Finished high school, but still do not have the right next step?
Spend 9 months in Italy training in a real European football environment, continuing your academic path, and preparing for what comes next.
- Train consistently in a European football environment
- Keep moving forward academically
- Live in a structured residential setting
- Join a selected group of only 25 players
Limited to 25 players for the 2026–2027 intake. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
THE REAL PROBLEM
After high school, the biggest risk is not losing your talent. It is losing your direction. You may not feel fully convinced about college yet. You may still be looking for the right opportunity. Or you may simply know you are not ready to stop pushing your development. That is where many players get stuck.
They spend a year in the wrong environment. A year with less structure, less challenge, and no clear plan. And little by little, they lose momentum.
Not because they are not good enough. Because the environment is no longer helping them grow.
THE OPPORTUNITY
What if your next year did not just fill time, but actually moved you forward?
At Lake Como Sport Academy, you can spend 9 months in an environment built around development, structure, and progression.
You keep training seriously. You stay on track academically. You live inside a routine designed to help you grow.
This is not about taking a year off. It is about using a year well.
WHO THIS IS FOR
This is for you if you know you are not ready to stand still after high school.
It is for you if you still want more from your football.
If your current path does not feel enough.
If you know the next 12 months matter and you do not want to waste them.
This is for you if you want structure, accountability, and an environment that pushes you.
It is not for you if you are only looking for comfort. It is for you if you want your next year to mean something.
- Want to continue developing after high school
- Are not ready to stop their football progression
- Care about both sport and education
- Are open to an international experience
- Are willing to commit to a structured year
Limited to 25 players for the 2026–2027 intake
Our partners
We collaborate with selected academic, sport, and institutional partners to offer a structured international experience built for long-term development.
The biggest mistake young football players make
Too many young players are pushed to choose too early between football and education.
That is where many careers lose direction.
The problem is not the player, it’s the lack of the right environment.
The right environment does not force that choice.
It allows both to move forward – with structure, standards, and daily accountability.
Football
Train consistently in a competitive European environment with coaching, structure, and clear development standards.
Education
Continue building your academic future with a pathway that supports university progression, maturity, and long-term opportunities.
Football
Education
Continue building your academic future with a pathway that supports university progression, maturity, and long-term opportunities.
Train consistently in a competitive European environment with coaching, structure, and clear development standards.
A smarter path for serious student-athletes
Lake Como Sport Academy is built for players who want a more complete development model.
Not just training sessions, but a full-year experience designed to help each student-athlete improve in football, continue academically, and grow in a structured international setting.
Limited to 25 players for the 2026–2027 intake
The program
Our program combines elite football training, academic continuity, and daily life structure in one integrated experience in Italy.
It is designed to help international student-athletes develop with consistency, guidance, and a clear long-term direction.
Foundation Program
Full Academic Year or 4-Month Term
The entry point into the Lake Como system. An integrated sports-academic placement in Italy combining:
- Professional European soccer training
- Structured academic supervision
- Coordinated residential life
A structured European development experience designed for student-athletes before university or their next step.
Enrollment Options:
- Full Academic year (recommended)
- 4-Month Term (selective availability)
What this year is deisgned to do
This program is designed to help each player:
- Improve their level in a structured European environment
- Maintain academic progression
Focus your next step (college, football, or both) - Build discipline, independence, and direction
Limited to 25 players for the 2026–2027 intake
WHY ONLY 25 PLAYERS
We are not building a big group. We are building the right group.
That is why we select only 25 players.
A smaller group means more attention, higher standards, stronger accountability, and a more serious environment.
You are not joining a crowded program.
You are joining a selected one.
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT
This is not a replacement for college. It is a strategic year before your next step.
For some players, it is a way to prepare more seriously for college soccer.
For others, it is a way to stay in a strong football environment while gaining clarity on what comes next.
Instead of rushing into the default path, you give yourself one serious year to improve, mature, and move forward with more purpose.
Individual attention is not optional
Each athlete is monitored, coached, and evaluated consistently.
This is only possible with a limited group.
Real progression needs structure
Training, academics, and daily life are coordinated.
