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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00:00UA is kind of perfect for getting you linked up to the right people, especially as we're all young
00:03here. Like it's good that we're all here together actually trying to work and push each other to do
00:07something productive with our lives. I think it would be a really good ambition because it would
00:11kind of get your name out there because it's kind of difficult to spread awareness about yourself
00:15as a player regardless of what sport you play if you're not in the right context. The support they
00:20will give me to making it pro, like all the facilities and everything, I want to work hard for it.
00:26For me, you know, like especially being young, you know, this is something that you always dream
00:30about, you know, one day to be sponsored or get a contract from, you know, a big brand like Under Armour
00:35or any brand in general. It would change my life, it would build my profile even more as an American
00:39footballer, bring that unique story of, you know, American footballers can also do this and kind of
00:44bring more awareness around the sport and just to be able to motivate the young generation to show them
00:48if I can do it and so can they and you know, whatever you set your mind to, you can achieve.
00:52When you're here in like 18, 19, 20, you want to grab every opportunity you have. So like,
00:57if you finish in top three and you see us up in a big world, that's, it's crazy. Yeah, that's insane.
01:06This is new Under Armour coming, you know, to London and everything. They just open a store there and back
01:11to see. It's a great opportunity, you know, to be one of the first ones to be put out of there and
01:15be full support, you know, because, you know, they're new. Of course, don't invest in me, you know,
01:19I need to do great. So being around a good group of boys or similar ages, like if we're
01:24able to approve each other, even if there's only three people able to get the contract,
01:28the rest of the seven still have the links and that gives the opportunities for, you know,
01:32the rest of the seven to keep working and actually bring other people in. So
01:35it could become like a growing community rather than everyone against each other.
01:39If I wasn't, you know, to get a contract, I would definitely come back because, you know,
01:44I'm more experienced now. I mean, that'll be my second time knowing exactly what I need to do.
01:49And well, I came here with little knowledge of knowing exactly what's going to happen.
01:54So coming back again, I'll prepare. I will know exactly what to work on, my strengths,
01:58my weaknesses, capitalize on them. And yeah, I'll definitely be back because this is just a great opportunity.
02:06Elite athletes, they say like failure is steps to success. So even if I fail,
02:12I'm just building blocks to becoming better. I'll go again and again and again and again
02:16until I actually get what I need. So if you say you wouldn't come back, then that's well to me.
02:22So I'm not thinking better right now because I do feel like I'll make that top three and I think
02:25it's a mindset thing.
02:29I feel there's not really much pressure because everyone's here for a reason. So there's no real
02:34need to feel pressure. Like everyone's good in their own domain. Like some people are really strong,
02:39some people are really fit. Like everyone has that little bit about them.
02:43I feel like I was just in my own zone. I've always been a person where, you know,
02:46obviously similar to what the other guys were saying in that interview, like I'm happy and
02:49I'm here for everyone as well. But then it's kind of, it's unique to me to know that my story is
02:53separate from everyone else. Like when they hear there's one guy that does American football,
02:56they're going to be intrigued to think, you know, let's see how this guy does. Like he has a whole
03:00different sport to everyone else. So it kind of gives me that unique story in a way that, you know,
03:04what you do American football, all right, cool, let's see what these guys can do. And then it kind of brings
03:08that awareness to, you know, American football guys can actually compete. And then that brings
03:12in the other American footballers all over the world in the UK to say, you know what,
03:15if Tashane can do it, let me give it a goal zone. We're all different here. We both play different
03:20sport. We're all built different. So your best might be different to someone else's best, you know,
03:25and in terms of pressure, we all came here, but then we all support each other.
03:28You can still feel that support from everyone. So it didn't really feel like a competition.
03:38It just felt like, you know, we're just taking a test and the best one is just going to get signed.
03:43We really feel like competition, but yeah, you have to give your best because everyone else is going
03:47to give their best. I think everyone struggled with the bike. The bike was tough, like really,
03:52really tough. But I feel like with that, it's just all mental. Like if you believe you can do it mentally,
03:56and you just keep pushing through, then obviously in the end, it's just, you know, how bad would
04:00you want it? Do you want it to get the best or do you want it to just keep going or just to give
04:04up? So I think definitely the bike. The first minute is like, cool. It's a minute and a half.
04:10You're starting to feel it. Then when it gets like a minute 45, it's just like hell, but like holding
04:15on for dear life. And then when it gets in the last 30 seconds, you know, you have to push it,
04:18but at the same time, you kind of value your life. So it's like, you have to even it out just a little bit, you know.
04:26I do content creating, like, I basically tell my story out there, help other athletes, help other
04:33footballers. So I have like a high profile on socials. And then one of the undomined agents,
04:39Scott messaged me, liked what I was doing, got me involved as one of the first seven athletes to
04:44get onto this program. Since then, I haven't looked back. I just want to show everyone that they should
04:48come and get this opportunity because it's crazy. Like, I still haven't processed it myself. I'm getting
04:53flown out to Amsterdam at the HQ and all these facilities and everything, kind of like, it's
04:59crazy. So just like, I want to show everyone that, kind of like, you have a chance, it's free.
05:03Why not take it? Even though we're competing, like, these guys are like, they're still my guys
05:08at the end of the day. I wish the best for all of them. I'm a very competitive person. I want to be
05:13the best. And they will be like, everyone is. We're also trying to be the best, so why not?
05:16If you want to be the best, you have to compete against the best at the end of the day.
05:20Even if you don't like somebody, you tearing them down isn't going to make you do any better.
05:24For me, it's like, um, even if I don't get high school, seeing other people get high schools
05:28around me, it's just like, it's crazy because like, seeing Doctor go on the back and actually
05:32smashing it, seeing Shane go on the proof and get 20, it's just like, I might not be getting those
05:36scores. I might be as well, but just like seeing them going from nothing to something now and actually
05:41like seeing the enjoyment that they're actually smashing it, it's just like, I don't really see
05:46this as a competition, but at the end of the day it is, but I'm just enjoying it and I'm enjoying
05:50it with them as well because even like, I didn't yesterday, I wasn't with other athletes. I feel
05:55like I was with my family all talking about some combos, so I'm enjoying it.
05:58I love being able to connect with the athletes, you know, even just them as a person, their minds
06:05and what they've achieved. So being able to kind of relate to them and just learn from them that
06:09what they did to get successful, how to keep going, how they do with adversity, all those things that
06:14you can learn from these athletes to just make yourself better as an athlete. Even me as a fullback,
06:19watching Trent at such a high level, at such a young age, at such a high level,
06:24when he's like, I like to play around his playing style, but I play like him type of thing. So
06:29watching him getting the support from Under Armour that no other players are getting and I'm not
06:34going to be a pro yet, it's going to be life changing. I know all the other athletes could say the same.