golf, Basketball, Tennis, Field Hockey, American Football, Baseball, Swimming & Diving, Track and Field, Fencing, Rowing (Crew), Skiing, Gymnastics and many more athletic scholarship programs.
