From his early days playing football in Lesotho to founding a successful youth-performance business in Atlanta, Georgia, Mako Makoanyane’s journey is a remarkable example of how Kick4Life’s pillars of nurturing football talent, character development, and excellent academics can create long-term impact. Mako began his football journey with community teams including Machokha FC, Hunters FC, and Ts’enola FC before joining the Kick4Life Academy in 2012. At Kick4Life, he not only developed as a player but also learned discipline and the value of mentorship, all of which laid the foundation for his future academic and professional success. He has also represented Lesotho at the U17 and U20 national team levels.
From a young age, Mako loved football. Growing up in Lesotho, he spent his early years kicking a ball with his brothers and dreaming of playing professionally. He recalls being inspired by watching development teams at a CAF Champions League match when he was just seven or eight years old. That experience solidified his desire to pursue soccer seriously, and he soon joined local teams, determined to make the game his career.
Kick4Life played a pivotal role in shaping Mako’s path. Joining the academy at 14 and later being promoted to the senior team at 17, he became more focused and purposeful. The support he received from the organisation opened doors he could never have imagined, including the opportunity to study and play in the United States. As he reflects, “Kick4Life showed me the way and supported me a lot. They gave me an opportunity to come to the U.S. to study and play soccer, and that was life changing.”
There are a lot of obvious challenges that every kid growing up in Lesotho faces, and these were not foreign to Mako either: access to resources, exposure, and structured football pathways. Facilities and equipment were scarce, and opportunities beyond the country felt distant and unlikely. He played football barefoot on hard grounds for years until he bought his first pair of boots at the age of 14. Simply getting to training or matches was not easy — it meant walking long distances, often through unsafe neighbourhoods, as his parents did not own a car to drop him off or pick him up. That reality makes the opportunity provided through Kick4Life especially significant, as it reshaped what he believed was possible.
“For a young boy in Lesotho, earning a scholarship and moving abroad through football didn’t just feel rare — it felt almost impossible. Playing barefoot for years and walking long distances to training shaped my resilience and my hunger to succeed.”
Through football and academics, Mako earned a scholarship under Kick4Life Scholar-Football Academy (SFA) alongside Lesia Thetsane as the very first players to earn that scholarship to study and play in the United States in 2016, a transition that opened his eyes to new levels of professionalism and personal growth. He attended State Fair Community College, Columbia College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, and Life University, where he is completing a Master’s in Exercise and Sports Science. Alongside his studies, he competed in several U.S. leagues including the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), United Soccer League Two (USL2), and Major Arena Soccer League (MASL), earning awards such as MVP, All-Conference recognition, and NAIA Champion of Character. He also gained coaching experience at Mineral Area College and Life University, experiences that helped him develop his expertise in athlete development and coaching.
Following college, Mako continued his professional playing career, including playing for the Kansas City Comets and Ballard FC.
The transition from college to professional soccer brought significant challenges for Mako. After graduation, he had to figure out how to support himself financially while pursuing his dream. Determined to keep playing, he travelled across six states attending try-outs, often struggling to balance work and training. The journey was costly and demanding, but he managed to persevere, with support from Kick4Life helping him navigate the toughest moments.
His time at Ballard FC later became an important chapter in his journey. In 2022, he joined the club competing in USL League Two, in what became one of the most professional and supportive environments he has ever experienced. The team enjoyed success, particularly during Ballard FC’s early seasons as a club. However, this period was not personally successful for him on the field due to a serious injury that sidelined him for much of the season; it was the toughest time he experienced throughout his entire playing career.
“That injury was the toughest period of my playing career, but it became a turning point. What felt like a setback pushed me back to school and helped lay the foundation for the work I do in performance training today.”
That injury period was mentally challenging, but it became a turning point. During that time, Mako decided to return to school and pursue a master’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science. What initially felt like a setback ultimately redirected his path and laid the foundation for his work in performance training, coaching, and long-term athlete development — allowing him to continue impacting the game in a meaningful way beyond just playing.
In 2024, after nearly a decade of playing and coaching in the U.S., Mako officially launched Every Minute Progression Training (EMP Training), a youth-performance business focused on helping young athletes grow physically, mentally, and tactically. The business reflects his philosophy that progress is made in every minute of intentional effort. EMP Training started small, with Mako working with a handful of athletes, gradually building a reputation for consistent results, professionalism, and personalized attention. Word of mouth, parent referrals, and strong relationships with local coaches helped the business grow organically.
Launching the business came with challenges. Mako had to balance coaching, graduate studies, and business operations while establishing pricing, creating sustainable systems, and building trust with clients. He overcame these challenges by simplifying operations, improving communication, setting clear standards, and staying committed to providing value. Early mistakes, such as trying to do everything alone and under-pricing services, taught him important lessons about building structure, maintaining boundaries, and focusing on quality over rapid growth.
Today, EMP Training has expanded in both depth and reach, offering structured programmes, mentoring, and development systems that help youth athletes improve performance and prepare for higher levels of competition. Mako’s approach combines sports science principles with the character and discipline instilled in him at Kick4Life, creating an environment where athletes and families feel supported and progress is measured purposefully.
Despite living in the U.S., Mako remains deeply connected to Lesotho and Kick4Life. He stays engaged with the organisation, supports its mission, and uses his journey to inspire young athletes from his home country. His advice to Kick4Life youth is simple yet powerful: “Your circumstances don’t define your future. Stay disciplined, stay humble, and stay hungry. Act on your dreams daily and eliminate anything that doesn’t align with them.”
Mako Makoanyane’s story demonstrates that when young people are supported with the right tools, mentorship, and opportunities, they can achieve success beyond what they once imagined, building pathways that uplift not only themselves but also the communities around them.
