Education:

In the Ibeabuchi household, education was of utmost importance. Chidozie's parents constantly emphasized its role as the key to success. Balancing his burgeoning talent in basketball with academic pursuits, he attended Boston Latin School, an institution renowned for academic excellence. Despite his early success in basketball, Chidozie realized by his sophomore year that playing in the NBA wasn't in the cards for him. However, he still wanted to stay close to sports, so he researched related fields and discovered sports management as a major. Chidozie researched the top sports management programs and found St. John's University among the best. Located in New York, the school was in the heart of all major professional leagues, had a strong basketball program, and boasted an excellent alumni network within the sports industry. Chidozie earned an academic scholarship to St. John's and worked as a Corps Member at Jumpstart, supporting pre-K children from lower-income communities for all four years. Despite being rejected for two consecutive years, he managed to secure his first internship during his junior year with Madison Square Garden, where he interned as a Team Ops intern for the Knicks, Rangers, and Liberty. In his senior year, Chidozie worked part-time as game-night staff for Knicks and Rangers games and did a second internship with the Knicks Field Marketing & Fan Development team. After graduating from St. John's at the top of his class within in his major, he joined the NFL through their Junior Rotational Program. He was one of eight recipients selected for the program that year. Over two years, he had the opportunity to work in four different departments, including Special Events, Fan Strategy, Marketing, the NFL Player Care Foundation and the Entertainment & Player Marketing department.

Player Enrichment:

Building a solid community among active and former players and linking it back to the business are essential skills for success in any sport. Working with colleagues at the league and club levels has also prepared him for this transition, even though he had to learn a different sport. MLS offers several career development programs to assist players in transitioning to life after soccer. One such program is the League Access Program, which aims to provide players with an understanding of what working at the MLS HQ is like. They invite current and former players to their NY office to engage in career discussions with specific departments they are interested in working in or learning more about. Assisting players holistically has been crucial during their transition. This program has been a source of pride for the organization as it has helped four players secure full-time jobs with MLS since its inception in 2019, three of which happened in the last five months. At MLS, Chidozie and his team offer various programs, resources, and services in different ways. They provide in-person or virtual programs, resources shared directly with players, and their support systems (club staff, agents, etc.), and use different communication methods such as email, phone, and text. Their services range from assisting athletes in transitioning to becoming professional athletes, helping athletes transition to another career after retiring from sports, providing financial literacy education, offering academic support for athletes who leave school early to turn professional, and addressing mental health concerns.

Since beginning his work with professional soccer players, he has developed a deeper appreciation for their skills and dedication. He is now more committed than ever to leveraging the power of sports to impact the world positively. In his professional role, he has been fortunate enough to learn a new sport, cultivate new relationships, and take advantage of new opportunities for growth and creativity to better serve current and former players. His day-to-day activities vary as the regular season draws to a close and the playoffs, MLS Cup, and offseason programs loom ahead. Most of his time during this part of the season is spent visiting each of the clubs and conducting meetings with players, during which he informs them about the programs and resources available to them. In addition, he and his team are also busy planning hospitality events for the MLS Cup, which will provide active and former players the opportunity to connect. They are also planning off-season career development programs and the Rookie Symposium, which will take place over the next three months.

Giving Back:

Chidozie and his wife founded By Any Means Coaching (B.A.M.), a financial coaching firm that aims to educate and empower those, especially BIPOC millennials, to reach their financial goals, attain economic independence, and build generational wealth. Their services include personalized individual and couples coaching programs, master classes, boot camps, and talks & workshops on various financial topics. Their transformational programs are designed to be fun, informative and engaging, breaking down the stigma around money and emotions.

Stay Tuned: This Week in Sports

The Rangers won ALCS Game 7 and advanced to the World Series. They will face the winner of today's NLCS Game 7 between the Phillies and Diamondbacks.

Pac-12 rivals No. 8 Oregon and No. 13 Utah are now tied for third place in the conference standings after winning big last week. They will face each other in Week 9 college football action on Saturday.

Zach Wilson looks to keep the Jets on a 3-game winning streak in the first regular season game between the Giants and the Jets since 2019 on Sunday.