Entrepreneur Ryan aims to help athletes achieve their US sporting dreams

An Oldham-based entrepreneur has launched an app that provides young athletes with the tools and resources needed to connect with college coaches in the United States.

The app - which is available on both iOS and Android devices - helps coaches source talented players who they can offer scholarships to compete at their Universities.

College sports in the US is a billion dollar industry and itis a huge opportunity both in education and sport for aspiring professionals.

The NextUpRecruitment business was founded in 2017 by local man Ryan Cook, a former collegiate athlete with the goal of giving under-recruited athletes the platform needed to showcase their talents to the masses.

Ryan insists the app is a huge opportunity for aspiring sport professionals to obtain the scholarship they’ve always dreamed of, without the financial worry of some of the costs that agencies can incur.

The platform offers every athlete the equal opportunity at a college experience, regardless of their financial background.

NextUp is now one of the fastest growing scholarship agencies in the industry.

They currently have over 3,000 athletes on their app and over 5,000 college coaches.

The free platform has raised over $200m in scholarships.

CEO and Founder Ryan, who benefitted from a basketball scholarship in 2015 at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, said: “We pride ourselves on being for the athlete by the athlete.

"We’ve been in your shoes.

"We’ve made mistakes and learned from them and now perfected our system to make the recruitment process the smoothest it can be.

"Coaches are still crying out for young talent to fill their rosters and compete at the next level for this upcoming academic year 2021/22.

"It allows athletes to play in front of thousands of crazy fans, study towards a degree of their choice and create some memories that will the last them a lifetime.

"The experience is really second to none.”

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