About
NEXT Pitch Agency supports Japanese players who want to balance soccer and academics at a U.S. university.
We help each player identify the pathway that best fits their soccer ability, academic background, and long-term goals.
“I want to attend a U.S. university, but I don’t know where to start.” We provide clear guidance on every step, from choosing the right university and communicating with coaches to completing applications and preparing to move to the United States.
If an academy or another path fits better than studying in the U.S. right now, we will not push America for its own sake.
What matters to us is finding the path that truly fits the player.
Mission
Finding your way through U.S. college soccer involves more than talent alone. Which division fits you? Which universities are realistic? When and how should you contact coaches? What do scholarships and costs look like? How much English do you need? What preparation does the move require? From Japan, a lot of that information is hard to see clearly.
NEXT Pitch Agency organizes that information and turns it into a concrete pathway for each player. We review current ability, academics, and goals, then look for universities that fit. We support outreach to coaches and help prepare profiles and highlight videos. Until a path forward is clear, we move step by step with the player and family. That is our role. We cannot guarantee outcomes no one can promise—admission, playing time, or scholarships. That is exactly why we share realistic information and think through the options that are actually possible.
Football × Education × Environment × Future. Not soccer alone: academics, environment, and life after graduation. We design the next step with all four in mind.
Our commitment goes beyond recruitment. We're here for the person behind the player.
Pursuing soccer and education abroad is an exciting opportunity, but it also comes with challenges. Academic pressure, relationships with teammates, team dynamics, language barriers, homesickness, and adjusting to a new culture can all take a toll.
Having experienced the journey from Japan to the United States as student-athletes ourselves, we understand that not every challenge happens on the pitch. Sometimes you may feel overwhelmed, uncertain, or homesick without knowing how to put those feelings into words.
That's why supporting our players' well-being is an important part of our mission. Whether you need advice, help navigating a difficult situation, or simply someone to talk to, we're here to listen and support you throughout your college journey.
Getting you to the next stage is only the beginning. We'll be here to help you navigate what comes next, too.
No player should have to go through this journey alone.
Founder
I am Conrad Ryu Eriksson. As a former NCAA Division I soccer athlete from Japan, I moved to the United States and pursued both soccer and academics at university. Experiencing this journey firsthand taught me things that are difficult to understand from the outside: which level of competition may be right for a player, what coaches look for in player profiles and highlight videos, how to approach coaches, how to evaluate scholarship opportunities and costs, and what life as a student-athlete is really like.
At NEXT Pitch Agency, I combine my firsthand experience with up-to-date information about U.S. college soccer to help players and their families make informed decisions. The same pathway is not right for every player. So we start by understanding the player: current level, academics, goals, and where they want to go.
If you are serious about U.S. college soccer, begin by understanding the options that are realistically available to you.
How We Work
We do not choose a university on playing ability alone. We consider competitive level, academics, goals, and preferred environment, and search for universities that fit. Division I is not the only objective. What matters is the environment that truly fits that player.
Our guidance is informed by firsthand experience as an NCAA Division I student-athlete who moved from Japan to the United States. From university selection to coach communication and enrollment, we offer clear, experience-based advice.
U.S. college soccer works very differently from the Japanese system. Divisions, scholarships, costs, admissions, language, and move prep can all feel unclear. We share information in plain language for players and families, so decisions are made with confidence.
Getting accepted into a university is only the beginning. We consider the full student-athlete experience—from soccer and academics to campus life and career opportunities after graduation—so players can make the most of their college years and prepare for what comes next.
“I want to play soccer at a U.S. university.” Even with that goal, the beginning is full of unknowns. Start by telling us where you are now. Send a message with your position, school year, current club, background, and what you are considering next. From where you are today, we will map out the next options together.