ISD Academy Post-Graduate Camps
ISD Academy post-graduate programs are available year-round and offer student-athletes a great opportunity to spend 3-10 months in a focused environment to develop and elevate their sports and educational stature in preparation for the next step in their journey.
Every student-athlete is unique in their goals, strengths, and development areas, which is why ISD Academy provides a personalized program for each person. Prior to arriving, each prospective athlete will have a consultation with the head coach of their respective sport, allowing them to set targets and personalize their program ahead of their arrival.
why isd academy
GOLD-STANDARD SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
ISD Academy offers programs for seven individual sports: football, tennis, athletics, cricket, rugby, padel, and basketball. Each program is directed by teams of globally-certified coaches delivering personalized development pathways to guide each student-athlete to their desired goal.
PREPARE FOR STANDARDIZED TESTS
There are many tests required for international students to complete and pass in order to be accepted to US colleges or universities. At ISD Academy, master your preparation for the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS, GMAT, and/or GRE exams with our acclaimed teachers and tutors.
BUILD ON A LANGUAGE
Through ISD Academy’s partnerships with The British Council and UCAM, student-athletes can capitalize on the gap-year period by developing their skills in an additional language, such as English, Spanish, French, Arabic, or more.
VOCATIONAL STUDIES
For student-athletes looking to jump straight into professional sports following the post-graduate program, ISD Academy’s vocational studies provide a method of learning a valuable life skill. Sports nutrition, sports marketing, leadership, and sports science are offered, among others.
EDUCATION
ISD Academy partners with the top vocational education providers in the region to help student-athletes maximize their chances of getting into the best colleges and universities in the United States:
Language Providers:
ISD Academy’s foreign language providers, are widely-acclaimed as the premier source for helping students master a second or third language.
The British Council has been helping students master English in order to prepare for IELTS and TOEFL college entrance exams for decades.
UCAM teaches college-style online lectures to achieve mastery of the Spanish language.
offerings:
English • Spanish • French • Arabic • Mandarin • German
Test Prep Provider:
Khan Academy delivers the highest level of standardized test preparation in Dubai. Through online courses and live webinar meetings with tutors, every student will be fully prepared for any test they may need to take to qualify for a scholarship to American college or university. Khan provides offerings for the SAT and ACT, the TOEFL and IELTS, and even the GMAT and GRE, among others. Depending on the college or university, each of these is either required or recommended for entrance from foreign countries.
offerings:
SAT • ACT • TOEFL • IELTS • GMAT • GRE
Vocational Provider:
ISD Academy prides itself in offering its post-graduate student-athletes practical, real-world vocational skills such as sports marketing, nutrition, and science, as well as leadership.
Today Sports Marketing teaches young athletes the value of sports to brands though the promotion and marketing of sports events and sponsorship strategies and management.
offerings:
Sports Nutrition • Sports Marketing • Sports Science • Sports Massage • Leadership
Sports Progams
Football Overview
ISD Academy’s football program retains global recognition by developing student-athletes within an atmosphere that cannot be found anywhere else in the region. From a training methodology focused on individual improvement and team strategies to an academic schedule and curriculum that mirrors collegiate programs, student-athletes have access to a wide network of resources that ensures they are supported throughout their career.
Accolades range from college commitments to national and professional league call-ups. ISD’s total athletic development model and unparalleled support system provides student-athletes with an opportunity and a platform to reach their peak potential both academically and athletically.
development process
Over 10 months of training and competition, ISD Academy football provides a platform for athletes to elevate their games to the highest level. Through the combination of LaLiga Academy and exclusive ISD Academy daily trainings with acclaimed coaches from all regions of the world, top-level leagues and tournaments in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and a yearly trip to Madrid, Spain for the elite players in our academy to showcase their skills in front of European professional organizations, ISD Academy offers student-athletes an unparalleled opportunity to improve their football skills and reach the level that they wish to achieve, whether that is an athletic scholarship to college or university in USA or Europe, or an opportunity with a professional team!
