Being a student-athlete is one of the most rewarding yet challenging, fulfilling yet consuming experiences you will ever go through, not only as an athlete, but as a person. This is why it isn’t surprising that one of the biggest concerns prospective student-athletes have before going over to the U.S. is what type of pastoral care is provided for the athletes once you are over there.
While the teams and universities have extensive resources to provide this much-needed support, KAA has decided to go one step further by partnering with Panzer Performance (PP).PP provides personal and performance development mentoring for student-athletes to assist you to thrive in your new environment.
This blog will help introduce PP and what its benefits are for our student-athletes!
What is Panzer Performance?
PP looks to develop well-rounded, self-aware and resilient student-athletes through personal and performance development mentoring. PP uses theory-based knowledge and practical experience to enhance our student-athletes from a holistic point of view, helping you prepare and develop both mentally and physically.
Much like KAA’s promise to focus on the individuals’ desires and use these to tailor the recruiting process, PP builds individual relationships with each athlete in order to guide and support their individual needs throughout their athletic journey.
What is the purpose of PP?
It is no secret that becoming a student-athlete comes with its fair share of sacrifice and commitment to your sport, when you decide to join one of these teams. It is also almost certain that there will be a pretty big culture shock and adjustment period that you as a student-athlete will go through, that isn’t always easy.
PP gives our athletes hands-on tools to work through and use to navigate challenges that may come up during your collegiate career.
So, whether it is the challenges and decisions you face on a day-to-day basis in school, in your sport, or in life, PP will create tailored sessions which focus on the areas of need for you specifically.
Who will I be working with?
Erik Panzer is a kiwi, born and raised in Nelson, who also became a student-athlete in the U.S. college system. While on an athletic scholarship at Quinnipiac University, Erik gained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and has been driven to help other student-athletes since.
Erik has played at various levels and in multiple countries around the world while delivering his personal development and mental performance programs to football clubs, high schools and University teams in New Zealand and abroad.
Using experience from working with countless student-athletes, and his education in psychology, Erik will be someone who can ensure that the weight of being a student-athlete isn’t too much.
Why have we partnered with PP?
At KAA, we understand the importance of making sure that we guide you through the recruiting process from a ‘people-first athlete-second’ standpoint to ensure that you are put in the right environment for you in all aspects.
We have partnered with PP as this is a platform that ensures that this outlook continues during your college career by having a mentor for personal and performance-related areas of life.
Who will benefit from PP?
Being one of our athletes, PP performance is something you will be introduced to before heading offshore. This conversation will put some habits and tangible tools in place to help you initially adjust once you arrive on campus to your new team. Then as and when you wish, you will have the choice to get back in touch if you want to have some further guidance during the semester or throughout your career.
Whether you are a KAA athlete or not, ensuring that you are supported holistically during your time as a U.S. student-athlete is so important to your well-being. PP is our way of starting this conversation and letting you know that there are tools to help in preparation for this next step in your life!
