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hey’re forged in ambition, pressure, and the moments that test everything.”
For young athletes hailing from the London area, the dream of breaking into elite sport can feel like a closed-off world. Trials you do not hear about, decisions made behind closed doors that they cannot open and opportunities that slip away.
But ambition does not wait for permission.
Under Armour’s UA Next programme, a talent pathway aiming to break down barriers to entry into sport, was built for the ones who refuse to accept no for an answer.
For the underdogs, the overlooked and the ones who carry London’s raw and relentless step with every stride.
Across ten seasons, over 12,500 athletes have been tested, making UA Next the perfect stage for promising young athletes to prove your postcode, background and connections do not matter. It is your hunger to succeed that is paramount.
At the UA Next academy in Battersea, 16 to 20-year-olds are put through a series of free tests – analysing speed, strength, agility, power, endurance and athletic intelligence – but the underlying aim is clear. How do they cope when everything is on the line and when it matters most?
The top candidates will then progress to the UA Next Camp, where tests become tougher, margins get finer and the stakes higher. At this stage, it’s not just about physical attributes. Here, it’s about resilience, emotional control and adaptability.
Last season, over 1500 athletes were tested in the initial phase, with only 12 of them making it to the Next UA camp before competing for the ultimate prize – a 12-month Under Armour sponsorship contract.
The involvement of an elite-level sports figure such as Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who oversaw the process and helped select successful candidates, speaks volumes.
UA Next is not a side route. It is a respected, evolving pathway to unearth the next wave of talent in sport who previously might have gone overlooked.
The traditional barriers are not just being broken, they are being shattered. If you have ever felt underestimated or written off, book a test. Let’s find out.
The new season of Under Armour’s UA Next programme will be rolling out on Instagram and TikTok throughout December. Think you have got what it takes? Book a test and prove it.
Featured Image Credit: Under Armour
Thomas Thorn