Under Armour are looking to provide young athletes with a platform to fulfil their goals of becoming professionals in their sports. As such they have set up the UA Next programme in the UK, whereby three youngsters will receive a year’s contract with the brand. Replicating an elite performance programme, there’s potential Under Armour could unearth the next big talent - and it’s available to anyone aged 16-20…
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00:00UA is kind of perfect for getting you linked up to the right people, especially as we're all young here.
00:04Like, it's good that we're all here together, actually trying to work and push each other to do something productive with our lives.
00:09I think it would be really beneficial because it'll kind of get your name out there.
00:12Because it's kind of difficult to spread awareness about yourself as a player, regardless of what sport you play, if you're not in the right context.
00:18The support they'll give me to making it pro, like all the facilities and everything, I want to work hard for it.
00:26For me, you know, like, especially being young, you know, this is something that you always dream about, you know, one day to be sponsored or get a contract from, you know, a big brand like Under Armour or any brand in general.
00:36It'll change my life, it'll build my profile, you know, even more as an American footballer.
00:40Bring that unique story of, you know, American footballers can also do this and kind of bring more awareness around the sport.
00:45And just to be able to motivate the young generation to show them, if I can do it, then so can they.
00:50And, you know, whatever you set your mind to, you can achieve.
00:52When you're hitting like 18, 19, 20, you want to grab every opportunity you have.
00:56So it's like, if you finish in top three and you see yourself in the World Cup, that's crazy.
01:00Yeah, that's insane.
01:06This is new Under Armour coming, you know, to London and everything.
01:09They just opened a store there in Battersea.
01:11So the opportunity, you know, to be one of the first ones to be put out there and full support, you know, because, you know, they're new.
01:17Of course, they're investing in you, you know, money to do great.
01:20So we're doing a lot in here.
01:22Being around a good group of boys all similar ages, like if we're all able to improve each other,
01:25even if there's only three people able to get the contract, the rest of the seven still have the links.
01:29And that gives the opportunity for, you know, the rest of the seven to keep working and actually bring other people in.
01:35So it can become like a growing community rather than everyone against each other.
01:39If I wasn't, you know, to get a contract, I would definitely come back because, you know, I'm more experienced now.
01:46I mean, that would be my second time knowing exactly what I need to do.
01:49And, well, I came here with little knowledge of knowing exactly what's going to happen.
01:54So coming back again, I'll prepare, I'll know exactly what to work on, my strengths, my weaknesses, capitalise on them.
02:01And yeah, I'll definitely be back because this is just a great opportunity.
02:06Elite athletes, they say like failure is steps to success.
02:10So even if I fail, I'm just building blocks to becoming better.
02:14I'll go again and again and again and again until I actually get what I need.
02:18So if you say you wouldn't come back, then that's wild to me.
02:22So I'm not thinking about it right now because I do feel like I'll make that top three.
02:24And I think it's a mindset thing.
02:29I feel there's not really much pressure because everyone's here for a reason.
02:33So there's no real need to feel pressure.
02:35Like everyone's good in their own domain.
02:37Like some people are really strong, some people are really fit.
02:40Like everyone has that little bit about them.
02:43I feel like I was just in my own zone.
02:44I've always been a person where, you know,
02:46obviously similar to what the other guys were saying in their interview,
02:48like I'm happy and I'm here for everyone as well.
02:50But then it's unique to me to know that my story is separate from everyone else.
02:54Like when they hear there's one guy that does American football,
02:56they're going to be intrigued to think, you know, let's see how this guy does.
02:59Like he has a whole different sport to everyone else.
03:01So it kind of gives me that unique story in a way that, you know what,
03:04you do American football. All right, cool.
03:05Let's see what these guys can do.
03:07And then it kind of brings that awareness to, you know,
03:09American football guys can actually compete.
03:11And then that brings in the other American footballers all over the world
03:14and in the UK to say, you know what, if Tashane can do it,
03:16let me give it a go as well.
03:18We're all different here. We all play different sports.
03:21We're all built different.
