Hi All,
I spoke with the Anthony, the founder of Europlayers, about writing a blog/article
for Europlayers.com, which is a website
dedicated to getting players exposure with the teams in Europe and throughout
the world. They also put on combines to allow players to get some recognition. With
out Europlayers I don’t think Football in Europe would be at the level it is
now, this site has allowed for the game to progress so quickly throughout the
world!
I knew that writing just from my point of view wasn’t really worth too
much, because I am just
one guy, so I recruited a good friend of
mine, Andre Whyte, who is currently playing for the Warsaw Eagles.
I was fortunate enough to play with Andre my freshman year of college at
Bryant
University. From this mini blog or article, whatever you want to call
it, we hope to assist others
in getting recruited, help paint a picture of what to expect from
playing overseas and give
players the ability to reach out to us in a Q&A which will appear in
another article, and answer
questions to help better prepare them for their upcoming experiences.
advice
on what helped
us get recruited.
So here we go:
-Figure out where you want to go, and then focus on it. Sending out mass
messages may get
you noticed, but when you have no target or goal, you are just shooting
in to the air and
hoping something hits. For me, I knew that I wanted to be in Germany, so
that allowed me to
correspond with teams on a basis that showed interest in being THERE,
not just somewhere.
Playing overseas is about WAY more than just football, you will grow as
a person, learn about
the world, form friendships with people that you would never before have
imagined.
-Write professionally. Don’t use slang, Internet typing or improper
grammar. Teams recruit
you for more than just what they see on
your highlight film. You are an investment to them, and 99% of the teams here
don’t have money to waste. If they see you are intelligent, and well composed
it will help you in the recruiting process. From my calculations the average
player will cost anywhere from 7500-10000 euros for a season, think about what
kind of person you would want to invest that amount of money on.
Advice/What to expect:
-I was fortunate enough to have traveled
a good amount in my life before beginning my playing career here, so I knew a
good amount before hand of what to expect. I didn’t have culture shock, but for
many Imports they will experience it. The country you will play in is not
America, Canada or wherever you may come from. This leads back to my earlier
advice, do some research and make sure you know where you would want to play
and where you would not want to play.
-Your teammates have jobs, families and other responsibilities. This is
not like playing
College football, you will not have teams with 100 guys on the roster.
You will not have 100%
attendance at practice. You must learn to adapt, and be ready to accept
an immediate role as
a team leader. You will have teammates older than you, some may have
played
longer than you, but at the end of the day you are the import player
that is brought in to be
the star, the leader and a teacher to those around you.
-Learn about the culture before you come. Try to learn a little of the
language before you come, yes for the most part everyone speaks English, but
you are in their country so respect it and put forth effort, I am not telling
you to become fluent, but just try and it will not only help you in life but
also with gaining respect of your teammates. With 100% certainty I can tell you
that my ability to speak German has not only made my time here easier, but also
way more enjoyable and has allowed me to connect on a much different level with
my teammates than that of other imports.
That is just a quick glimpse from my side…now for Andre’s advice!
Greetings,
My name is Andre Whyte, I am currently
playing in my 4th season here in Europe. I spent my first 3 seasons in Prague
with the Prague Black Panthers, formerly known as the Prague Blackhawks. Currently
I am playing for the Warsaw Eagles in Poland. In my 4 seasons I have gone
through the ups and downs of the football side of being in Europe. Traveling
across seas to experience a different culture and people is one thing. But if
you’re like me, playing football is the top priority. I was very fortunate to
have been a part of a new franchise in the Prague Blackhawks and help them win
back-to-back national championships after their first year of starting the new
organization.
Name: Andre Whyte
DOB: 17.12.1988
Age: 25
Hometown: Staten Island, New York
Position: S,LB,WR, RB
Current Team: Warsaw Eagles
Previous Team: Prague Black Panthers (Prague Blackhawks)
I must admit, before signing, I had no
real knowledge of the Czech Republic except knowing it used to be known as
“Czechoslovakia” due to the Soviet Union. But I was hungry to play after
college so I took the first opportunity that was given. It was a great choice
as I alluded to before. We won a lot of games in Prague and personally, I grew
a lot as a person and a player.
