From Montverde to the Global Game

For Ernesto Applefield, the journey that began at Montverde Academy, has since taken him across the world and into the highest levels of professional football. A graduate of Montverde and SIMA, Ernesto now works in professional football in Europe for a multi-club ownership group that includes teams competing in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and clubs based in Dubai under the MCO model. Today, he serves in a leadership role overseeing strategy, recruitment, and alignment across multiple clubs, a path that was shaped long before his playing days ended.

The SIMA Foundation

After graduating in 2016, Ernesto went on to play college soccer before continuing into the professional game for several seasons. But when asked how SIMA prepared him for the next levels of his career, his answer goes far deeper than just performance on the field.

"SIMA was very interesting for me because of how strict it was," Ernesto shared. "All the rules, the details, you don't really understand it when you're there. But afterward, it makes complete sense." What once felt demanding later revealed itself as the foundation of his success: discipline.

Discipline in the Details

From uniform standards to daily structure, Ernesto credits Montverde and SIMA with instilling a level of consistency that still guides him today.

"Little things like wearing a uniform the right way, wearing only white shoes instead of mixing white and black, those rules build consistent discipline," he said. "That consistency was perfect for me. It's still very important in my life now."

That structure prepared him not only for college soccer and the professional game, but also for the high-accountability world of football operations and global recruitment.

The Power of People and Connections

Beyond discipline, Ernesto emphasizes that people and relationships are what truly define the SIMA experience.

"The first real contacts you make in life are the ones you spend years with at school," he said. Those early relationships later played a key role in his professional career. After his playing days, Ernesto even returned to help on the recruitment side of the SIMA program, a full-circle moment built on trust, relationships, and shared experience.

Diversity That Shapes Perspective

One of the most impactful elements of SIMA for Ernesto was its diversity.

"For me, it was discipline and diversity, and the people," he explained. "That's what makes an experience good or bad. And here, it was good. It was perfect."

Being surrounded by teammates from different countries and cultures gave him a global perspective that now directly applies to his work across international football clubs.

From SIMA to the World Stage

Today, Ernesto works at the intersection of elite-level football, recruitment strategy, and global operations, contributing to organizations that compete at the very top of the sport. From Champions League clubs to teams across Europe and Dubai, his career reflects the long-term impact of the SIMA and Montverde environment.

What started with strict rules, shared locker rooms, and daily accountability at Montverde has grown into a career spanning continents, proof that the lessons learned at SIMA extend far beyond the pitch.