The Journey of Emman Rahimi

For Emman Rahimi, the reputation of SIMA followed him long after he left Montverde.

"SIMA was incredible at getting me prepared for the college level and the level of soccer I would go on to play after that," he shared. "When I told teammates in college that I went to SIMA, they already knew exactly how good it was because it was such a revered academy."

Built in a Professional Environment

At SIMA, the standards were high every single day. Training sessions were demanding, the competition level was intense, and the expectations extended beyond the field.

"The training sessions were very tough because there were very good coaches as well as incredible players at SIMA," Emman explained. "But because of the level of work the coaches do, it's very easy to improve there."

During his time at the academy, he developed tactically, physically, and mentally. The combination of high-level field sessions and gym work helped elevate his overall game.

"At SIMA, I became a lot better with my tactical awareness as well as my physique because we had very good training in the gym."

Prepared for College Soccer

The professional environment at SIMA helped make the transition into college soccer feel natural.

"SIMA is a very professional environment, and that helped me take that mentality into college soccer," he said. "I was able to deal with the technical, tactical, and physical parts of the game quite easily, as well as the demands in the classroom, because academics were just as important at SIMA."

Following his time at Montverde, Emman attended the University of Mobile, where he earned both a bachelor's degree in communications and a master's degree.

On the field, his teams experienced major success, including an appearance in the NAIA National Championship during his final year, while also winning multiple conference tournaments and regular season titles.

Life After Soccer

Today, Emman lives in Auckland, New Zealand, where he runs his own property management company while continuing to play soccer at a semi-professional level.

Even now, the SIMA name continues to carry weight.

"I've noticed there are a lot of soccer players coming to New Zealand from the U.S.," he shared. "Even they ask me what it was like playing at SIMA because of all the amazing things they've heard about it."

For Emman, that recognition reflects the standard and reputation the academy has built over the years.

"That truly shows how good of an academy SIMA is."