Having a sports scholarship to a US university has been a transformative opportunity for many athletes worldwide, offering unique paths for personal and professional growth. However, talent alone isn’t enough, as Tyler Hollingsworth from Sable International told BizNews in an interview. Strong academic performance is crucial, he emphasised, adding that even a prodigy like Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn’t gain entry to a prestigious school without good grades. He noted that sports such as swimming, golf, and tennis are where many South African athletes go abroad, thanks to coaches with strong institutional connections and a good understanding of the process. Hollingsworth stressed the importance of considering such a move early in one’s academic career. While parents often discourage social media, it can be advantageous when applying for a US college athlete scholarship, as it helps attract coaches’ attention. Hollingsworth, who earned a finance degree in the US while playing football, started a company to help students follow in his footsteps and joined Sable International earlier this year. Three students from his programme have competed in the Olympics, and he has secured over a billion rand in academic and sports scholarships for students.
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Highlights from the interview
In this interview, Tyler Hollingsworth, a former soccer player who earned a finance degree in the U.S. through a sports scholarship, discusses how he helps South African students secure academic and athletic scholarships to US universities. After a brief soccer career in South Africa and the UK, Tyler used his experience to start a business helping athletes pursue similar opportunities. Now, with Sable International, he provides expert guidance to students, emphasising the importance of academics and athletics in securing a scholarship.
Tyler stresses that academic performance is critical in the scholarship process. Students must balance their sports training with strong academic results, starting the process early, around age 15 or 16. He also advises on standardized tests like the SAT, TOEFL, or IELTS and the increasing role of social media in showcasing athletic talent. While social media isn’t essential, it can significantly enhance visibility to coaches, particularly in sports like tennis or swimming.
Tyler shares success stories of students who reached the Olympics after securing scholarships, highlighting that dedication to academics and athletics is key. He also discusses the financial aspects, noting that while top-tier schools can be expensive, scholarships often cover significant costs. Elite athletes may receive full funding, including stipends, while others may pay a fraction of the total cost, comparable to studying at South African universities. Ultimately, Tyler emphasises that the best fit for each student varies, considering their academic and athletic goals.
Edited transcript of the interview
Linda van Tilburg (00:04.783)
Getting a sports scholarship to a US university opens up unique professional and personal opportunities for athletes worldwide. Tyler Hollingsworth is one such person who earned a finance degree in the US while playing soccer. He started a company to help talented students follow in his footsteps, securing over a billion rand in academic and sports scholarships for students. Now, with Sable International, he’s using his expertise to assist talented South Africans in obtaining US scholarships. Hi, Tyler. Thanks for joining us.
Tyler Hollingsworth (00:49.921)
Absolute pleasure, thanks for having me.
Linda van Tilburg (00:52.824)
This topic is interesting because I know a few students who’ve gone this route. Can you take us back on your journey and how this opened up pathways for you?
Tyler Hollingsworth (01:08.342)
It was a fascinating journey. Like a typical South African boy, I was passionate about rugby, football, cricket, and athletics, swimming. So, I did everything. But my father was English, so the soccer was always on TV, and he was a big Liverpool fan. So, I spent much more time watching TV and kicking around a football than the others. So, I naturally developed a bit more in football and played for some nice academies. I played for Supersport United in my youth career and was very fortunate to get an opportunity to go to the UK and go on trial at some of the bigger clubs. I went to Bolton Wanderers, who have now been relegated from the Premier League. But when I was there, it was incredible. They were still up there. I spent a couple of weeks but unfortunately didn’t make it. So, when I came back, I realised that I wasn’t maybe at the elite level of football, but I was somewhere close, and I could use that ability to fund an education.
So, I reached out to a person I knew who had done it before, and he assisted me through the process. He introduced me to a few universities, sent my videos across, and then I secured a scholarship sight unseen and took it.
I was really excited to go and played four years of college soccer and got myself a degree in finance and accounting. Then, I worked for two years in insurance in the USA and loved it. Americans, I know they get a bad rap in the news, but for me, they’re the salt of the earth. They’re lovely human beings. I just wanted to give more people that experience. I was passionate about sports, and I knew that, you know, I was not the best athlete, but I was up there, and I knew there were so many more players and people out there who were better than me that deserved it more than I did. I just got lucky. So, I came back and started a business, and then, about six months ago, Sable decided they wanted to bring me on board and take me under their umbrella. They’ve got a world-class brand, and they provide exceptional service. So, I was like, why not join these guys. We connected on a very cultural level, and our core values and company culture aligned really nicely. I wanted to be a part of that, and I wanted to learn from guys who had built incredible businesses and I wanted that experience to trickle into my business and allow us to help more students have the experience that I had.