03:22So your best might be different to someone else's best, you know.
03:25And in terms of pressure, we all came here,
03:27but then we all support each other.
03:34You can still feel that support from everyone.
03:36So it didn't really feel like a competition.
03:39It just felt like, you know, we're just taking a test
03:41and the best one is just going to get signed.
03:43It didn't really feel like a competition,
03:44but yeah, you have to give your best
03:46because everyone else is going to give their best.
03:48I think everyone struggled with the bike.
03:50The bike was tough, like really, really tough.
03:53But I feel like with that, it's just all mental.
03:54Like, if you believe you can do it mentally
03:56and you just keep pushing through, then obviously in the end,
03:59it's just, you know, how bad did you want it?
04:00Do you want it to get the best?
04:02Or do you want it to just keep going or just to give up?
04:04So I think definitely the bike.
04:06The first minute is like, cool.
04:09It's a minute and a half. You start to feel it.
04:11Then when it gets like a minute 45, it's just like hell.
04:14But like, holding on for dear life.
04:16And then when it gets to the last 30 seconds,
04:17you know, you have to push it.
04:19But at the same time, you kind of value your life.
04:21So it's like, you have to even it out just a little bit,
04:24you know.
04:29I do content creating.
04:30Like, I basically tell my story out there,
04:32help other athletes, help other footballers.
04:34So I have like a high profile on socials.
04:37And then one day, one of my agents, Scott,
04:39messaged me, like what I was doing.
04:42He got me involved as one of the first seven athletes
04:43to get onto this programme.
04:45Since then, I haven't looked back.
04:46I just want to show everyone that they should come
04:48and get this opportunity because it's crazy.
04:51Like, I started processing it myself.
04:53I'm getting flown out to Amsterdam at the HQ
04:57and all these facilities and everything,
04:58kind of, it's crazy.
04:59So just like, I want to show everyone,
05:01like, you have a chance, it's free.
05:03Why not take it?
05:05Even though I'm competing, like, these guys are like,
05:07they're still my guys at the end of the day.
05:09I wish the best for all of them.
05:11I'm a very competitive person.
05:13I want to be the best.
05:14And they would be like, everyone is.
05:15We're also trying to be the best, so why not?
05:17If you want to be the best,
05:18you have to compete against the best
05:18at the end of the day.
05:20Even if you don't like somebody,
05:21you tearing them down isn't going to make you do any better.
05:24For me, it's like, even if I don't get a high score,
05:26seeing other people get high scores around me,
05:29it's just like, it's crazy.
05:30Because like, seeing Doctor go on the bike
05:32and actually smashing it,
05:33seeing Tahseen go on the roof and get 20,
05:35it's just like, I might not be getting those scores.
05:37I might be as well, but just like seeing them
05:40going from nothing to something now
05:41and actually like seeing the enjoyment
05:43that they're actually smashing it,
05:44it's just like, I don't really see this as a competition,
05:48but at the end of the day, it is,
05:49but I'm just enjoying it.
05:50And I'm enjoying it with them as well.
05:51Because even like, I did it yesterday,
05:53I wasn't with other athletes.
05:55I feel like I was with my family,
05:56we were all talking about some combos,
05:57so I'm enjoying it.
06:00I love being able to connect with the athletes,
06:03you know, even just them as a person,
06:05their minds and what they've achieved.
06:07So being able to kind of relate to them
06:08and just learn from them,
06:09like what it is to get successful,
06:11how to keep going, how to deal with adversity,
06:13like all those things that you can learn
06:15from these elite athletes
06:16to just make yourself better as an athlete.
06:18Even me as a fullback,
06:19watching Trent at such a high level,
06:22at such a young age,
06:23he's playing at such a high level,
06:24and it's like, I like to play around his playing style,
06:27but I play like him type of thing.
06:29So watching him getting the support from Under Armour
06:31that no other players are getting,
06:33and I'm not even a pro yet,
06:34it's going to be life changing.
06:36And I know all the other non-athletes
06:38could see the same.