The morning begins with a checklist. Housing confirmed, travel booked, insurance verified, training pitch secured, competition level vetted. That rhythm, repeated across time zones, is how world-renowned soccer agency Select Generation measures a day well spent. The global organization’s model is simple to explain and demanding to run, helping North American players earn opportunities in college soccer or European football.
The work comes with responsibility. Families expect support, safety and clarity. Players expect a real pathway, not a sales pitch.
Select Generation is dedicated to taking elite players to the next level. The organization is a resource for players, scouts, and coaches to bring opportunities and exposure for soccer players at the collegiate level and/or professional academies in Europe.
“This is not a pay-to-play,” said co-founder Sam Henneberg. “We only work with a select group we have scouted live, or who have been recommended by people we trust. If we put our name on a player, we are putting our reputation on the line as well.”
The founders say they only choose motivated players. The program is not a holiday; rather, it’s a pathway to reaching the highest levels of competition. Every detail matters as the agency prepares North American players to earn opportunities in college soccer or European football. It comes with a lot of responsibility.
Select Generation focuses on the overlooked. The founders call it a chip on the shoulder, the quality that often separates a good player from one who breaks through. The agency’s purpose is blunt and ambitious. That can mean a scholarship at an NCAA, NAIA, or junior college program. It can also mean a trial or a season inside a European academy where the game is faster, more technical, and less forgiving.
The idea grew out of a friendship.
Henneberg and co-founder Victor Cascon met in 2021 while living with the same host family in Greensboro, North Carolina, and playing for NC Fusion U23 in USL League Two. Their team reached the national final in front of more than 8,500 fans. They later helped NC Fusion upset Charlotte Independence of USL League One in the U.S. Open Cup, a result that convinced both men there was room for gritted-out stories in a sport often dominated by academy pedigrees.
“People see the final score,” Henneberg said, “but they miss the everyday part, the apartment floor where you stretch after a double session, the foam rollers and the cheap meals and the extra hour on film. That is where players change. We wanted to build a pathway that respected that grind.”
Sam Henneberg grew up in Guildford, England, then crossed the Atlantic at 18 for NCAA Division II soccer at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. He captained as a freshman, finished a double major in three years, and earned a spot with NC Fusion in 2019, where the team won a regular-season conference title. He transferred to the University of New Hampshire for two Division I seasons, starting every match as the Wildcats won consecutive conference championships, climbed to a No. 5 national ranking, and reached the NCAA Sweet 16. He completed an MBA in data analytics at UNH.
Victor Cascon’s path ran through Lenoir-Rhyne University, also in the South Atlantic Conference. The two faced each other for three seasons without realizing they would later become business partners. Both earned MBAs in December before moving to Charlotte for corporate jobs and one more spring with NC Fusion.
In their apartment a few months later, they hosted Select Generation’s first showcase for 26 players. It worked. Showcases followed in Charlotte, South Carolina, Boston, California, and New York. When Victor returned to Spain, Select Generation added camps and trials through his network in Salamanca. By August 2024, the agency had launched its own academy, competing in the eighth tier of the Spanish pyramid.
“We are building for the kid who can play but is not already inside a pro academy,” Cascon said. “The under-the-radar guys. If you are motivated and you want to keep going after high school, we will open doors and then walk with you while you learn to go through them.”
Running international programs means living with change. Staff relocate to stand up new projects. Players arrive with different passports and medical histories. Federations shift requirements. The question is not whether something will go sideways. The question is how quickly you respond and what the response teaches you.
“Last season in Spain we hit a snag with player cards and the Federation,” Cascon explained. “Several players who had already committed to our academy were suddenly ineligible to compete in our division unless we had a youth team. It was stressful. Parents had trusted us, and players were expecting to represent our badge.”
The fix did not involve speeches. It involved relationships. Select Generation had built links with local clubs. Within days, players were placed with Spanish teams that needed depth. They trained, played matches, and absorbed a new rhythm of football.
“It was not the original plan, but it became a growth plan,” Henneberg said. “The boys adapted, learned a new culture, and still had a platform to develop. We tell families that we control preparation, not every variable. This was one of those weeks where preparation and relationships carried the day.”
Crisis management at Select Generation begins with the boring parts. Every trip has insurance. Housing is vetted by staff who have lived abroad. Transportation and safety are nonnegotiables. Competition level is studied in advance, not after a player lands.
“Our model comes with responsibility,” Henneberg said. “We pay attention to every detail so families know their player is supported. Challenges are inevitable when you run academies and agency programs across countries. We overcome them with clear communication, strong preparation and accountability for players and families. We also remind everyone, this is not a holiday. It is a pathway to the next level.”
Trust is not a slogan for Select Generation. It is a habit. The agency begins group chats with parents, players, and staff as soon as a commitment is made. Small questions get answered early. Airport pickups, meals, kit sizes, and training schedules. That choreography builds confidence before a flight takes off.
“Communication is everything,” Henneberg said. “When parents ask, ‘Will my son be safe? Where will he live? What happens if he gets injured? We need clear, confident answers. We overcommunicate logistics so families know everything is organized. When challenges happen, we are honest. Families respect that not everything will be perfect, but they want to see that the player’s welfare and development come first.”
Resilience is taught the same way, by design.
In year one in Spain, several players trained extra on their own and picked up small injuries. Select Generation adjusted. Strength and conditioning coaches, physios, and performance staff now guide recovery, nutrition, and mental preparation. Players learn the tempo that keeps them sharp for a 10-month season.
“Many North American athletes love heavy gym sessions and physical intensity,” Cascon said. “In Spain or England, you need technique, tactics, agility, and game intelligence. We teach that resilience means adapting your habits, trusting the process, and staying mentally strong through highs and lows.”
Risk management sits alongside development. The organization partners only with clubs and operators it trusts. It prepares visa documents and medical plans with the same care it gives scouting reports. Families are briefed on expectations, timelines, and contingencies.
“The biggest risk for a player is uncertainty,” Henneberg explained. “We remove that by providing clear pathways. Maybe you are best suited for NCAA Division II or NAIA. Maybe a junior college is the right launchpad. Maybe an academy in Europe will grow your game. Families are not gambling. They are investing in a system with a track record of successful placements.”
