About Vista

Vista Athletics is an exclusive soccer scholarship agency that specializes in the holistic and individual support of elite players. Each year, the agency supports only a select number of players and accompanies them through the entire process – from the initial contact to well beyond the awarding of the scholarship. The founders of Vista Athletics have extensive experience in professional soccer, management, sports science and medicine. This allows for professional and customized advice that focuses on the athletic and personal growth of the athletes.

JAN WEEG

CO-FOUNDER

Athlete counselor & expert on studying, sports and life in the USA

Jan, 37 years old, spent four years as a soccer scholarship player in the USA (Stony Brook, New York | NCAA D1 and Berry College, Georgia | NAIA). He has also gained playing experience in both the USL2 (Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Northern Virginia Royals) and the NPSL (Quad City Eagles).

Jan completed a Bachelor’s degree in biology in the USA, followed by a Master’s degree in “Physical Activity and Health” in Maastricht/London. He then successfully completed his medical studies at the University of Düsseldorf and now works as a doctor in the field of functional medicine in Berlin.

jan@vistaathletics.com

MAURITS SCHÖN

CO-FOUNDER

Athlete support & contact person for all contractual matters

Maurits is a lawyer and studied in Berlin, Madrid, Cologne and Lund (Sweden). Today, he is Managing Director of the global soccer media platform OneFootball, based in Berlin and London.

maurits@vistaathletics.com

SÖREN STEPHAN

CO-FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR

Scouting / highlight video & management
Sören, 34 years old, has an eye for detail at Vista. He provides the sporting assessment and is responsible for creating the highlight videos. He also takes care of the entire administration.
Sören works as a soccer scout. He gained his first experience with the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth team. After working for five years as a scout for FC Bayern Munich’s young players, he was most recently a scout for FC Basel’s professional squad for two years.
He has a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management and a Master’s degree with a focus on Exercise Science and Coaching. He spent three months as a coach at the best soccer academy in Zimbabwe. He also analyzed the opponents of the German national soccer team for “Team Cologne” at the German Sport University and works as a mentor in the FIFA Technical Development Program.

TOM LOHMANN

Athlete counselor & expert on studying, sports and life in the USA

Tom, 29 years old, has been with Vista since the end of 2020. With his expertise, he is the perfect athlete mentor and confidential source for coaches in the USA.

Tom spent seven years in the USA as a player and coach. He began his bachelor’s degree in management in New York at Nyack College and then transferred to Montana State University Billings, where he not only continued his studies and was captain for three years, but also completed his master’s degree in public relations and became part of the coaching staff. For two seasons Tom was an assistant coach, goalie coach and recruiting coordinator, giving him the best insight into the world of college coaching and recruiting.

Tom was also able to gain experience on the pitch in the 2nd Icelandic League and in the PDL (now USL League Two), where he won the National Championship with the Michigan Bucks (now Flint City Bucks) in 2016. Tom has been back in Germany since 2020 and, as an athlete coach, is very happy to give the next generation of players the time of their lives. Tom’s main job is head of youth scouting at 1.FC Union Berlin.

tom@vistaathletics.com

HENDRIK KÜHN

Athlete coach

Hendrik, 24 years old, has been an athlete coach at Vista since the end of 2020. With his experience as a student-athlete, he accompanies the players on their way to the USA.

After Hendrik completed his bachelor’s degree in business administration, he went to San Francisco for two years as a Vista player to complete his master’s degree. There he was able to gain great sporting and academic insights, but above all make unique memories. Hendrik has been back in Berlin since December 2019 and works in a management consultancy.

hendrik@vistaathletics.com

THORGE JESS

Athlete coach
Thorge, 31 years old, supports the athletes to find the perfect athletic and academic fit.

As part of his soccer scholarship, he studied business administration at Montana State University in Billings for two years. During his time abroad, he was able to gain perfect impressions of life on campus and incorporate these into his work as an athletic counselor. After returning to Germany, he completed a trainee program as an insurance and financial advisor, as well as a degree in economics at the University of Kiel and continues to work in this field.

MATTIS KOCH

Head of Social Media

Mattis, 21 years old, has been responsible for social media channels and online marketing since February 2021.

Mattis transferred to Missouri State’s top D1 university on an athletic scholarship through Vista Athletics in August 2020, after playing many years in the NLZ of 1.FC Union Berlin as a central defender in the Junior Bundesliga. He is studying psychology and marketing and is completing an undergraduate certificate in business principles.

mattis@vistaathletics.com

DAVID SCHAEFER

Highlight video

David, 21 years old, supports Vista as a video analyst in the creation of the highlight videos.

David is from Berlin and moved to Canada as a student-athlete via Vista in 2018. He is currently studying Sport Management at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Canada, where he plays for the MRU Cougars. He also played for Peachtree City in USL League Two in the summer of 2021. It was a great experience for him right from the start, both athletically, academically and personally.

david@vistaathletics.com

ALEXANDER KRAUS

Highlight video

Alexander, 21 years old, supports Vista as a video analyst in the creation of highlight videos.

After graduating from high school in 2018, Alex himself went to the USA as a student-athlete with Vista. He is studying at Auburn University at Montgomery and is completing his Bachelor’s degree in International Business. After many years in the NLZ and a successful final year in the U19 Bundesliga, he was keen to take the step abroad and embark on the American adventure. He has not regretted it for a second.

alex@vistaathletics.com

KIMO LEMKE

Highlight video

Kimo, 21 years old, supports Vista in the creation of the highlight tapes and as a video analyst.

Kimo was born in Hamburg and moved to the USA with Vista in 2020. He is currently a sophomore in college in South Carolina and enjoys his life as a student-athlete. He used to play soccer for the U17 as well as the U19 of Eimsbütteler TV until he decided to make his way to the USA. Vista Athletics inspired him to do so through a presentation at his former club ETV. He is glad that he started this journey, and he is even more glad that this journey is not over yet!

kimo@vistaathletics.com

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