LaLiga Academy HPC
LaLiga Academy High Performance Center (HPC) gives our student-athletes a platform to train with the best youth footballers in Dubai through three weekly training sessions and high-level tournaments, leagues, and friendly matches. Using LaLiga methodology, our HPC coaches have a proven track record of developing talent in the region, already sending seven players directly to clubs in UAE professional leagues.
International Exposure
Twice during the school year, our top players will earn a chance to travel to Spain and play friendlies and tournaments against international clubs in an exciting, competitive setting, while getting scouted by professional teams in the area. Our goal is for some of our players to sign contracts in Europe, and the others to earn scholarships to colleges and universities in the USA.
Technology & Facilities
Six full-size FIFA standard football pitches:
Only indoor, full-size 3G football pitch in UAE
Five outdoor pitches: four natural grass (one with stadium-seating for up to 2,500) and one artificial turf
Catapult: wearable, GPS-tracking technology that measures everything from distances sprinted and ran to speed to impacts on certain body parts
VEO Camera: high-performance camera to film all matches and provide video analysis of players’ technique and performance
Footlab: performance and entertainment center to measure speed, dribbling technique, kick power and accuracy, and compete against other players through Challenge, Street Soccer, Footvolley, and a 5-a-side pitch
Eupepsia Performance Lab: state-of-the-art strength and conditioning facility focused on optimizing athletic performance through baseline testing and periodic measurement followed by sport-specific, personalized training program to attack deficiencies and maximize strengths
Eupepsia Recovery: whole-body cryotherapy, oxygen and hydrogen therapy, compression remedy, magneto therapy, and infrared sauna
Eupepsia Medical Clinic: sports physiotherapy, recovery, and conditioning, wellness therapies, diet and nutrition, and ayurvedic medicine
Tennis Overview
ISD Academy’s tennis program sets the standard by which all tennis academies around the region are measured and provides student-athletes with the resources they need to perform at the highest level. Student-athletes progress technically, tactically, physically, and mentally while also seeing personal growth through character development and leadership skills.
ISD continues to be a premier destination to the top ATP/WTA players in the Middle East, allowing student-athletes to train within an incomparable atmosphere. Players are challenged on a daily basis to reach their full potential and become champions on and off the court. For this reason, ISD Academy tennis players have a direct pathway to professional tennis careers or athletic scholarship opportunities to U.S. colleges and universities.
development process
ISD Academy tennis provides a professional atmosphere for young student-athletes to improve their skills under the watchful, meticulous eyes of coaches that have proven themselves to be some of the best teachers in the Middle East, with five past players currently competing with colleges and universities in the United States. The coaching staff has the knowledge and connections to bring out the highest performance level within each athlete and successfully place them in collegiate or professional tennis programs.
International Competition
Twice during the school year, ISD Tennis will take an all-expenses-paid trip internationally and compete in matches and tournaments against the top players in the area in an exciting, highly-competitive setting, while being scouted by professional teams and university coaches from the region. The first trip to Spain will be a great opportunity for professional scouting, and a trip to the United States allows our players to show their talents to college coaches in the area.
athletics Overview
ISD Athletics is based at ISD’s Sports Park 2,500-seat stadium, which is home to a world-class, Olympic-standard 9-lane running track where our athletes can train short-distance sprints, long-distance runs, hurdles, and relays. Surrounding the track are coveted, world-class facilities for high jump, long jump, and triple jump, as well as professionally-maintained grass areas for throws, including javelin, shot put, and discuss!
The comprehensive programs uplift each athlete's abilities by building on their strengths, while placing a focus on areas that need the most improvement. Using measurement tools in the Eupepsia Performance Lab, we can gain a complete understanding of each athlete’s specific strengths and weaknesses. As they correct their fundamentals and develop strength, the lab provides analytic measurements to track overall progress of each athlete. This allows everyone to develop elite fundamentals that are effective across multiple track and field events.
development process
ISD Academy Athletics provides a platform for premier athletes to elevate their abilities through the application of experienced Olympic-level coaching and biomechanics technique enhancements. Student-athletes receive individualized training plans and focus on intricate development cycles inclusive of base training, pre and post-competition, and regeneration. Our programs supply top athletes with a pathway to pursue professional careers in athletics through college scholarships in the UK or United States.
