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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00:00 UA is kind of perfect for getting you linked up to the right people,
00:02 especially as we're all young here.
00:04 Like, it's good that we're all here together,
00:05 actually trying to work and push each other to do something productive with our lives.
00:09 I think it would be really beneficial because it'll kind of get your name out there,
00:12 because it's kind of difficult to spread awareness about yourself as a player,
00:15 regardless of what sport you play if you're not in the right context.
00:18 The support they'll give me to making it pro,
00:22 like all the facilities and everything,
00:23 like, I want to work hard for it.
00:25 For me, you know, like, especially being young, you know,
00:29 this is something that you always dream about, you know,
00:30 one day to be sponsored or get a contract from, you know,
00:33 a big brand like Under Armour or any brand in general.
00:36 It'll change my life, it'll build my profile, you know,
00:38 even more as an American footballer.
00:40 Bring that unique story of, you know,
00:41 American footballers can also do this and kind of bring more awareness around the sport
00:45 and just to be able to motivate the young generation,
00:47 to show them if I can do it, then so can they,
00:49 and, you know, whatever you set your mind to, you can achieve.
00:52 When you're hitting like 18, 19, 20,
00:54 you want to grab every opportunity you have.
00:56 So it's like, if you finish in top three and you see yourself in the blue,
00:58 that's crazy.
01:00 Yeah, that's insane.
01:01 This is new Under Armour coming, you know, to London and everything.
01:09 They just opened a store there in Battersea.
01:11 So the opportunity, you know, to be one of the first ones to be put out there,
01:14 and full support, you know, because, you know, they're new.
01:17 Of course, they're not the best new, you know,
01:19 and it's great, so we're doing a lot of it, yeah.
01:21 Being around a good group of boys all similar ages, like,
01:24 if we're all able to improve each other,
01:25 even if there's only three people able to get the contract,
01:27 the rest of the seven still have the links,
01:29 and that gives the opportunity for, you know, the rest of the seven
01:33 to keep working and actually bring other people in.
01:34 So it can become like a growing community,
01:37 rather than everyone against each other.
01:39 If I wasn't, you know, to get a contract,
01:41 I would definitely come back because, you know, I'm more experienced now.
01:45 I mean, that would be my second time knowing exactly what I need to do.
01:49 And, well, I came here with little knowledge
01:52 of knowing exactly what was going to happen.
01:54 So coming back again, I'll prepare,
01:56 I'll know exactly what to work on, my strengths, my weaknesses,
01:59 capitalise on them, and, yeah, I'll definitely be back
02:02 because this is just a great opportunity.
02:03 Elite athletes, they say, like, failure is success.
02:10 So even if I fail, I'm just building blocks to becoming better.
02:14 I'll go again and again and again and again until I actually get what I need.
02:18 So if you say you wouldn't come back, then that's well to me.
02:21 So I'm not thinking about it right now,
02:22 because I do feel like I'll make that top three,
02:24 and I think it's a mindset thing.
02:26 How do you feel about the pressure?
02:29 I feel there's not really much pressure,
02:31 because everyone's here for a reason.
02:33 So there's no real need to feel pressure.
02:35 Like, everyone's good in their own domain.
02:37 Like, some people are really strong, some people are really fit.
02:40 Like, everyone has that little bit about them.
02:43 I feel like I was just in my own zone.
02:44 I've always been a person where, you know,
02:45 obviously similar to what the other guys were saying in their interview,
02:48 like, I'm happy and I'm here for everyone as well.
02:50 But then it's kind of, it's unique to me to know that my story's separate from everyone else.
02:54 Like, when they hear there's one guy that does American football,
02:56 they're going to be intrigued to think, you know, let's see how this guy does.
02:58 Like, he has a whole different sport to everyone else.
03:00 So it kind of gives me that unique story in a way, like,
03:03 you know what, you do American football, all right, cool,
03:05 let's see what these guys can do.
03:07 And then it kind of brings that awareness to, you know,
03:09 American football guys can actually compete.
