https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/pro-soccer-rookie-courtney-reum-45-financier-293491cc?mod=wknd_pos1

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5526006&forum_id=2#47641808)

The Newest Rookie in Pro Soccer Is a 45-Year-Old Finance Bro

A venture capitalist—Paris Hilton’s brother-in-law—is living out his sporting dream. He spent big to get there.

Early this year, a struggling soccer team in Portugal’s second division unveiled a new player to help in its battle against relegation. He didn’t look like anyone’s idea of a star signing.

Courtney Reum is a middle-aged American venture capitalist whose soccer career peaked a couple of decades earlier, when he played for Columbia in the Ivy League.

That didn’t prevent Reum from earning a contract with Länk FC Vilaverdense. On Jan. 31, the final day of European soccer’s midseason transfer window, the club confirmed the former Goldman Sachs investment banker as the newest member of its squad.

Midlife goals

The curious case of a 45-year-old rookie landing in professional European soccer started two years ago when Reum began working with Corey Woolfolk, an ex-pro player turned biotech executive. Woolfolk’s own company, Pitchwise Holdings, invests in soccer businesses and he spent months searching for a team willing to let Reum fulfill his unusual goal—getting on the field himself.

“I kind of wanted to have this experience I maybe could’ve had, or would’ve liked to have had, 20 or 25 years ago,” Reum said.

Woolfolk zeroed in on Turkey, Scandinavia and Portugal, where Reum—who lacks a European passport—might be eligible to play, finding about 10 candidate clubs in all.

“Not all the other teams were so enthusiastic,” Woolfolk said.

Vilaverdense took a chance on Reum—enticed by more than his sports skills. Reum’s deal with the team included a loan, described as in the six figures, to ease the club’s financial pressure, as well as potential future investment and access to Reum’s extensive business and finance network.

And Reum’s improbable pro-soccer dream came with a hefty price tag, beyond the loan.

Reum, 45 years old, played soccer at Columbia University. PHOTO: LANK FC VILAVERDENSE

He spent five figures on a 10-week crash course administered by a team of trainers, coaches and doctors—all to try to make a substitute appearance in a meaningful game.

That would be no small feat. Portugal’s second tier is fully professional, featuring former top-flight teams and the reserve squads of top Portuguese clubs.

“You have a lot of South American players here that focus on a lot of skill and technique,” said Jude Burst, a 23-year-old midfielder for Vilaverdense. “At the same time, it’s very physical and fast-paced.”

Jennifer Lopez’s ex-massage therapist

Reum, once a “Men’s Fitness” cover model, was already in good shape before his training began. As an investor in Monarch Athletic Club, he had been using its custom services, including nutrition, sleep, strength, movement and metabolic panels—for about four years. That made his tight timeline for reaching match fitness manageable, according to Dr. Ryan Greene, Monarch’s co-founder.

Former Monarch doctor Nati Schnitman, now based in Scottsdale, Ariz, added soccer-oriented strength and conditioning. Training continued even when Reum suffered groin and hamstring injuries, the latter of which kept him from running for days. There was no time to waste.

“Two weeks of rest would’ve been an absolute disaster,” he said.

Reum worked with a team of doctors, coaches and trainers to prep him to play in Portugal’s second division. PHOTO: LANK FC VILAVERDENSE

Phil Walsh, a former British pro, trained Reum as a forward, a role he believed Reum could manage against younger, high-level players. Jennifer Lopez’s former massage therapist contributed to his training.

At home, Reum incorporated cold tubs, infrared saunas, and body vibration therapy. Over lunch before Reum’s departure for Portugal, U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson offered simpler advice: ‘Stretch.”

Reum scaled back his weekly hours at M13, the venture firm he co-founded with his younger brother, Carter. In one whirlwind weekend last month, Reum trained in L.A. on Saturday, raced to the Coachella music festival in Indio, Calif., for the evening, then returned to the soccer field the following afternoon.

Finally, in late April, Reum arrived in the tiny northern town of Vila Verde to join his new team. He was formally introduced last Thursday, getting jersey number 78 (a nod to his birth year). Some local residents recognized him, and he garnered significant attention from the Portuguese media—though that had much to do with his status as Paris Hilton’s brother-in-law.

The big day

On Sunday, the moment finally arrived. In the waning minutes of Vilaverdense’s crucial game against Torreense, Reum jogged onto the pitch for his pro debut.

“It hasn’t quite sunk in,” Reum said afterward. “I genuinely felt great out there. I felt like I could do something.”

Unfortunately for Vilaverdense, Reum couldn’t do quite enough. The team’s 1-0 loss confirmed its relegation to the third division next season.

“Maybe we were not ready to be in the second league this year,” said Adrian Johansson, owner of the Länk organization that owns Vilaverdense, in late April.

Reum, in green, jumps for a header in Sunday’s game against Torreense. PHOTO: LANK FC VILAVERDENSE

Fans—including Courtney Reum’s brother, Carter, leaning forward in the center—cheer for Reum and Vilaverdense on Sunday. PHOTO: LANK FC VILAVERDENSE

The stadium was mostly empty on Sunday, though a VIP box teemed with Reum’s family and friends.

The public was less enthralled. A Portuguese journalist lumped Reum in with other oddball soccer signings, while others, including former Vilaverdense player Carlos Lomba, questioned the club’s decision to let him live out his dream.

“How can he play in the second tier of one of the best football countries in the world?” Lomba said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Some post-match news reports scrutinized coach Sérgio Machado’s call to play Reum. “I didn’t take this decision as a coach, but rather as a father of this group,” Machado said, indicating concern for his players’ livelihoods. “I had to make decisions that maybe were against my principles, but were for their well-being.”

For his part, Reum plans to stay in Portugal for Vilaverdense’s final two games of the season, balancing his work with the team with his work at M13. He is also discussing how he might stay involved with the club next season and beyond.

“It would be nicer to be in St. Tropez,” he said. “But I committed to doing this.”

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5526006&forum_id=2#47641815)