Studying in the US on a sports scholarship has probably been a path you’ve been thinking about for months, maybe even years. Deciding to go is a big step, and after that comes the next big step: figuring out how to make it happen.
College recruiting is a long and complex process even for domestic American students, and if you’re an international athlete, this adds another layer of complexity.
We at Keystone Sports are aware of that complexity, and we know that college recruiting can be a lengthy process if you’re doing it yourself. We are Europe’s leading college recruiting company, experts in helping international students to study and play college sports in the United States and Canada.
Are you ready to take the next step and make it happen with Keystone Sports? Let our 10 whys explain why!
What to expect:
Since 2004, we have helped international students study and compete in sports at colleges in the United States and Canada. That said, we know this is your first time going through the recruiting process – and for your family as well.
Our team takes the time to listen, to hear what your ambitions are and where you see yourself over the next four years in the US, and after graduation.
Since 2004, we have grown to over 70 employees around the world. The scale of our company allows us to have specialized teams in every part of the college recruiting journey. Each part is important to make your student-athlete dream a reality.
01
Commercial
Once you fill out our free evaluation, one of our team members specialized in your sport carefully reviews all the information you’ve shared.
Our Recruitment Associates and Sports & Education Consultants then invite you to a meeting to introduce Keystone Sports and go through your results. Parents are welcome to join as well, so everyone is informed.
In the meeting, we explain the U.S. student-athlete recruiting process, how your profile fits, and what realistic scholarship opportunities you can expect. We also take time to learn more about you and what you want from your U.S. experience.
02
Placement
When you sign with us and become a Keystone Sports client, our placement specialists are ready to start working with you. They start by understanding what drives you, including your athletic goals, academic interests, and personal preferences. Then they build your recruiting profile based on that.
From there, they promote you to the right college coaches and programs. Once the coach conversations start, our placement team guides you, helps you compare scholarship offers, and supports you in making the right decision. They also help make sure you meet all NCAA eligibility requirements.
They stay by your side, including when it is time to accept an offer and commit to the university that feels right for you.
03
Operations
Committing to a university is one thing. Now comes the part where we make it happen!
Our operations team, including operations, admission, and compliance specialists, works closely with you and your family after placement. Our team will help you with all the important requirements, such as transcripts, grades, and any needed admission tests. They also support you with applications, deadlines, and all the documents needed for your university and your move to the US.
The team understands both your home country and the US system, so they explain everything in a simple way and make sure you avoid any mistakes.
Once your university admission is secured, all documents are completed, and your visa is approved, it’s time to pack your bags and get ready for your four-year adventure in the States!
Hello, hej, hei, hola, hallo or こんにちは? We are an international company with a strong local presence. We speak your language, understand your education system, know what additional government support you may be eligible for, and guide you through visas, tests, and eligibility requirements.
Simply put: we know what it takes for athletes from your country to become student-athletes in the U.S.
Average scholarship value, estimated costs, remaining costs, cost of attendance… There are a lot of numbers involved in the process.
That’s why everything starts with a detailed evaluation of your profile. We analyze your athletic and academic profile against our large database of real student-athlete cases.
This means that when we give you an estimated number for the average scholarship, it’s based on data from an athlete with a similar profile to yours. From there, we give you the most accurate expectations in the industry. So, no overpromising or assumptions.
Over the years, we have secured 1,860 full rides for our athletes. These are full scholarships that cover all college costs. Full rides are awarded to exceptional athletes, and they are rare, but they do exist. For instance, in 2025, 30% of our female athletes received full ride offers.
With insights like these, and backed by historical data and similar cases, you and your family can better understand what to realistically expect and plan with confidence.
More than 20 years of relationship-building means we’ve built a strong reputation with college coaches all over the U.S. Our network includes personal connections with 10,000+ coaches, giving us direct access to programs nationwide. In 2025 alone, we placed athletes at more than 550 schools, and over the years we’ve worked with 820+ colleges and universities.
We have an international Placement team of 17 specialists working directly on athlete placements across all college sports every day. Together, they know what coaches are looking for, how they communicate, and how to position you in the best possible way.
Compared to other college recruiting agencies, few combine people, technology, and data in the same way to support each athlete individually like we do at Keystone Sports. Through tools like the Alliance Athletes App,we understand coach search patterns and use that insight to match athletes to the right opportunities faster and more accurately.
Our focus is always on long-term value. We want to find the right fit for you, not just any placement.
Having a team of former student-athletes means we have first-hand experience in the recruiting process and what it means to be an athlete at college.
We were once student-athletes ourselves and can relate to many of the feelings and questions you might have. Is my highlight video good enough? What happens if I get injured at college? What does amateur status mean for the NCAA?
On top of our own experience, our Placement- and Operations teams bring years of hands-on expertise working with thousands of athletes from around the globe.
We’ve already been through situations like COVID, where everything changed overnight and athletes still had to get to college. Throughout the pandemic, our Placement and Operations teams stayed fully involved, adapting to constant changes and making sure our athletes could keep moving forward.
That same support applies to more specific situations too; like helping one of our student athletes get her horse, the most important part of equestrian sports, from Europe to the U.S.
To summarize; when new situations come up, we’ve usually already dealt with something similar. That means fewer surprises along the way. And when something unexpected does happen, you’ve got teams and systems to handle it.
At Keystone Sports, we have a solid structure covering every step of the recruiting process to make sure everything is planned, requested, and submitted on time. But if something outside our control comes up, we have systems in place to deal with that too.
We act fast, keep you informed, and use our team, contacts, and network to resolve external issues that could affect you and your family.