International Competition
Twice during the school year, ISD Athletics take an all-expenses-paid trip internationally to go head-to-head against the top athletes in track and field meets. The first trip to Great Britain will be a great opportunity for professional scouting, and a trip to the United States allows our players to show their talents to college coaches in the area. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any hopeful track and field athlete to get the exposure they need to make it at the next level. Coach Andy Turner, a 3-time Olympian and world-renowned hurdler for Team Great Britain, utilizes his connections throughout Europe to get our ISD athletes in front of the college and professional level teams and coaches that fit the skill level of each player.
Cricket Overview
ISD Academy has partnered with ICC Academy, the provider of the highest level of cricket training in the world. Located just down the street from Dubai’s International Stadium, ICC Academy is the leading cricket training facility, offering a bright future for the game of cricket. With two cricket ovals and 38 practice pitches, as well as a state-of-the-art indoor facility with six cricket lanes and high-performance gym, ICCA represents the center of excellence for world cricket.
Through year-round technical and tactical training and competitive cricket, ISD Academy athletes will experience growth in skills and game knowledge faster than anybody in the region. ICC Academy plays host to several professional cricket teams each season, providing our athletes with a rare opportunity to train, interact, and learn with the top players in the world at their sport.
development process
ICC Academy has all the tools to provide cricket players with a platform to elevate their game to a collegiate or professional level, even providing opportunities to represent the UAE national team. ISD Academy student-athletes attend special, individualized daytime training sessions with ICC high-performance coaches and train and compete with the Warriors Elite Performance Program at least five days per week in the evening. They consistently organize inter-academy tournaments and compete in the Emirates Cricket League in January and February against the top-level competition at their age in the UAE. Through groundbreaking technology and developmental coaching, student-athletes will maximize their potential and achieve their desired results!
Warriors Elite Performance Program
ICC Academy’s flagship program, the Warriors develop cricket players faster and more effectively than anyone in the region through fundamental coaching, technique correction, and implementation. Throughout the year, Warriors coaches run personalized sessions to develop specific skills like batting, fast-bowling, spin-bowling, fielding, and wicket-keeping outside of regular training hours. Our players will attend these sessions and camps weekly to develop rapidly and stay ahead of the competition. In practice, ICC Academy emphasizes development of hand-eye coordination and motor skills through specialized drills and routines, simultaneously improving tactical and technical awareness of the players through sufficient game time and match simulation sessions.
International Exposure
ICC Academy plays host to more than 40 international cricket teams each year, providing an incredibly professional training environment for their athletes. Through these interactions with the highest-level professionals in the sport, they will gain influential experience and training habits. The top cricket players in the Academy will have opportunities to compete in friendly games against these teams as well, furthering their experience in elite-level competition.
Twice during the school year, ISD Academy cricket players travel abroad to test their learned skills against international players and teams. They participate in friendly matches, tournaments, and showcases in front of collegiate and professional scouts to achieve the exposure they need to continue playing cricket at the next level following ISD Academy.
Rugby Overview
ISD Rugby is the premier destination in the region for aspiring collegiate or professional rugby players. Guided by the most experienced and proven coaches in Dubai, ISD Academy’s rugby teams will compete in a magnificent, 2,500-seat stadium in the heart of ISD that is also a seasonal training ground for many of the top international rugby teams from Asia and the Middle East.
ISD Rugby student-athletes train and compete with one of three high-performance programs who call ISD home to their practices and games, the Tigers, Sharks, or Falcons. Each player will have a personalized training program consisting of weekly workouts, daily practices, and competition each weekend to continue measuring their development progress in live-action situations. With ISD Rugby, student-athletes have an opportunity to develop and reach their greatest potential faster and more efficiently than anywhere else in the region.
development process
ISD Academy has all the tools to provide rugby players with a platform to elevate their game to a collegiate or professional level. ISD Rugby student-athletes attend special, individualized daytime training sessions with high-performance coaches and train and compete with the Tigers, Sharks, or Falcons at least five days per week in the evening. Our coaches consistently organize inter-academy tournaments, leagues, and friendly matches against top competition in the area. Through groundbreaking technology and developmental coaching, student-athletes will maximize their potential and achieve their desired results with ISD Rugby!
