Bryan Campos Turns Soccer into a Sports Technology Career On and Off the Field
“I started playing soccer from when I could walk – and I’ve been passionate about it ever since,” says Bryan Campos, who recently completed his MBA along with a master’s in sports technology through the Stevens - Real Madrid dual degree program.
Campos, who’s the first person from his Peruvian-American family to go to college, has always been entrepreneurial. When he was 16, he started a cleaning business with his father, who came to the US from Peru in the late ’90s. "Because my dad didn't know much English, I was the one presenting our business to other companies, talking to the CEOs and managers and convincing them to give us the job," Campos explains.
At 19, Campos co-founded a children’s soccer club in Wayne, New Jersey. It has since grown into a full-fledged business called the Futbol Total Academy NJ, with 70 young players and three coaches. During the club’s first season, the team lost every single game. But recently, they were a finalist in the state-wide Challenge Cup tournament. Campos loves the mentoring aspect of the club, guiding young players and instilling in them the confidence to win on and off the field. 
Campos’ passion for the game took him all the way to Spain, where he took classes in the sports tech program at Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid and worked as an intern with Real Madrid Next. “Madrid was incredible. It was my first time in Europe, and working inside one of the most successful sports clubs in the world was really spectacular. I got to see why Real Madrid is one of the best in the world, not only on the field, but in how they do marketing, social media and operating the business. I saw the edge they have in the way everyone carried themselves – from the security guard to the receptionist to the top managers – their company culture is amazing and something that I just wanted to absorb,” he says.
“I would love to continue developing myself in an organization of that stature. I'd love to continue pursuing the sports route and eventually going to an MLS club or a collegiate-level team,” Campos says.
He was able to share some of his excitement with the people back home. Total Futbol Academy organized a trip to bring many of the young soccer players to Spain while Campos was studying and interning with Real Madrid. The boys got the rare chance to play in the same field where Real Madrid players train. “It was such an incredible experience, to see these kids shine in Madrid.”