SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Player Care Group announced that San Jose Earthquakes Player Wellness Manager Melissa Sousa has won the 2024 Award for Academy Player Care. The Awards, created by The Player Care Group to put the spotlight on many of the unsung heroes at professional football clubs who work tirelessly to support players and their families, were announced at a ceremony at the Annual Player Care Conference in London at Brentford FC’s Gtech Stadium.
“We are extremely lucky to have someone like Melissa at our club,” said John Wolyniec, Earthquakes technical director. “The way she works with our Quakes Academy players with such compassion and professionalism is really amazing. She is so deserving of this worldwide recognition and we are excited to celebrate the endless work she does helping players to achieve their dream. Thank you to The Player Care Group for bestowing on her this tremendous honor.”
Player care is one of the fastest growing areas in football as more and more clubs realize the importance of professional player care and the difference it can make to its players. It provides the delivery of a hassle-free experience for every player on a professional club’s books in a way that balances the needs of both the club and player.
“I’m honored to receive this incredible award from The Player Care Group,” said Sousa. “This recognition reflects not only the work I’ve dedicated myself to over the past three seasons but also our club’s commitment to supporting our players’ growth by providing an environment where they can thrive at every stage of their careers, both on and off the field.
“I’m grateful to Alex Saunders and Chris Leitch for taking a chance on me in 2022, entrusting me to lead this area and define what player care means for our Quakes Academy, MLS NEXT Pro and Homegrown first-team players. I believe this is only the beginning for both our club and me as we continue our work in this area.”
The judges, assembled from senior personnel currently working across sport, including Dawn Bracegirdle of City Football Group, Kevin Thelwell of Everton FC, Barney Bossom of Brentford FC, former Olympic rower Catherine Bishop, former The FA Technical Director Les Reed and Seni Majekodunmi of Right to Dream. Judges were asked to assess each nominee across six separate criteria including professionalism, impact on player well-being, commitment to development, going the extra mile, innovation and inclusivity.
After a rigorous judging process, four overall category winners were selected with other outstanding nominations being Highly Commended. The Player Care Group is pleased to announce the following winners:
First Team Player Care (England)
Winner: Daniele Bertoli, First Team Player Support Senior Officer, Manchester United FC
Highly Commended: Ellen Shine, Player Care Manager, Plymouth Argyle
First Team Player Care (Rest of the World)
Winner: Rafael Antoniutti, Player Care Manager, Real Valladolid
Highly Commended: Niek van der Burg, Player Liaison, FC Utrecht
Academy Player Care (England)
Winner: Chris Hough, Head of Academy Operations, Accrington Stanley.
Academy Player Care (Rest of the World)
Winner: Melissa Sousa, Player Wellness Manager, San Jose Earthquakes
Highly Commended: Lloyd Griffin, Academy Player Care Manager, Newport County
The Player Care Group Founder and Managing Director, Hugo Scheckter said, “We received a huge number of nominations from all over the world and were impressed by the amount of amazing work that is going on. The Player Care Group is a rapidly growing part of professional football, and these awards really highlight the difference that top-class, professional player care can make to the performance of an individual player and the team. Congratulations to all the winners and those that received commendation from the judges.”
Following the success of this year’s Awards, The Player Care Group now expect the Awards to become a permanent fixture on the football calendar.
