The first time Christi Malvezzi told me about her business taking American youth and young adult players to Europe to pursue their soccer dreams, I could hear it in her voice. This is not just about soccer. Christi knows the game. She raised her son in the sport, traveling around Europe to give him the greatest opportunities for success. Her love of the game led to a career in youth soccer in the US, culminating in national recognition from US Soccer for her work in the sport.
Over the years of experience, Christi saw the profound growth in character that comes when a young person perseveres through the challenges of navigating a foreign culture without the comfort of family, all while pushing oneself physically and emotionally. The pressure works for the good. Players become athletes. Boys transform into men.
Daily workouts are demanding, preparing atheletes for a higher level of competitive play.
Getting to know the trainers, physiotherapists, and the CDM families helps to build community.
German language classes help students acclimate to their new environment.
Christi is the founder and CEO of CDM Sports Management, a firm that facilitates a proven football pathway abroad for young men and women. Her model represents a paradigm shift and the evolution of opportunity abroad for the dedicated player. Individuals who are accepted into CDM’s long-term program are not necessarily superstars or those who would be deemed ‘elite’ in the US youth system. Instead, Christi and her team seek the dedicated player who, with proper training and discipline, can grow into the type of footballer who excels on the pitch as a member of a team. And that’s the goal–to create signing opportunities in European leagues where players gain experience, improve their skills, and ultimately have a range of options as they envision their future. A relationship with CDM Sports Management means a managed plan for what’s next, whether continuing on a pro pathway outside of America or returning to the US to play at the NCAA, semi-pro, or professional level.
Recently, FOX Soccer reported that, for the first time in team history, all 11 of the US Men’s National Team starters were playing for clubs in the top five European leagues. That reflects the trend that Christi recognized when she started CDM Sports Management three years ago. If you want to play soccer at the highest levels in the US, you will have to play in Europe first. But Christi and her team aren’t only here for the love of the game.
“Of course, I’m passionate about football. I love the game,” Christi said. “But my heart is with these young men and women of character who, whether they realize it or not, are looking for someone to help them build the skills, on and off the pitch, that they need to succeed in life. We work with players of all socioeconomic, educational, and football backgrounds, from those who have achieved national team recognition to the undiscovered ‘diamonds in the rough.’ The common thread is a burning desire to do what it takes to succeed – in whatever form success is for that player”.
From the beginning, Christi and CDM Sports Management Sporting Director Niklas Leven were determined to put their players’ development first. To support but not coddle, while developing each player into the best person he or she can be. Community is at the heart of what they do. The players live together in a typical German house, in a typical German neighborhood. They eat home-cooked meals together, they train together, and they work through the inevitable challenges that arise … together.
In May 2024, CDM Sports Management joined AdventGX’s Innovation Underground community of free market trailblazers. During a recent check-in call, Christi described the scene as the CDM SM management team welcomed players visiting Germany for the company’s two-week intensive program. Seven hungry young men, ages 15-20, gathered around the dinner table ready to devour the meal prepared for them. There wasn’t a cell phone in sight.
The scene was similar during the first weekend with these players. The first order of business was a barbeque introducing everyone to the CDM SM support systems; physiotherapists, an orthopedic surgeon, an attorney, and even the spouses and children of Niklas and Nico Paradi, the house manager and players’ liaison. The day’s work done, the guys huddled around a deck of UNO cards, lobbing lighthearted insults here and there. The jokes and banter continued well into their Saturday night.
Play–both on the soccer field and off–builds character and teaches teamwork. A feature essay by Dr. Richard G. DeClue Jr. in the most recent issue of Evangelization & Culture explores how participation in sports, a form of play, builds virtue.
“In a day and age where the comforts of technology and general affluence can tempt people into sloth, seeking comfort and avoiding difficult tasks, participation in sport can help one develop diligence, one of the capital virtues. It takes hard work to spend hours practicing the necessary skills and exercising for improved athleticism. For peak performance, a healthy diet is crucial, which requires temperance. Courage can be involved, especially when facing a particularly skilled opponent. When faced with defeat, one has the opportunity to exercise humility.”
Diligence. Hard work. Temperance. Courage. Humility. These are the virtues that form a strong character; that form strong men and women. They are the same virtues required of entrepreneurs working through the rigors of starting and growing a business. DeClue adds teamwork to his list of virtues, a skill more often associated with athletes than entrepreneurs, but essential to the success of both.
Christi and Niklas are entrepreneurs in the throes of expansion; they realized they needed a team to help achieve the vision of providing individualized support and programming. They have assembled a devoted and energetic group to serve young people who aspire to play soccer at the highest levels. Teamwork is indeed proving to be foundational to the success of CDM SM and its athletes. Stateside, Christi is supported by a network of player identification specialists and youth club directors, as well as two key team members, Mica Schuberg and Alex Walker, who manage finance, immigration, marketing, German language instruction, and all things administration. In Germany, Nikas leads training, scouting, and the player trials process while Nico manages housing and other key logistics.
In just three short years, Christi and her colleagues have established a reputation as the best-in-class program for international player development in Western Germany. The company’s rock-solid infrastructure and unparalleled access to the 200+ clubs in the region have resulted in 100% of CDM SM players receiving at least one offer to sign with a German team.
CDM Sports Management offers something different than the typical mass market approach to the international soccer experience. An emphasis on character and community, and even providing a sense of home throughout the cultural exchange, is a gift to these players, sowing seeds that will bear fruit long after they leave the pitch. As CDM Sports Management expands its footprint in the years ahead and shapes more and more athletes of character, the real gift will be to the families, communities, and businesses that benefit from leaders born on the field and around the table.
AdventGX is honored to be a part of the CDM Sports Management team, advising on business issues, providing referrals to additional professional services, and shaping fundraising strategy. Contact us to learn more.
