The rising star story

In 2008, Rising Star Football Academy held its first session in the city of Ulsan, Republic of Korea. The founders of the academy were James McAloon, Philip Heo and J.K Kim. The first ever session on a Saturday morning boasted healthy and enthusiastic young players amounting to 10 students. 

From those humble beginnings on a cold and crisp Ulsan morning, over a period of 7 years Rising Star Football Academy grew to 4 cities with multiple locations across the southern regions of The Republic of Korea. Sessions were held in Ulsan, Busan, Koje Island and Jeju Island.

Rising Star Football Academy developed strategic football partnerships with a number of international schools in each area as well as hosting standalone sessions. The partnerships allowed for the delivery of high quality professional football training to students at those schools, providing academy sessions as well as coaching the school teams to multiple championships across various age groups. These schools included Hyundai Foreign School, Busan International Foreign School (ISB), Busan Foreign School and Branksome Hall International School.

Rising Star Football Academy in 2015 had over 1000 students in total over our various locations in any given week. Our coaches were able to positively impact the lives of 10s of thousands of students in that time, to make the students better footballers and prepare them as people for their sporting and academic lives ahead.

In 2017 Rising Star Football Academy expanded to Ho Chi Minh City forming a strategic partnership with The British International School, Ho Chi Minh City to deliver the first and only 11 A-Side football programme in the city for both boys and girls aged 14-19. The success of this programme and excitement about the positive results and impact on the football in the city soon saw the programme expand to players 5-13. In 2018 the programme made a further strategic partnership with The British Vietnamese International School, Ho Chi Minh City to offer sessions to students 5 to 11. In 2022, we have expanded that programme to provide a development programme for talented players up to the age of 13.

From 2014 to 2019 Rising Star Football Academy organised unique football tours to the UK and Europe, visiting Norway, Denmark, UK and Portugal, providing professional training camps and competing in world renowned tournaments. In 2023 and 2024, once again Rising Star players  will be given the opportunity to attend such tours on a new frontier in the USA.

Like many businesses the worldwide COVID-19 Pandemic had a harsh impact on our Academy and unfortunately our operations in The Republic of Korea ceased in 2020. We are very grateful to all our players, parents and partners who shared the journey with us in Korea for over 10 years, we will always have found memories of Korea and it will hold a special place in our heart forever.

Fortunately Vietnam operations through a variety of online videos, sessions and creative thinking, were able to continue and in September 2022, returned to a full programme of sessions.

Rising Star Football Academy is exceptionally happy that we have been able to create life long participants of our beautiful game, who have been prepared with the appropriate skills and values to enhance the game wherever they play. We are equally happy to have been able to provide a platform for numerous players to play professional football, join professional football academies in Europe and Asia, play US Collegiate soccer and play internationally for their respective countries, the highest honour that can be bestowed upon an individual. 

Rising Star Football Academy - 'Making the Exceptional Achievable'