Tom Baker

219 Sports was launched in 2020 to change the way talented UK athletes earn scholarships in the US. SportsNation spoke to founder, Tom Baker, about how the company looks to deliver on its promise of “turning dreams into a reality” for young sportsmen and women

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What is 219 Sports and what does it do?

219 Sports exists to open doors for student-athletes, particularly from the UK and Europe, by connecting them with US university scholarship opportunities. We specialise in college football (soccer) placements and have successfully placed hundreds of athletes across more than 30 US states. Our model is deliberately hands-on: we only represent a select number of athletes each year to ensure every client gets the attention and strategy they deserve.

On top of our consultancy and placement service, we run Showcase Tours. These are week+ long trips where squads travel to the US, visit campuses, experience world-class facilities and play matches against university teams. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only see college life up close, but also get recruited directly by coaches. This October, for example, we’re taking a squad to Orlando, Florida for an eight-day tour.

Where did the motivation to launch 219 Sports come from?

The motivation was simple – I absolutely love US college sport. I believe it’s the best environment in the world for 18–23-year-olds. You’re able to be treated like a professional athlete in your sport while simultaneously working towards a degree – it’s life-changing.

When I went through the process myself, I saw some gaps – the lack of guidance, support and personalisation. I knew there was a better way. That’s why, at the start of 2020, I launched 219 Sports: to give young athletes the chance to chase both their sporting and academic dreams in the U.S., but with proper guidance every step of the way.

We offer young athletes the chance to change their lives

For those unfamiliar with the US scholarship model, how does it work?

The US college system is a unique sporting landscape. Athletes from around the world can be recruited to play full-time for a university team while earning a degree. Financial scholarships can come in two forms: athletic scholarships awarded by the coaches, and academic scholarships awarded by the university itself based on grades and admissions criteria.

Importantly, US degrees carry the same academic weight as those from UK universities — so student-athletes graduate with both a world-class degree and an incredible sporting experience under their belt.

What does the company offer to young people looking for a scholarship?

Quite simply, we offer them the chance to change their lives. Our process is comprehensive. We help build their recruiting profile, market them to coaches, negotiate offers, and guide them through admissions, visas, and eligibility requirements. Beyond that, we offer something that really sets us apart: aftercare.

Once a student is in the US, our support doesn’t stop. We stay with them right through to graduation, offering advice, reassurance, and guidance whenever they needit. Having been through the process ourselves, we know how valuable it is for both athletes and families to have someone on the other end of the phone who understands the ins and outs of college life in the U.S.

We’re not a conveyor belt – we’re hands-on, selective and invested in every single placement

What are the requirements for a young person looking for a scholarship?

It’s not easy, and the bar is only getting higher as the US continues to attract global talent. That’s why we have a thorough assessment process.

First, we look at intent: does the student truly want to pursue this path? Then we assess their academic ability – are their grades strong enough to gain university admission? Finally, we evaluate their athletic level, either by watching them live, reviewing game footage, or through our own 219 Sports events.

Only after careful assessment and conversations with the family do we invite athletes to join 219 Sports.

Which partners do you work with?

We’re fortunate to be well-connected on both sides of the Atlantic. In the UK, we’re a verified partner of the League Football Education (LFE) and also collaborate with academies, independent clubs, schools, sixth forms, and colleges.

In the US, we work with hundreds of universities and colleges from the west coast in California to the east coast in New York – including household names, like UCLA, UCF and WVU – ensuring our athletes have every chance to find the right fit for them both academically and athletically.

How many young people have you placed so far?

Since launching in 2020, we’ve placed more than 200 student-athletes across the U.S., securing more than $5m in scholarships and financial aid.

Tom Baker’s career journey to launch 219 Sports

“Like many 16- and 17-year-olds, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do after school, let alone for the rest of my life. Then I stumbled across the concept of “college sport” in the US – student-athletes competing in front of 50,000, 60,000, sometimes even 100,000 fans. I was hooked.

That discovery led me to the University of Charleston in West Virginia, where I spent four years on a soccer scholarship while earning my business degree. After graduating, I returned home and started a career in sales. It wasn’t a long-term calling, but it gave me invaluable grounding in communication, relationship-building, and persistence.

I always knew I wanted to start my own company, and with my personal experience of the U.S. college system plus growing connections in football across the North West, I took the leap and launched 219 Sports.”

What is your business model – where does 219 Sports make its money?

On the placement side, we typically work with 65–75 athletes a year. We offer two packages: ● Gold Package: our full consultancy service, completely hands-on. ● Express Package: an online platform providing all the resources and guidance athletes need while giving them more control of the process.

We charge fees for these services, with pricing varying by package. Alongside placements, we run Showcase Tours, which are priced based on length and location. Non-219 athletes who attend a tour are also automatically enrolled onto our Express platform, giving them ongoing support and opportunities beyond the trip.

Our USP is personalisation. We build genuine relationships with athletes and their families, tailoring the process to their goals. We’re not a conveyor belt — we’re hands-on, selective, and invested in every single placement.

That approach consistently delivers the best scholarship outcomes and, more importantly, the best experiences for our athletes.

What are the future plans for the business?

We’re in a strong position, growing year-on- year in both placements and revenue. I moved to the US 18 months ago, which has opened huge opportunities for us stateside.

This year we launched our first Showcase Tour on the men’s side, with the inaugural trip to Florida in October. We have some really exciting projects in the pipeline for our 2026 tours that we’re looking forward to announcing soon.

With a presence now firmly established on both sides of the Atlantic, we’ll also be expanding our reach to U.S.-based athletes. We’ll not only help them secure scholarships domestically, but also open pathways to opportunities in the UK and Europe.

Do you see the UK ever developing a scholarship model like the US?

Honestly, it would be difficult to replicate. In the US, college sport has a cultural significance that’s hard to overstate – it’s closer to Premier League football in England than it is to UK university sport. Stadiums with 100,000+ fans, national TV deals and billions of dollars in investment fuel that system and that’s what allows universities to offer such substantial scholarships.

That said, I do think the UK and Europe could build more effective, desirable systems to retain some student-athletes who might otherwise go abroad. It won’t ever be on the same scale as the US, but there’s room for growth and innovation here.