International Competition
Twice during the school year, ISD Rugby student-athletes embark on an all-expenses-paid international trip to test their skills against the best rugby players in the world and receive scouting from collegiate and professional coaches. For athletes who wish to compete collegiately and professionally following ISD Academy, this trip provides all the necessary experience and exposure to make this goal a reality.
Padel Overview
ISD’s brand-new indoor and outdoor padel facilities set the standard for excellence in the sport across the Middle East. The indoor facility includes six professionally-maintained courts, seating for 500 spectators, and a warm-up and workout area for racket-based sports. Within this venue, ISD will play host to multiple professional tournaments each year, giving ISD Padel players a chance to watch and interact with some of the best players in the world.
The ISD Padel program will include daily trainings or competition. Our new head coach, Jordi, coming from Spain, one of the padel hotspots around the globe currently, will begin the season by running through the basics of the game. Over the course of the first and second term, however, ISD Padel athletes will dive deeper into the specific tools and strategies of the game that will directly push them into consistent successes. Through the months of Winter and Spring, ISD Padel will compete against top-level competition through Dubai, while polishing their strength, skills, and technique in a premier facility with professionally-experienced coaching.
development process
ISD Padel develops its student-athletes more efficiently and effectively than any program in the region through the combination of world-class facilities, coaches with professional playing experience, and a detailed training and workout regimen that tests the boundaries of our players’ abilities. Upon arrival in term one, our strength and conditioning coach will run athletes through a series of measurements in the Eupepsia Performance Lab and the indoor padel facility for strength, flexibility, and balance – three keys to success in professional padel. Following measurements, players will receive personalized workout and training regimens to maximize their development on the court.
Professional Exposure
Playing in the premier indoor facility in the Middle East, ISD Padel athletes are exposed to the highest level of play this region can offer. ISD hosts multiple professional tournaments each season, providing our student-athletes a rare opportunity to personally interact with the top players in their sport throughout the season. During their time in Dubai, these professional players will host camps and expositions for our ISD Padel players to compete against and learn from the best in their sport.
International Competition
Twice during the school year, ISD Padel student-athletes embark on an all-expenses-paid international trip to Europe to test their skills against the best padel players in the world and receive scouting from collegiate and professional coaches. For athletes who wish to compete collegiately and professionally following ISD Academy, this trip provides all the necessary experience and exposure to make this goal a reality.
Basketball Overview
ISD Basketball is the premier destination in the region for aspiring collegiate and professional basketball players. With a weekly training regimen that includes daily practices, competition, multiple workouts in the brand-new Eupepsia Performance Lab, and a personalized nutrition plan, ISD Basketball offers a complete package to student-athletes hoping to take the next step in their sport.
Our ISD Basketball athletes train and compete with Dubai Tribe Basketball Club, who recently became the first expat team ever to officially register with the UAE Basketball Association and participate in the UAE regular season, under the proven leadership of Saeed Al Naji. Graduates from Dubai Tribe have received university basketball scholarships, competed at the university level in the Middle East, Europe and North America, participated in national team programs, and competed at professional ranks. Dubai Tribe Basketball Club is the first UAE program to produce NCAA players in the USA, sending six players to various colleges and universities since its inception. During the 2020-2021 academic year, four of their graduates played for NCAA teams in the USA.
development process
The ISD Basketball program is distinguished from other basketball programs in the region by providing an advanced, team-oriented training approach. Our refined basketball philosophy combines the athletic, up-tempo North American-style of basketball with the tactical skill set of the European game, providing our student-athletes with a comprehensive international basketball development experience. Throughout the year, program participants will also benefit from regular visits by guest speakers and trainers, including former Olympic medalists, NCAA players, national team players, professional players and coaches, international strength and conditioning coaches, and more.
International Exposure
Twice during the school year, ISD Basketball student-athletes embark on an all-expenses-paid international trip to the United States or Europe to test their skills against the best basketball players in the world and receive scouting from collegiate and professional coaches. For athletes who wish to compete collegiately and professionally following ISD Academy, this trip provides all the necessary experience and exposure to make this goal a reality.