Saúl Fernández

When we talk about a sports scholarship in the United States, it's common to think only about landing at a university and competing for a few years.

But an international college experience can mean much more: getting an education, learning a language, competing at a high level, changing environments, discovering another culture, and returning to Spain with tools that go far beyond the field.

Saúl Fernández's story is a great example. A center back formed at Real Sporting de Gijón, Saúl joined our process while studying his first year of vocational sports training (TAFAD). From there began a path that would take him to the United States, first to an NCAA Division I university and later to Texas, where he would complete his college education. And his story didn't end when he returned to Spain.

Saúl's profile

Saúl was a center back at Real Sporting de Gijón, competing in División de Honor. When he started considering the possibility of studying and playing in the United States, he was in his first year of TAFAD vocational training.

His goal was to keep developing as a soccer player while also finding an academic path that would let him build a future beyond soccer. The challenge was making both parts of the project — sport and education — move forward together.

The challenge: building a future beyond soccer

For us, Saúl's case always had one particularly important feature. It wasn't just about finding a university where he could play. The question was: how could we use the opportunity in the United States to also build his professional future?

Choosing the right major was therefore a fundamental part of the process. Saúl decided to study Exercise Science, a field tied to physical performance and training. Soccer would be an essential part of his experience, but not the only one.

The jump to NCAA Division I

The next step was Wright State University, where Saúl joined the men's soccer program as a center back. The university itself announced his arrival in 2021, highlighting his experience at Real Sporting de Gijón and his qualities as a defender.

In his first season he played 15 matches, starting in 14 of them, for a total of 1,189 minutes of competition.

For a player who had started the academic process from vocational training in Spain, the jump meant much more than crossing the Atlantic. It meant entering a U.S. college environment, competing in NCAA Division I, and developing an academic career at the same time.

The next step: Texas

Saúl's experience continued with a new challenge. After Wright State, he transferred to Texas A&M International University, where he continued his athletic and academic career.

The university brought him in as a defender, and he appears on the roster as a senior student from Gijón, Asturias. In the 2023 season he played 13 matches and started all 13, for a total of 1,061 minutes.

The transfer allowed Saúl to keep developing his athletic career while moving toward his academic goal.

From vocational training in Spain to a college graduate in the United States

And here's one of the parts of his story we like the most. Saúl didn't leave just to play soccer. He left to study.

He started his path from the first year of TAFAD vocational training in Spain and ended up completing a college degree in the United States. His education in Exercise Science let him build an academic and professional foundation tied to sport and performance.

And beyond the degree, there's another achievement that doesn't show up on any transcript: English. After several years living, studying, and competing in the United States, Saúl returned to Spain with international experience and a bilingual level of English that are now part of his professional profile.

The return to Spain

The story didn't end with his return, either. Saúl came back to Spain and joined Tercera RFEF directly, starting at CD Colunga. He's currently still competing in the category with L'Entregu CF.

In other words, after several years of college education and competition in the United States, he returned to Spanish soccer and continued his athletic career in a national category. His experience shows that a stint in the United States doesn't have to mean leaving Spanish soccer behind for good. It can become just one more stage within an athletic career.

And now a new professional stage begins

But perhaps the most interesting part of Saúl's story is what's happening now. With his college degree finished, international experience, an Exercise Science education, and an athletic career behind him, he's beginning to build his own professional project in the field of performance and physical training.

The student-athlete stage is over. Now another one begins: building his own professional path.

You can learn about his project and follow his progress on his professional Instagram profile: @saulf_pf.

Much more than a sports scholarship

Saúl's case perfectly sums up how we understand a college experience in the United States at Eleven Up Sports.

The goal shouldn't just be: "Get a scholarship and play soccer." The goal should be: "Use sport as a way to build a future."

In Saúl's case, that path included: Real Sporting de Gijón → NCAA Division I → college transfer → Texas → college degree → return to Spain → Tercera RFEF → new professional project. And each stage contributed something different.

Saúl's story in one sentence

From first-year TAFAD vocational training in Spain to NCAA Division I, a college graduate in the United States, and a Tercera RFEF player in Spain.

But maybe the simplest way to sum it up is even shorter: he didn't go to the United States just to play soccer. He went to build his future.

And that is precisely the true value of an international athletic and academic experience.