Academy

My time at Olé has shaped who I am today, as a footballer and a person. Olé provides great facilities to train and the residential experience is second to none when it comes to academies in New Zealand. Olé is set up to produce world class footballers and also help them become mature young men and women. The Olé culture really sets it apart from other academies, I haven’t seen such a distinct culture from an academy in New Zealand or Holland. There isn’t a better coaching staff in NZ to develop young players into the footballers they want to be, Olé has created the perfect environment for aspiring young players.

In my opinion going to the Olé Football Academy is the best decision I have ever made. It taught me so much, on and off the field. It’s more than just a football academy and it produces great people as well as great footballers. Olé has helped take me to a World Cup; something I had only ever dreamed about and has given me the opportunity to attend one of the best universities in the United States. Although I have a long way to go, I feel safe knowing that I’m in the hands of Olé Football Academy.

From a student-athlete standpoint, going full-time meant dedicating my life in every aspect to becoming the best Human, Scholar and Footballer I could possibly become. I learned that the only way to do this was to maintain a constant growth mindset. The coaches helped me grow and develop on the field, helping me become a more intelligent and technical player – I am extremely grateful for their investment in me. The quality of the training environment is unparalleled, the caliber of coaches and players cannot be found anywhere else in New Zealand. The staff are all very hard working and have played a huge role in where I am today; the academic advisors helped me excel in the classroom and the chefs provided me nutritious meals away from home. Everyone at Olé Football Academy played a huge role in making my time special, providing me the best possible chance of success and achieving my dreams.

My winter spent with the Olé Football Academy was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I have faced. I learned a new style of the game, a style focused on the creative, dangerous, simplicity of Olé Football. Creative because the immensely fast speed of play taught me to see the direction of the game before the ball was at my feet.  Dangerous due to an increased awareness of the game around me that led to an elevated level of production. And simple because I learned to fit into a perfectly designed system of Olé Football that drove the individual skill-sets to collectively come together to form a disciplined unit. My game elevated, as there was no room for excuses, only progress. Through Olé Football Academy, I became a better teammate, player, and person.

I had heard a lot and knew about the players produced through Olé Football Academy, this made my decision very easy. During my time at Olé I received an education in football on and off the pitch and learned what it would take to reach the next level. The professional environment at Olé created by the world class coaching, facilities and full-time training is better than anything I have ever seen during my time in England, New Zealand and Norway. I needed help to further my career and without a doubt I don’t believe I would be where I am today without the help of Declan, Ben and Olé football Academy.

I’ve been a part of Olé as long as Declan has and for longer than any of the other coaches there. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t always fun, and it definitely wasn’t easy but that’s part of the reason why Olé has been so successful at developing young footballers. You will not find a group of coaches more focused on player development, and a group of players more determined to become great footballers, anywhere else in New Zealand. I have no doubt that my brother, some of my friends and I wouldn’t be in the U.S., studying and playing football if it wasn’t for everything that we learned at Olé. Everything from style of play, consistent high quality training and how to be a good student and human is impressed upon us. If you want to learn what it takes to be successful in football, and in life, you should make the trip out to Porirua to see what is going on for yourself.

During my time at Olé, I became not just a better footballer, but was able to develop as a student and person. The set up is everything you could ask for with a great field to train on all year round, the best equipment possible and the coaches which match the best coaches all over the world. Moving away from Auckland was a big decision but I knew that Olé was the best thing for my development. Living at the academy allowed me to learn how to look after myself in a controlled environment and the coaches onsite were always willing to help the players when needed. Olé was integral in helping me secure a scholarship at San Diego State University and furthering my football career and education. I can truthfully say that I would not be the person I am, nor would I be where I am today if it weren’t for the Olé Football Academy.

My time at Olé was critical in helping me get to Dartmouth College and the Ivy Leagues, which is an experience I am so thankful for. Beyond that, Olé helped lay the framework for a career in professional football. The current staff and programmes have a great ethos about them and are building an unprecedented culture around football development in New Zealand.

I trained at Olé during the ‘early days’, whether for training camps, daily club trainings, or just watching football on the big screen. The academy created a superb environment for elite footballers. Olé had a set-up where we could devote our time solely to improving as footballers under quality coaching staff and no doubt it was a crucial part of my development as a footballer.

I think without the decision to move to Olé I wouldn’t fully understand what it means to be a footballer. I realised it’s not just my natural talent that will get me where I want to be, but having the ability to take onboard criticism and grow from that. Olé taught me that everything I do off the field affects how I play, that’s in the classroom, what I eat and how I carry myself as a human. Without Olé I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Olé Football Academy has shaped my development as a person, player and student. Without being a part of Olé I cannot imagine where I would be today. I attended the academy for four years and it provided me with important foundations for my life. Being immersed in an academy which lives, breaths and eats football has helped me immensely in my football development. Although I was able to have a great focus on football, I was still given the ability to develop as a student – there is a focus on all aspects. Above all, Olé moulded me as a person. The emphasis on having a growth mindset, hard work and being committed have benefitted me significantly.

My time at the Olé Football Academy can be summed up by one word “professionalism”. There is no environment more professional in the country than that of the Olé Football Academy. Olé was not just another stop along the way of my footballing career, but instead it was the beginning. Before coming to Olé I hadn’t truly experienced what it was like to “play football,” the level and style of play at Olé is rivalled by no other. I will be forever grateful for the time I spent at Olé as it has shaped me into the person, player, and scholar I am today.

There are many things throughout my life that have helped me become the player, but most importantly, the person I am today. I was extremely lucky for the time I spent at Olé and to be part of a community where my friends, coaches and teachers had my best interests in mind.

Olé gave me an opportunity to continue to develop as a footballer and person. Being at Olé the expectation is to hold yourself as a professional. The coaching staff provided me with a professional environment, something you won’t find anywhere else in New Zealand. What stood out for me during my time at Olé was how everyone was challenged to better themselves and continue their never ending improvement. Looking back, I believe Olé set me up well for what I want to achieve in the future.

Joining the Olé Football Academy has been a major spark to both my athletic and academic evolution. My time at Olé helped prepare me for the challenges on the field as well as those in the classrooms. Olé has shaped me into the person I am today and I will always be grateful to the coaches, chefs and staff. Olé literally set me up for success.

Having attended Olé Football Academy since I was 8 years old, it has naturally been a huge part of my life. I have played football in numerous environments in New Zealand and I can confidently say that Olé is a completely unique experience, which I have never seen matched. Olé has opened many doors and provided amazing opportunities. I have had the chance to train with Bayern Munich in Germany and represent NZ secondary schools in Australia. As well as teaching me football, balancing Olé has helped manage and driven me to achieve in school.

My time at Olé has shaped me into the footballer and person I am today. Olé has created a purposeful world class environment which creates growth both on and off the field. The full time staff at Olé are all dedicated to the never ending improvement of the players and have always pushed me to become better everyday. The facilities, which are on par with most professional clubs, sets Olé apart throughout new Zealand and allows world class training to take place every day of the year. Olé has given me many opportunities in the world of football and has best equipped me to fulfil my dreams. I can safely say that there isn’t a better place to develop footballers in New Zealand.