To my fellow Americans who seek to
continue their careers and experiences in Europe, I give you my tips and advice
as to what to expect and be aware of when traveling to play across seas:
Let’s start out with things to do before
you travel to Europe:
-Get a passport! This small booklet is
the single most important item you should have when even thinking about
traveling through air, let alone to Europe. You can forget about all your sneakers,
cleats, cool gloves and visors, if you don’t have a passport to bring those
things to Europe with you.
-After you have your passport, you’re
ready to go. Like Tim mentioned, start your search, be as general or specific
in your search as you please. But make sure you are organized and keep track of
whom you contact. Europlayers.com is a great site and allows you to make notes
on teams you speak to for your own records.
-Be professional, to the point, let
owners and coaches know you are interested and ask them to take a look at your
profile and let you know what they think.
-Be aware, and ready for no response.
Some people are more prompt than others, be patient and stay positive, more
times than not, a coach or owner has seen your profile and message, and they
are just adding you to the list of the players they are interested in. When
they feel the time is right, they will shoot you a line.
-Follow up is key, let the owners and
coaches know you are still interested and you haven’t forgotten about them, sad
truth is, in this industry-coaches and owners may forget about you. This isn’t
on purpose however, you must realize everyone is trying to get a spot on a
roster including you, and you might just be looked over, but it is an honest
mistake on the coaches and owners part. Just stay positive and stay persistent.
Additionally, like Tim mentioned, while coaches and owners are evaluating
players on the field and off the field,
your follow up and attention shows them you are serious, and may put you
over another player who has become idle through the recruiting process.
-BE HONEST ON YOUR PROFILE!! As football
is growing in Europe, and coaches/owners are becoming more and more connected
with college coaches and scouts in the states, all your information you post
will be validated by interested organizations. So it is in your best interest
to be honest. Just because you aren’t the fastest guy or tallest guy, doesn’t
mean you won’t get a shot, there are a ton of teams out there who are looking
for specific players. Sometimes when looking for a job, you may be “over
qualified” thus resulting in you not being able to get the job. The same can be said for landing a spot on a
team in Europe. If you’re not Reggie bush, don’t make it seem so. Besides
honesty goes a long way.
So those tidbits are the foundation of
what gets you connected with teams and coaches in Europe or other countries.
They are great things to keep in mind moving forward. I can remember my first
time on Europlayers, without a profile and thinking to myself “how do I start
this”. There were not many “how to do” stories yet, but I figured it out in a
short time and got the ball rolling.
-Once the ball is rolling, stay in touch
with coaches and owners, be prompt.
-Do follow up research on the cities and
towns of prospective teams. You should know a little about the city or town you
will be traveling to. It helps for conversation and becoming comfortable
quicker.
You’ve signed with a team, you’re
excited, they’re excited, mother is excited, all your friends and fans are excited,
however you’re girlfriend is not:
-STAY IN SHAPE, WORKOUT. You are
traveling there for football, you need to be in football shape, training camps
don’t last long and the training routine is not how it was in college. It’s on
you to be ready.
-Study some greetings in the language of
the country you’ll be in. It’s impressive and helps gain trust.
-Know the weather, and how the weather
will be in during your season.
-Make sure you and your coaches are on
the same page with flight plans and pick up times.
You’re well on your way. But in the midst of all this action you need
to realize these things before traveling to Europe, Tim touched on some good
points on what to expect as far as the football side goes, like there not being
an 100 man roster and you don’t practice as much, trainers are not on hand as
you are accustomed too, sometimes even coaches. Film sessions are minimal; some
places don’t have their own locker rooms, etc etc etc. Bottom line, nothing
will be the same as to what you have in the states, and so my advice to you is
to just clear your mind, expect nothing, but be ready to accept everything. You
are entering a new world, where, quite frankly, only your football IQ and
talent is needed and asked for; everything else is what you’ll be at the mercy
of. Going to Europe will change YOU, not the other way around. So keep an open
mind and be open to the best experiences of your life.
-Andre
I hope this helps out! Feel free to
contact me via Europlayers or on twitter @Miscovich
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