As the march toward November continues, the New York Cosmos have their sights set on wins, the postseason and, ultimately, another championship trophy, but two players are thinking far beyond the next goal or even the next game.

Besides working hard on the field, Lucky Mkosana and Andrés Flores are chasing their dreams off the field. The dynamic duo have enrolled at the Sports Management MBA Program at Universidad Europea de Madrid in Spain, a school the Cosmos recently signed a partnership with. The program highlights several subject areas such as management, marketing, sponsorships, communications and, of course, sports.

“I think this program is going to help me achieve some of my immediate career goals, because it touches on key aspects that I get to see as a professional player. I am learning new skills I am sure I will get to use when I retire,” said Flores, whose dream is to become a General Manager of a sports organization.

Universidad Europea de Madrid and famed European soccer club Real Madrid joined forces back in 2006 to create the first University school specialized in sports and its relation to other academic disciplines like health, communications, and management.  

Between player appearances, family life, training, and other match preparation, players often find themselves in a crunch to focus on sports, and sports only. Flores said that although he sometimes feels tired after practice, he finds ways to keep himself focused on the online classes.

“Since I was a kid, I was always conscious about the importance of getting an education and my parents always told me that it would help me a lot in life,” Flores said. “They always motivated me to look for it. Now I’m ready.”

A challenging course load is not new for Mkosana, who earned a bachelor’s degree at Dartmouth College and graduated in 2012. The Zimbabwean striker said he learned a lot about time management when he was faced with balancing his studies of international development with the requirements of being a collegiate athlete.

“I learned about time management — like starting a task and finishing that task without cutting any corners,” said Mkosana about his time at the Ivy League school. 

The trip to the prestigious college was a great one for Mkosana, who said it’s great to have a degree from Dartmouth because his playing career can only last so long. However, unlike Flores, Mkosana said he wants to work with a youth soccer organization or academy in his post-playing career. He finds it important to give back to both the Zimbabwean and American communities in which he has thrived.

“Just teaching [children] about life in general other than soccer,” he said, stressing the importance of youth development. “I like being involved with kids and the community and helping people out.”

Flores and Mkosana seamlessly work together on the field, so they also find it important to work together and bounce ideas off each other in an academic setting. Mkosana said it’s always fun to study together when the chance presents itself.

“If there’s something I don’t get, I ask him. If there’s something he doesn’t get, he asks me,” Mkosana said. “It’s been going well so far. We are enjoying it.” Mkosana said that although it is fun to study together, sometimes their busy schedules conflict, so they meet up when it’s convenient for both of them.

Flores and Mkosana are definitely making the most out of the 2016 season. While they are furthering their education, the Cosmos are getting ready to play in the postseason for the fourth consecutive year and are close to claiming the NASL Fall Season title.

“The Cosmos-Real Madrid alliance is going to help the club a lot because I know there are other players that are interested in taking classes, and now we have even more options to better ourselves,” Flores added.