Australian football is slowly warming to the idea that the American college system can be a viable pathway for young talent at the grassroots level. With extensive resources overwhelming what is currently available for footballers down under, the US college pathway can offer an alternative route for many youngsters often lost to the game too soon. Upper 90 College Founder John Stevanja is a significant advocate for the pathway, having helped aspiring student-athletes on their football and college journeys across the United States for almost 15 years.
Stevanja speaking about the US college pathway at the Central Coast Mariners' Pink Round Event this year. (Image: Upper 90 College Instagram)
Stevanja’s roots in the sport originate from his time as a player, where the goalkeeper featured in the old National Soccer League (NSL) and later trialled for clubs in Europe. He is now a goalkeeper coach, a role he has worked in for over 20 years, mainly at the National Premier Leagues (NPL) level but also in A-Leagues environments such as Macarthur FC.
However, Stevanja’s primary work is with his business, Upper 90 College, a sports recruiting company that helps place Australian footballers into programs within the US college system.
“My role is to navigate through my network and find the right fit, and the fit is no different to playing at a professional club. A lot of kids get caught up, and you have discussions with families, and they’re like, ‘I’m going to go to UCLA’ or ‘I’m going to go to Stanford’, and I’m like, ‘Woah, woah, woah, first let me paint a picture as to the US college and football landscape,” he told Front Page Football with a grin.
But how does someone without playing or coaching experience in the college system become so interested in promoting this pathway? One of Stevanja’s major regrets from his career was not accepting a scholarship offer from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio after sending out a playing CV to several college coaches who were listing opportunities. Perhaps this was a sliding-doors moment, which almost came from stumbling across a recruiting database online. Stevanja still uses his experience when guiding Upper 90’s clients today.
“I lean into it heavily. I think a big part of this journey is that I have a very, very strong connection with a lot of our clients,” he said.
“One of the underlying things for me and probably the impetus behind Upper 90 was that I always wanted to make sure that the kids didn’t forgo opportunities that could potentially be life-changing.
“I use my story to reflect it back towards kids because I’m no different to them, kids who are playing at elite levels or are aspiring to play at elite levels. It’s probably the premise as to why I lean into that so heavily: the US market is such an untapped opportunity for so many kids, and I think we’re only scratching the surface in terms of awareness.”
Opportunity is often associated with the US, and it is certainly no different when discussing its extensive college system. Last June, Stevanja and Upper 90 partnered with the Central Coast Mariners Academy – rated the best in Asia – to bring the benefits of the college pathway to Australia’s brightest young talents. That term, opportunity, was prevalent in the agreement between the parties. Stevanja is not a one-man band, with Upper 90’s Strategic Partnership Consultant Hans Belle critical to forming the exciting partnership.
“They approached Hans and said, ‘Hey, we have all these young players who are coming through our system; many of them are going to go back to the NPL system or just give up on football altogether; what about the college pathway?’ That was one part of the equation,” Stevanja explained.
“The other part is, and we saw it last year, Garang Kuol, (Anthony) Pavlesic, all of these guys who are getting those pro deals in Europe, what the Mariners were saying was, there’s this massive untapped market in the US. Maybe that makes sense from that perspective as well, to be able to open up opportunities for our really talented kids.”
The contrast between the level of opportunity available for young players in the US to that of Australia is stark, to say the least. Upper 90 markets most of their clients into the college pathways, with the main divisions – Division 1 (D1), 2 (D2), and 3 (D3) – administered by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), whilst the other college tournament at this level is the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Championship. There is also the two-year junior college system, which many Upper 90 clients have used as a stepping stone to gain further playing time and get a grasp on their academics before entering the full four year university experience in the US.
Each division at a college level, whether D1, D2, D3, or NAIA, has over 20 conferences. The pool of teams that could be interested in the services of a young Australian player will always be greater than the skinny bottleneck that often befalls many who emerge from the junior NPL system in Australia.
It is important to note that, once speaking to someone with extensive knowledge like Stevanja, sending Australian footballers into the college system is more of a stepping stone than an alternative for their development on the pitch. Off it, the benefits are only more significant. Stevanja’s argument was so convincing it left more questions as to why more clubs are not encouraging this route to their talented prospects.
“The college system and the infrastructure within it is a no-brainer for me for a young player who might not be ready for the A-League yet or not ready for a top level of play. Maybe college could give you that pathway because college will give you the academics, world-class infrastructure, and training environments,” he explained, almost flabbergasted at the still underwhelming levels of awareness towards the college pathway.
“Investing in this pathway is such a no-brainer. You’re going to get a scholarship based on your academics and athletics; most of that will cover pretty much, upfront, most of your expenses. You can get more and more scholarship [money] every year, so by the time you finish your four years, you’re pretty much on zero. That means after finishing your education, you’ve got no HECS or HELP debt.”
Upper 90 alumni Zac Harvey Latham (left) with Stevanja (right) and the NCAA D3 National Championship trophy (centre), which he won with St. Olaf College last year. (Image supplied by John Stevanja)
Good. However, the greatest minds within the Australian football landscape tend to be stuck in their ways, and it can be difficult to convince those in charge that there is a new strategy that could benefit them. Stevanja undoubtedly found challenges in making his new business an appealing prospect for Australian clubs to advertise for their players.
“I think there was a lot of narrowmindedness initially. I think a lot of younger coaches are proliferating into the system, which is phenomenal at the NPL level. We’re becoming a lot more aware,” Stevanja said with optimism.
Stevanja has been at the forefront of a significant shift in the narrative, advocating for this pathway for years. His passion for his work is evident in the success and joy he has found. He maintains a close relationship with all his clients, a bond that extends beyond their college experience.
“I’ve been invited to former student/player weddings of late, all this kind of stuff, so we’ve got a whole bunch of kids who are still living in the US; many of them have come back to continue or start their careers,” he said.
Stevanja's clients, the majority of whom come from Australia’s NPL system, face a challenging landscape. The system struggles to offer sustainable opportunities beyond the junior level, leaving many promising young players dreaming of a professional contract. Stevanja's role extends beyond the field, guiding these aspiring student-athletes towards a more holistic definition of success.
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Stevanja (left) with Upper 90 alumni Nick Rutherford (right) in 2018. Rutherford was a two-time Academic All-American from Plymouth State University. (Image supplied by John Stevanja)
“100% of what I do is defining what success looks like. For me, the real win for these kids is the academics, experiencing a college education and in many cases graduating from world class programs,” he said passionately.
“Ultimately it’s about, how can we positively impact the lives of these kids so that they can see another angle outside of what’s being shown to them in the local football markets, and it’s not a criticism of what we have here (in Australia), it’s actually integrating into what we have here.”
Stevanja closed with a beautiful tribute to his clients, which encapsulated the genuine benefits of his work.
“The real win is to actually see this full life cycle of players that I’ve sent over into the US college system grow up to be amazing young men and women, living their football dreams and growing to become mums and dads and starting to grow their own families, and going onto amazing careers that have impacted other people in a very positive way.”
Time will tell whether his pursuit of promoting this life-changing pathway gains more traction. Stevanja has been working hard to make several lifelong connections and significantly impact many lives for almost 15 years. The forthcoming 15 promises to see even more dreams realised.
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