Linda van Tilburg (03:45.942)
You mentioned luck, but I’m sure it’s talent too. What steps should someone take if they come to you with a talented child?
Tyler Hollingsworth (03:59.734)
It’s important to remember that it’s also about education. It’s really important. One of the big stumbling blocks that we see is that students dedicate most of their time to their sports, and they get by and pass, but it inhibits the process of studying abroad. Just before we went live, we were chatting about some students who were world-class swimmers but also academically exceptional. And they’ve gotten into some famous brand-name blue-chip institutions. And that helps. Academics play a huge role in this process. If you are the next Christiana Renaldo but don’t have the grades, you won’t get into those brand-name schools.
So, the first thing I’d say is focus on your academics, but make sure that you’re training. You’ve got to do both almost at 100%. You can’t favour one or the other. Then, it’s important that the next step is to start early. Start talking to people, chat with us, chat with your coaches.
Swimming coaches, tennis coaches, and golf coaches tend to be the sports where South Africa sends a lot of athletes. So, coaches generally have good connections, and they understand what’s going on, and the more you understand from about the age of 15 or 16, the better.
So, dig into that process, learn, and ask questions. From a South African perspective, when we apply to universities, we only start thinking about it in Grade 11, right? I know that Grade 11 is a good year for students to start to focus. In the USA, all of your high school grades get looked at. So, 9, 10, 11, and 12, they consider all of them. So, you want to start early and get good grades.
Linda van Tilburg (05:46.655)
There are tests involved. Can you tell us about them?
Tyler Hollingsworth (05:50.978)
There are a couple of tests that you might need to take. There’s the SAT or Scholastic Aptitude Test. It’s out of 1600 points and covers maths and English. During COVID, many universities made it optional, but what we are seeing now is that the more elite institutions are bringing it back. They essentially set the trend; for example, when Harvard, Yale, and Columbia do something, the crowd generally follows and they’re bringing it back. So, while many students opt not to take it, those in Grades 9 or 10 should focus on their maths. Maths literacy is acceptable, but we wouldn’t recommend it for this process. If you are an Afrikaans speaker or not a first-language English speaker, you may need to take an English equivalency test, such as the IELTS or TOEFL, to ensure you can learn in English. Many universities now accept Duolingo, an app, which can be used on your computer or phone. You can do it online now and it’s significantly cheaper and widely accepted by schools in the States. Technology has made such advancements, but those are the tests students should consider if they want to embark on this process.
Linda van Tilburg (07:15.99)
Is having a social media presence important?
Tyler Hollingsworth (07:29.046)
I don’t think you have to, and a lot of students in this digital world have people trying to get them off social media, but it helps. Coaches are getting younger, as the older generations who wanted to have a video call or for you to fly out are now retiring. They are no longer a major part of these universities’ coaching workforce or academic body. Younger guys in their 20s, 30s, and 40s are on X, Instagram, and TikTok. The prevalence of video within high school sports has exploded.
Platforms like SuperSport schools allow you to take a video and use a platform like Riverside or something similar where AI can make you a highlight reel in a few minutes, which has really changed the game. So, social media isn’t absolutely necessary right now, but for those who can do it well, it really helps. Coaches, particularly for sports like tennis, swimming, and golf, where technique greatly impacts your scholarship, can see potential. If you’re swimming senior national qualifying times, but your turns are not great, or your stroke needs correction, a coach can see that and think, “Wow, this student has so much talent, and we can do so much more.”
Social media is important. Kids should use it. They should have their personal profiles separate from their sports profiles. Make your personal Instagram or TikTok private and have your sports profile and make that public. Follow the institutions you’re interested in, like Harvard, Yale, Texas, Oregon, or whichever schools interest you, and then find their coaches. It’s an untapped resource. We follow all the coaches, who’ve only got about 500 followers. If you’re a world-class athlete and want to go to Oregon, and you follow the coach, and you’re liking his pictures, and you’re keeping him up to date on social media it really could be the difference. It’s something to consider. Linda van Tilburg (09:46.364)
Do you have examples of individuals who followed this path?
Tyler Hollingsworth (09:56.504)
We’ve had three students who have gone through our programme that have gone to the Olympics. We had a girl in 2021, a brilliant student from South Africa who attended Bucknell University. I forget what she was studying, but she played for the South African youth sides and competed at the Division One level at Bucknell. She was called to the senior national side and went to Japan in 2021, gaining that Olympic experience.
We had two Paris Olympians in 2024. One boy who ran in the 4×400 metre relay in Paris He was at UCLA and has now transferred. Then there’s a girl who excels in shot put and discus, and she’s at the University of Nebraska.
