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Thrive League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the mission to connect talented, international high-need athletes with life-changing, empowering educational opportunities in US boarding schools and colleges.
Founded by Matthew Kokoszka in 2018 as a way to equalize the playing field, Thrive League empowers players on their pathways to success by placing athletes in top-tier US boarding schools and colleges, ensuring full tuition scholarships (or covering the difference), and providing holistic “wraparound” support services such as international health insurance, sports equipment, small personal spending stipends, and flights home to see family.
Starting with a highly successful five player pilot program, Thrive League is now supporting more than 25 student athletes (boys & girls) from over 10 different countries at US boarding schools and colleges such as The Kiski School and Amherst College.
Rising Stars of Africa is the official and exclusive African academy partner for Thrive League. The existing relationship between the two spanning over three years that has produced brilliant student athlete pilot players that have gone on to have tremendous success both on the field and in the classroom. These pilot players can be seen on our player profiles page.
In 2021, Thrive League declared its intention to expand past Africa into a greater global presence with its partnership with Global Education & Sports Partners (GESP.) GESP is an educational consulting company that helps students from all over the world facilitate the application process to boarding schools in The United States. The primary focus of GESP is also soccer and education. GESP has partners in Bermuda, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominicam Republic, Dubai, Guatemala, Italy, and Spain.
Some top boarding schools in the US will offer full or near-full-need financial aid to ECS academy players because of their athletic, academic and broader cultural contributions
However, these schools face challenges when it comes to finding and supporting these incredible applicants, as reflected in interviews conducted with 7 boarding school leaders in Spring 2018
Talented Student Athletes
Opportunities for players in the US; access to partners and donors abroad.
BUILD & NURTURE a network of vetted, high-quality international academies who want to pursue US educational pathways
SELECT annual cohorts of players and PLACE at US schools
LIAISE with key stakeholders for each player: home family, host family, host school, sending country, others
Scholarship funding; immense educational resources; college placement.
Excellent student-athletes; increased transnationalism and diversity among wider student body.
BUILD & NURTURE a network of junior boarding schools, senior boarding schools and universities who want access to international players
PROVIDE wraparound support for student-athletes once in the US: orientation, host families, cohort events, financial support
RAISE funds from donors and host families
Talented Student-Athletes.
Opportunities for players to play in the U.S.; access to partners and donors abroad.
Scholarship funding; immense educational resources; college placement.
Excellent student-athletes; increased transnationalism and diversity among wider student body.
BUILD & NURTURE a network of vetted, high-quality international academies who want to pursue US educational pathways
BUILD & NURTURE a network of junior boarding schools, senior boarding schools and universities who want access to international players
SELECT annual cohorts of international players and PLACE at US schools
PROVIDE wraparound support for student-athletes once in the US: orientation, host families, cohort events, financial support
LIAISE with key stakeholders for each player: home family, host family, host school, sending international Academy, others
RAISE funds from donors and host families
● Hire (and pay for) talented staff.
● Caseworkers with international player transition background.
● Offset player costs with host family commitments.
● Leverage storytelling around player journeys to the US.