GIS Students at the World Cup: Tobias van Deijck Part of Team that Hosts England Squad

To progress in the sports industry, exposure to high-performance environments goes a long way.

For GIS graduate Tobias van Deijck, this came in the form of working alongside the England National Team as part of his role at Miami FC.

Director of Academy Operations at the club, Tobias helped welcome Thomas Tuchel’s side as part of their World Cup warm-up games, playing a 50-minute match against the USL Championship team behind closed doors.

The game finished 6-0 to England, but for the Miami players, the experience was worth far more than the result itself.

Speaking to GIS, Tobias told us about the day, saying: “Our professional players loved it.

“For our U20 academy players that we brought, it was a fantastic experience for them to not only see but play against players they see on TV. It was a nice motivator and reward to both our professional and academy players who want to take their career to the next level.”

Having worked for Miami FC in various capacities during his MSc Football Business studies, Tobias hadn’t yet experienced the world of international football, though the friendly against England has helped him consider the possibility of future work in the area.

“I was able to see how a prestigious national team operates logistically in the lead up to the game, all the way to how they operated on game day,” he said. “Everyone from the England staff was extremely helpful and approachable.”

“It did open up my mind to work for a national team at some point in my career. I feel that it is a different type of challenge that I might not experience in my day-to-day role with a professional club.”

The opportunity was another milestone in Tobias’ career progression. A Netherlands native, he previously worked as a Data Analyst and Technical Scout for Eredivisie club Go Ahead Eagles. 

Since moving to Florida, his time at Miami FC has seen him progress from an internship as an Academy Administrator to Director of Academy Operations as well as an interim spell as First Team Administrator this year.

Based in Miami throughout, he has seen first-hand how the region has been following the World Cup, and explained the approach.

“In my opinion, the World Cup fever in America has been very calm compared to previous World Cups. 

“In the Netherlands, everything is covered in World Cup decorations but in Miami, it has more of an American vibe in terms of watch parties in each restaurant or bar.”

“On the other hand, Miami does have a lot of football fans from South America that make up for this. They cover their car in their nation’s flag or fill up the fan fests in their nation’s colors, and overall brings that World Cup fever atmosphere to Miami.”

To conclude, we have been asking students and graduates for a sentence on what the World Cup means to them, as part of our alumni at the World Cup series that you can find on our news page. In response, Tobias said:

“To me, the World Cup is a way for everyone to enjoy something that they love with each other, regardless of their background.”

Article by Zakaria Anani