Today we’d like to introduce you to Stanley Johanson.
Hi Stanley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am someone who has a very global footprint but I will never forget my city of birth/my home Austin.
I was born in Austin, spent the first years of my life with my family members in my Grandparent’s house in Tarrytown. Afterwards I moved to Hualien, Taiwan with my parents where I also picked up my love for nature and my Chinese skills. After that I went with my mom and my brother to Honolulu, Hawaii where I got my first taste of high school soccer; then we moved back to Austin for a year, where I got a more in-depth experience of what Austin is like as a city and how demanding Westwood high school was. I also played soccer for the Westwood Warriors and further developed myself when it comes to arts. Then my family went back to Honolulu where I started getting more minutes as a soccer player and where I eventually grauduated from Roosevelt high school.
October 2017 I packed my bag and went to Heidelberg, Germany to seek a path into higher education in Europe. My love for soccer and my fascination with language learning led me to Germany, where I acquired German from zero and saw what the German soccer culture is for the first time. That is also when I got to know more Linguistic students at the Univeristy of Heidelberg (one of the best universities in Europe), where I eventually came to the decision that I would switch my focus to design, where I can use my art, science and sports background to express myself. After that I spent a year playing for a professional soccer team in the Taiwan Premier League, then went back to Europe where I played semi-professionally and got myself through the door to one of the most prestigeous design institutions in Germany – Folkwang University of Arts in Essen, Germany.
This is also when the pandemic struck, having online classes and only able to train on my own, I received a call from another club in the Taiwan Premier League and I spent a few more years playing for professional clubs in Taiwan. During the offseason I came back to Austin and went around the state of Texas, which made me fall in love with Austin once more. Seeing Austin FC for the first time also gave me hope for what this city is capable of.
I started working with players all over the world to go to other countries using my network as a professional in Asia and semi-pro in Europe, which is now Polaris Sports International, which is founded by me with a current professional soccer player who represented Taiwan at multiple levels. I eventually started a goalkeeper glove brand named Atlas goalkeeping with YouTuber ARS Goalkeeping, where we now sell to multiple continents and have many promising keepers on our roster.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I faced many setbacks because of the language barrier, financial hurdles and of course injuries. I’ve torn 2 tendons in my right rotator cuff which makes the continuing of my sporting career rather difficult, but that is also where I started to see my value where I can guide the upcoming stars to glory.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
With Polaris Sports International we have helped many players fulfill their dreams of playing in Europe or earning a professional contract in Asia. Because of my industrial design background, I also developed merchandise for the athletes we work with. We have also built club partnerships that have expanded beyond the realm of sports, expanding into the cultural and financial exchange.
As Atlas goalkeeping I design, source, test, and eventually market the gloves where Alberto’s expertise and my professional experience blends into the best gloves at an affordable price.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
As long as you are happy with your life and your achievements, that is success. Everyone is looking for their place in the world and everyday someone is trying to find his/her/their value; I found my value in many parts of the world and particularly profound is how with my business I am helping people achieving their dreams and bridging the gaps between cultures.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://polarissportsintl.com
- Instagram: @polaris_sports_intl
- Other: @atlasgoalkeeping
