Context & Challenge
For many talented student-athletes outside the United States, the dream of studying and competing at an American college often feels out of reach — not due to lack of skill, but because of limited access to information, networks, and guidance during the application process. On the other side, college coaches in the U.S. often lack direct access to international talent pools.
The goal of this project was to bridge that gap through an intuitive, fast, and transparent platform that connects international student-athletes with college coaches across the U.S.
The Solution: Student Athlete Platform
https://studentathlete-portal.com/
This platform was built as an end-to-end solution for both types of users:
Student-athletes, looking for the right college that matches their athletic and academic goals.
College coaches, in search of international talent to strengthen their sports programs.
Technologies
Frontend: HTML, CSS, React
Backend: Node.js
Design: Figma (see design prototype)
Approach: Mobile-first, with a clear and easy-to-navigate user interface.
Key Features:
User Profiles
Students can create detailed athletic and academic profiles, including videos, performance stats, transcripts, and bios.
Coaches have access to personalized dashboards with tools to browse and track potential recruits.
Advanced Search
Filter athletes by sport, position, height, age, academic performance, and more.
Coaches can quickly discover suitable candidates without relying on external databases.
Direct Messaging
Built-in messaging system enables direct and streamlined communication between students and coaches, removing the need for third-party platforms.
Stats & Performance Insights
Athletes can showcase their stats in formats familiar to U.S. coaches.
Coaches can assess prospects with all relevant performance and academic data in one place.
Impact & Results
The platform walks student-athletes through the college recruitment and application process.
Students can express interest and send materials to coaches directly from the portal.
Impact & Results
To date, through the organization and this platform:
100+ international student-athletes from Europe and Asia have successfully been placed in U.S. colleges with athletic scholarships.
The majority of placements have been in basketball, with support also provided for sports like soccer, tennis, volleyball, and more.
The platform significantly reduces the time coaches spend finding relevant recruits.
Conclusion
The Student Athlete Platform is more than just a technical product — it’s a gateway to opportunity. The team behind it succeeded in delivering a platform that blends intuitive design with real-world value. By combining clear UX logic with purposeful functionality, the platform is now actively shaping the futures of student-athletes worldwide while helping U.S. colleges discover top talent faster and easier than ever before.
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