What’s interesting about the students who truly make it is that they’re successful in their sports but also incredibly dedicated to whatever they’re doing. The three individuals I’ve mentioned were academically brilliant, great human beings, and athletically on another level. It comes down to grit, determination, starting early, and wanting it. We reach out to many super-talented athletes who aren’t interested or are not academically strong, and the process doesn’t work for them. We didn’t have to reach out to the three individuals I mentioned. They were proactive about it; they approached us. They wanted this, and they made it happen.
We’ve had some wonderful success stories, having sent over 700 students from South Africa. Mainly from Africa. We also have a few Aussies, one American, and some New Zealanders in our programme. We’re a global company and can help you from anywhere. We’ve had students at Princeton, Dartmouth, and many famous, blue-chip universities you’ve probably heard of.
Linda van Tilburg (12:06.006)
How do parents choose between Ivy League aspirations and other considerations?
Tyler Hollingsworth (12:25.727)
Look, we always emphasise the importance of fit, don’t we? We really try to understand the needs of our athletes and their families. Parents play a massive role in this journey, so we aim to involve them from the outset. We engage everyone and often bring in coaches to build a support structure to shape and guide the journey.
For elite institutions like Princeton or Dartmouth, we can never offer any guarantees, nor can the coaches. Our process differs from the typical expectation; many ordinary South Africans might assume they should apply first, gain acceptance, and then try out for sports like swimming or football. However, that’s not how college sports work. First, you need to be recruited. We communicate with the coaches, network with partners, and cultivate strong relationships to ensure trust between them and their families. We aim to balance the institution’s needs with those of the family. We consider everything, including academic ability, study interests, and location, to find the best match.
At top-tier schools like the Ivy Leagues, coaches might offer a student a conditional offer, including tuition discounts of perhaps 80% or even more, depending on their level. However, they can’t guarantee admission. If the student is accepted, they’ll receive this offer. That’s the challenging part; these institutions are incredibly competitive. Places like Duke or Stanford receive 60 to 70,000 applications but can only admit a few thousand. Due to the global prestige, 80 to 90% of applicants have excellent grades, achieving As and high scores. Therefore, the admissions office must carefully sift through these candidates.
It is not just the academics that’s the first hurdle. If you don’t make it academically, you’re out immediately. But then you’ve still got 50,000 students who are academically capable of attending that institution. They can stand up to the rigour; they would fit. But they look at essays, letters of recommendation, and community service. It’s like a job interview. You have 50 CVs, pick the 10 that fit the bill, and then meet the people.
You try to understand if they will fit your culture, your team, your team goals, and your university’s student body. So, it’s very much an art and science getting them into the elite schools, but it’s not all about the elite schools. There are great Division III universities, Division II, and NAIA. We’ve dealt with about two and a half thousand universities regularly; sometimes, a small, unknown college is a better fit.
For example, a big school like Michigan, with 60,000 students, means you’ll never get to know your professors. There are 500 kids in a class. At a small NAIA institution that no one’s ever heard of, there are 2,000 students, with 10 people in a class. You get to know the professor, you receive individual attention, and there’s a community. It’s not about going to UCLA; it’s about finding the right place for the individual.
Linda van Tilburg (16:13.637)
What about the costs? Are scholarships covering everything or do families still face significant expenses?
Tyler Hollingsworth (16:34.508)
It depends. We help a range of students, not just the elites. Of course, we love working with elite athletes as it simplifies our job, but we’re here to assist anyone on the spectrum.
The first thing we assess is academics. Can the student perform and attend these institutions academically? After that, athletic ability varies. If someone has a 75% average and a passion for football, we can find a Division III university happy to have them on one of their teams. There’s often more than one team, so they might not receive a scholarship, but they could pay around $25,000 to $30,000.
For elite athletes in measurable sports like athletics, swimming, tennis, or golf, we use their times, scores, and academics to project what they might pay. Approximately 30% of our students pay nothing; their housing, food, and tuition are covered. The top-tier athletes, like Olympians, also receive a stipend, a salary ranging from $500 to $2,000, which goes straight into their bank accounts. They can use this money for groceries, holidays, or whatever they wish.
About 60% of our students are very talented—perhaps on the first team for rugby or provincial hockey—but not at the national level. They are academically strong and receive about 75% off their tuition fees.
To give some context, the average cost to attend an institution in America is about $50,000, though it can range from $12,000 to $100,000. Typically, our students pay around $15,000 to $20,000, approximately R280,000 to R300,000. This is comparable to studying at a place like UCT or Stellenbosch. Although this might not match the sticker price on a website, when factoring in transport, food, entertainment, and lodging, it adds up to about R250,000 to R300,000 in South Africa.
Finally, around 10% of our students pay between $25,000 and $70,000. Sometimes, students have their hearts set on a specific institution. If they have the academic credentials, we help them gain admission, and if they have the resources, they go.
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