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Career Counseling and University Scholarships
Whether the next step after ASPIRE is continued sports training, university, entering the military or being employed by government or private industry, every student-athlete will graduate from ASPIRE possessing a professional career transition plan consistent with his capabilities and interests and flexible enough to give him multiple options. Two full-time career experts assist student-athletes to think through each stage of career development. An emphasis is placed on career directions that require a university education, because the best positions in Qatar and worldwide will require such credentials. Even if an athlete is continuing to train and compete for the national team, or professionally, following graduation, an athlete’s playing career is short. Plans must be well thought-out for the inevitability of life after sport. ASPIRE’s career counselors pride themselves on being able to provide “shadow opportunities” and “informational interviews” with individuals “on-the-job” in significant positions in agencies and corporations. ASPIRE makes use of its significant network of relationships in numerous companies and clubs around the world.
ASPIRE supports the university aspirations of its student-athletes with post-graduate university scholarships. The Academy recognizes that the process of developing champion athletes and champion leaders cannot be completed by the end of the 12th grade. Further, it is both appropriate and desirable for the Academy to create a university scholarship incentive program that would pursue the goals of (1) continuing to support the development of champion athletes, (2) having as many of its graduates as possible earn college degrees and (3) encouraging those who go on to university to pursue a sports management career path.
Post-graduate financial assistance is available to the following categories of student-athletes who meet selection criteria:
- University Scholarship While Continuing to Train as an Athlete. For any student-athlete graduate who continues his training as an athlete under a program designed by the Academy, or the Academy in conjunction with a QOC federation, the Academy may provide or arrange for: (1) a scholarship to pay for the student-athlete’s university costs, (2) boarding at the Academy, and/or (3) academic support to enable him to excel at the university. Similar arrangements would be made for a student-athlete who may join teams in foreign countries as part of his sports development plan.
- University Scholarship in Sport Management. For any student-athlete graduate who is accepted at a university to train in a sports-related field (i.e. sports management, sports science, etc.) the Academy would provide (1) a scholarship to pay for the student-athlete’s university costs, (2) boarding at the Academy, (3) academic support to enable him to excel at the university and (4) the promise of a one-year position at the Academy upon the completion of his university degree.
- University Scholarship in Recognition of Academic Distinction. For any student-athlete who graduates with academic “high honors and distinction” (average grade of 95 or higher) and who wishes to pursue a university education, he will receive a full scholarship to pay for university costs, whether or not he decides to pursue a sports-related career.
For any other student-athlete who graduates from the Academy, but who does not qualify for one of the above described scholarships and who decides not to continue with sports training or a sports-related career, the Academy career staff shall assist him in finding university placement or in applying for sponsorship and/or job opportunities.
An Academy graduate attending university in Qatar may be offered employment as Resident Assistant, depending on the availability of such positions, which would enable him to earn pocket money. The presence of such Academy graduates in the Academy, while they are university students, presents strong role models and an opportunity for current Academy student-athletes to learn from these experienced former Academy students.
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