03:10 And then that brings in the other American footballers all over the world in the UK
03:14 to say, you know what, if Tashane can do it, let me give it a go as well.
03:18 We're all different here.
03:19 We all play different sports.
03:20 We're all people different.
03:22 So your best might be different to someone else's best, you know.
03:25 And in terms of pressure, we all came here, but then we all support each other.
03:28 You can still feel that support from everyone.
03:36 So it didn't really feel like a competition.
03:38 It just felt like, you know, we're just taking a test
03:41 and the best ones just going to get signed.
03:43 It didn't really feel like a competition.
03:44 But yeah, you have to give your best because everyone else is going to give their best.
03:48 I think everyone struggled with the bike.
03:50 The bike was tough, like really, really tough.
03:52 But I feel like with that, it's just all mental.
03:54 Like, if you believe you can do it mentally and you just keep pushing through,
03:57 then obviously in the end, it's just, you know, how bad did you want it?
04:00 Do you want it to get the best or do you want it to just keep going or just to give up?
04:04 So I think definitely the bike.
04:06 The first minute is like, cool.
04:08 Hits a minute and a half.
04:10 You start to feel it.
04:11 Then when it gets like a minute 45, it's just like hell.
04:14 But like, holding on for dear life.
04:16 And then when it gets to the last 30 seconds, you know, you have to push it.
04:18 But at the same time, you kind of value your life.
04:21 So it's like, you have to even it out just a little bit, you know.
04:25 I do content creating.
04:30 Like, I basically tell my story out there, help other athletes, help other footballers.
04:34 So I have like a high profile on socials.
04:37 And then one day, one of my agents, Scott, messaged me, like what I was doing,
04:41 got me involved as one of the first seven athletes to get onto the programme.
04:45 Since then, I haven't looked back.
04:46 I just want to show everyone that they should come and get this opportunity
04:49 because it's crazy.
04:51 Like, I started to process it myself.
04:53 I'm getting flown out to Amsterdam at the HQ.
04:57 And all these facilities and everything, it's crazy.
04:59 So just like, I want to show everyone, you have a chance, it's free.
05:03 Why not take it?
05:04 Even though I'm competing, like these guys are still my guys at the end of the day.
05:08 I wish the best for all of them.
05:10 And so I'm a very competitive person.
05:12 I want to be the best.
05:13 And they were like, everyone is.
05:15 We're also trying to be the best, so why not?
05:16 If you want to be the best, you have to compete against the best.
05:18 And at the end of the day, even if you don't like somebody,
05:21 you tearing them down isn't going to make you do any better.
05:23 For me, it's like, even if I don't get a high score,
05:26 seeing other people get high scores around me,
05:29 it's just like, it's crazy because seeing Doctor go on the bike
05:32 and actually smashing it, seeing Tachin go on the pool and get 20,
05:35 it's just like, I might not be getting those scores.
05:37 I might be as well, but just like seeing them going from nothing to something now
05:41 and actually like seeing the enjoyment that they're actually smashing it,
05:44 it's just like, I don't really see this as a competition.
05:47 But at the end of the day, it is, but I'm just enjoying it.
05:49 I'm enjoying it with them as well, because even like,
05:51 I did it yesterday, I wasn't with other athletes.
05:54 I feel like I was with my family, we were all talking,
05:56 but some Congo, so I'm enjoying it.
05:58 I love being able to connect with the athletes,
06:02 you know, even just them as a person, their minds and what they've achieved.
06:06 So being able to kind of relate to them and just learn from them
06:09 like what they did to get successful, how to keep going,
06:12 how they deal with adversity, all those things that you can learn from these
06:15 elite athletes to just make yourself better as an athlete.
06:18 Even me as a fullback, watching Trent at such a high level,
06:21 at such a young age, at such a high level,
06:25 I like to play around his playing style, I play like him type of thing.
06:29 So watching him getting the support from Under Armour
06:31 that no other players are getting, and I'm not even a pro yet,
06:34 it's going to be life changing.
06:36 And I know all the other non-athletes could say the same.
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