“Finding a scholarship in the US is hard: it's a global market and it's competitive. Using Keystone Sports gives you the competitive edge given our extensive coach network developed over 25 years.”
“The core task for placement specialists is to make good matches in between the clients and the coaches and universities.”
No matter how exciting the U.S. experience is, we also understand the challenges of being in a new country, far from family and friends. Our main goal is to make sure you feel supported and confident that we’re still there for you while you’re at college.
Keystone Sports community is a cornerstone of that support. Guided by our Community Manager, this program includes regular check-ins to make sure you’re enjoying your experience in the U.S. and to see if you need any assistance. Behind the scenes, you’ll have access to different teams, each specializing in key areas. This means you have a strong support system and expert guidance in place whenever you need it.
For you as a parent, this provides peace of mind knowing your son or daughter is not alone abroad, but part of a closely supported community with a team looking out for their wellbeing.
While you are in the process, four years may seem long, but they pass in the blink of an eye. It’s easy to forget that college is just one chapter of your journey, and that graduation marks the beginning of a new one.
To support this transition, we have built a large network and collaborate with partners to help kickstart your professional career. For instance, we work with partners to offer internship opportunities during your studies as an undergraduate, such as CPT, as well as post-graduation opportunities through OPT.
The student-athlete experience in the U.S. is a long-term investment in your education and your future career, and it gives you a unique combination of opportunities you simply can’t find anywhere else. After four years, you will not only graduate with a recognized degree but also realize how much you’ve learned and grown – and be ready to take the next exciting step.
We’ve seen Keystone Sports alumni go on to successful careers in finance, biochemistry, journalism, business ownership, and many other industries. Some have used college sports as a springboard to compete professionally after graduation, while others have joined us at Keystone Sports. Being a student-athlete gives you the chance to shape your own path and can open doors you might not expect.
Jenna Fee Feyerabend
Track and Field
San Diego State University
NCAA DI
Emil Hassling
Swimming
Louisiana State University
NCAA DI
Joel Rydstrand
Soccer
Creighton University
NCAA DI
Julia Järvholm
Golf
University of Memphis
NCAA DI
Maja Jung
Tennis
San Diego State University
NCAA DII
Rafael Miroslaw
Swimming
San Diego State University
NCAA DI
Sara Irurozki
Soccer
Southeastern University
NAIA
Ella Cashman
Field Hockey
Princeton
NCAA DI
We have put our 20 years of experience into offering programs and exclusive resources to help you become a student-athlete and prepare for what comes after college. The goal is to support you through all the different steps of the recruiting process and continue to help you grow you as an athlete, student, and young professional.
Keystone Sports-exclusive material
In addition to regular meetings and check-ins with your Keystone Sports specialist, you will also have access to resources provided by our teams at different stages of your recruiting process. This includes, for instance, highlight video best practices, admission test preparation, visa guidance, and much more.
MyKeystoneSports
MyKeystoneSports is a platform where you follow your recruiting process. You get an overview and can see the upcoming steps. This platform helps everything feel clear and easy to follow.
Keystone Sports Performance Program
Our Performance Program is a sport performance program developed by two leading experts in the field: Clive Brewer (Athlete Development) and Dr. Darren Treasure (Mental Performance). It is designed specifically around the needs of student-athletes, which helps you prepare both physically and mentally.
Alliance Athlete App
Alliance Athlete App is an app designed for scouting and visibility for student-athletes. Did you know that over 90% of NCAA Division I soccer coaches are already active on the app and scouting for international players? This is where you boost your chances of getting discovered and recruited!
Keystone Sports Early Athlete Development Program
Our Early Athlete Development Program is a program focused on preparing young athletes early, typically 3–5 years before the college recruiting process begins. You receive guidance and resources from our team to help you build the right foundation and be fully prepared when the time comes.
Keystone Campus
The central hub for Keystone Sports clients, where you can find information from our community, internship and work opportunities, exclusive webinars, and other key resources.
Keystone Sports Community
A support network managed by our Community Team that makes sure you are guided and supported throughout your experience in the U.S., both during the recruiting process and at college.
Partnership-exclusive Resources
Through our network of trusted partners, we are able to share exclusive opportunities with the Keystone Sports athletes. This includes internships (CPT and OPT), events, webinars, discounts, and other benefits that support both academic, athletic, and personal development.
The United States hosts some of the world’s top universities; more than a quarter of the top 100 ranked universities are located there.
Studying in the US pushes you to adapt fast, grow your confidence, and develop strong interpersonal skills.
Over four years, you grow fast. On top of an internationally recognized degree from a college or university in the United States, you build a CV with real skills: time management, planning, discipline, and adaptability. These are all valuable in any career. Plus, future employers value international study experiences highly, as they show independence, adaptability, and a global mindset.
If you’re not from an English-speaking country, you’ll also notice rapid progress in your English – not only in class, but in daily life, with your coach, teammates, and at practice.
“Choosing the US college sports path is one of the biggest decisions you make as a family. We know – most of us here have been in your shoes and taken that same leap. At Keystone Sports, we combine our extensive college coach network, deep understanding of the US system and what it takes for international student-athletes to succeed, to give you a clear and realistic picture of what’s possible for you – academically and athletically.”
Kim Moe Krohn, VP Keystone Sports
Ready to take an important step towards a football scholarship in the USA? Then Keystone Sports College Soccer Scouting Day is the event for you! On April 26 at Spencer Mill Football Club in Northampton, we dedicate a full day for footballers who want to get a better understanding of the US college pathway, showcase their talent, and get evaluated by experts.