America remains a destination that attracts numerous talented athletes across the globe. According to the NCAA, over 20,000 college athletes in America are international and Bradley Athletics is using this to their advantage. 

Bradley is ranked in the top 15% of the overall best U.S Colleges & universities for international students, with over 78 international student making up around 5% of the overall student population. Bradley athletics continues to support the recruitment of international students, with 25 student-athletes playing on one of 13 NCAA Division-I intercollegiate sports teams.   

Professional sports teams from all over the world have a history of favoring international recruitment as it can drastically increase viewership, increase financial budgets, and introduces different styles of play that has a major impact on many sports teams. This has begun to have an impact at the collegiate level within the U.S, where a large number of coaches have dedicated a large proportion of their winter and summer breaks to overseas recruitment looking for the best international talents.

“Recruiting international athletes has broadened our player pool and helped increase the quality of play, and we will continue to expand our international network and hope to find continued success with foreign players,” said Tim Regan, Bradley University assistant soccer coach. 

The opportunity to patriciate at the highest non-professional level whilst receiving a high-quality education was a big factor in why Gerit Wintermeyer – a native of Wiesbaden, Germany and Bradley soccer forward as well as two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference recipient – decided to study in America. For Wintermeyer, the rich tradition of intercollegiate sports in the U.S acts as a pathway for athletes to take their talents to the next level. 

“My overall experience at Bradley has been filled with unforgettable memories; lifechanging opportunities and I’ve experienced some intense life lessons that will truly help me as I prepare for life after college,” said Wintermeyer, “I had very little knowledge of the American system but the coaches at Bradley provided me with a lot of information about the life of student-athletes in America.” 

The level of Collegiate sports in America continues to be an exceptional platform for players with professional aspirations to compete while studying to gain exposure to professional teams. Collegiate Athletics gives students a 4-year period in which they can physically and mentally develop as an athlete. This platform allows elite athletes to showcase their capabilities and more importantly to potentially take their skills to the next level by receiving an invitation to the draft.

A redshirt senior, Saadiq Mohammed has made his mark as a regular starter in the Bradley Soccer Program. Exhibiting a great deal of physical and technical ability in his two years at Bradley, Mohammed has been a hot topic of conversation in regards to the Major League Soccer (MLS) 2021 draft. Having already gained professional experience with one of Kenya’s most successful soccer teams, AFC Leopards, he’s hoping to make a mark in the MLS 2021 draft and earn himself a professional contract after his senior season with the Braves. 

“Bradley University has been a blessing to me and my family and has allowed me to continue my education whilst following my dream of becoming a professional soccer player,” said Mohammed, “Having other foreign athletes on my team, as well as competing against foreign players at other U.S universities has helped me develop as a player.”

Bradley continues to use international recruitment as a way of keeping up with the increasing competitors in the Missouri Valley Conference. Many universities in America have also started to branch out overseas for recruitment, with former Penn State Men’s Soccer star Aaron Molloy being a recent success story. Molloy, who is originally from Dublin, Ireland, was drafted as the 16^th overall pick in the 2020 MLS Draft by Portland Timbers.

Siena Men’s Soccer Captain Eddie Dakwa has also been an example of what America has to offer for international student-athletes. Dakwa spent two years with Hill College, before transferring to Siena College where he tallied a staggering 28 games in his two-year spell. Spending the summer playing for amateur soccer club AFC Mobile in 2019, Dakwa exhibited his potential as a college soccer coach, and will now spend the next two years as a graduate assistant coach for the SpringHill Badgers.