A larger group would break that balance.
Selection builds the environment
You are not just joining a program.
You are entering a group of equally driven athletes.
This raises standards for everyone.
Quality over volume
We don’t run mass programs.
We build focused development environments.
Limited to 25 players for the 2026–2027 intake
How it works
Our admissions process is selective and designed to identify players who are a strong fit — both athletically and academically.
Step 1 – Book a Discovery Call
We learn more about you, your goals, and your current situation.
Step 2 – Submit Your Application
You share your academic and football background.
Step 3 – Evaluation
We review your profile carefully.
Step 4 – Offer of Admission
Selected players receive an official offer and can confirm enrollment.
Simple. But selective.
Limited to 25 players for the 2026–2027 intake
How it works
Our admissions process is selective and designed to identify players who are a strong fit — both athletically and academically.
Step 1 – Book a Discovery Call
We learn more about you, your goals, and your current situation.
Step 2 – Submit Your Application
You share your academic and football background.
Step 3 – Evaluation
We review your profile carefully.
Step 4 – Offer of Admission
Selected players receive an official offer and can confirm enrollment.
Simple. But selective.
Limited to 25 players for the 2026–2027 intake
Build the future of your football career.
This is not just a season.
It is a structured step forward for players who want to grow in a serious environment, experience Italian football culture, and keep building their future beyond the pitch.
- Daily structure that supports discipline and consistency
- A European football environment focused on development
- Academic continuity with a long-term perspective
- A selective cohort built for serious student-athletes
Limited to 25 players for the 2026–2027 intake
Build your next step.
This is not just another season.It’s a year designed to help you improve on the field, in school, and as a person.A structured environment for players who want to keep moving forward.
Train in a place that helps you focus.
Lake Como is more than just a beautiful location.It’s a calm, high-quality environment where you can train, study, and grow without distractions.A different setting that pushes you to step out of your routine and take your development seriously.
Meet the director
Behind every great development environment there is clear leadership.
The program director oversees the student-athlete experience with a focus on structure, accountability, and long-term growth.
From admissions to daily standards, the goal is to ensure that each player enters an environment built to support progress on the pitch, in the classroom, and in personal development.
Mattia Pace
Co-Founder & Director of Admissions
Every player is reviewed directly.
We do not select players only based on highlights. We look at your level, your mindset, your goals, and your fit for the environment. Because the strength of a program depends on the people inside it.
Limited to 25 players for the 2026–2027 intake
Our students
Our students are not just players.
They are young people choosing a more ambitious path — one that combines football, education, independence, and international experience.
Limited to 25 players for the 2026–2027 intake
Your next year matters.
Your next year can help your development or quietly slow it down.
If you know you still have more in you,
if you know you need a stronger environment,
and if you want to keep growing as a player while continuing your academic path,
this could be the right next step.
But not everyone will be accepted.
We are selecting only 25 players for the 2026–2027 intake.
FAQ
Here are some of the most common questions families and student-athletes ask before applying.
What exactly is Lake Como Sport Academy?
Lake Como Sport Academy is an international sport and academic gap year program based in Lake Como, Italy. The program combines high-level European soccer training, structured academic coursework, strength and conditioning development, and cultural immersion in one of the most iconic regions of Europe.
Is this a vacation or a professional program?
This is a structured and demanding development program. Students follow a disciplined weekly schedule that includes training, academic coursework, physical preparation, and personal development.
Who is the ideal candidate for this Academy?
The ideal candidate is a motivated student-athlete aged 18–22 who wants to continue developing both academically and athletically while gaining international experience.
What makes this different from a traditional "Study Abroad" program?
Traditional study abroad programs focus mainly on academics and cultural travel. Lake Como Sport Academy integrates high-performance soccer training with academic coursework, creating a true student-athlete development environment.
Do I need to be a professional player to apply?
No. However, applicants must have a solid soccer background and a strong commitment to improving their level.
How do I start the application process?
The first step is submitting an online application followed by a discovery call with the admissions team.
Lake Como, Italy
info@mattiapace6.zuarder.com
+39 351 819 2271
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