The Soccer Performance and Science Institute (SPSI) was founded by Dr. Jesús Rico-Sanz. The pillars of SPSI are sustained on a base of values he learned from his parents who instilled on him integrity, honesty, respect, loyalty, discipline, and responsibility. His father also fostered his passion for soccer while his mother inculcated the value of education and science. Their legacy is evident in the SPSI logo: the P for performance in red is to the memory of his father and the S for science in blue is to the memory of his mother. Blue, Red, and White are the colors of SPSI. The DNA strands represent the contributions from fathers and mothers to the development of children; behind the strands, the child raising arms superimposed on a soccer field represents the success of the developed player.

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In 1983, a devastating period of two years dealing with injuries that limited his performance ended with two adductor tendon surgeries which reduced his chances to move from the Real Madrid U21 team to the professional team. Jesús realized that his dream to play for the first team was over and emigrated from Spain to the USA to pursue higher education in the field of sport science to eventually help players develop into highly competitive soccer performers while preventing injuries.

 

While at the University of California Davis (UCD), he was inspired by the exceptional and comprehensive work of the legendary soccer scientist Dr. Thomas Reilly. ​ In 1988, as an undergraduate student at UCD, Jesús conducted a study evaluating the effects of different soccer training programs on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness of college players. He presented the results at the Second World Congress on Science and Football in Maastricht, Holland, in 1991. There he met Dr. Reilly for the first time. In 1990, for his Master's thesis at UCD, he performed a study on the effects of hyperhydration on temperature regulation and performance on Olympic level players. The results were published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine and International Journal of Sports Nutrition.

 

Dr. Rico-Sanz is one of the pioneers of match performance analysis. In November 1992, he presented a model for the analysis of technical and tactical match performance at the First World Congress in Notational Analysis in Sport celebrated in Liverpool. He showed the results of his analysis of the five games that the Danish National Team played to win the EuroCup in 1992.

 

In 1996, Dr. Rico-Sanz developed a soccer-specific test to determine time to fatigue in professional players. He developed it further to create the soccer-specific test and trainer (soccer-SETT) which is age and gender specific. The system is used to track the development of key indicators of match endurance, speed and power while simulating the alternating intensity physical demands of a soccer game.

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Between 1996 and 2007, he conducted numerous scientific studies on soccer players, athletes, and non-athletes, investigating various physiological parameters, muscle metabolism, fatigue factors, key performance indicators, nutrition, and genetic interactions with diet and exercise on performance and health. The results have been published in prestigious journals such as the Journal of Physiology, American Journal of Physiology, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Journal of Applied Physiology, and Physiological Genomics.

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In 2008, Dr. Rico-Sanz launched the game readiness grade performance average (GPA) to objectively evaluate technical development of players under standard conditions. He developed criteria to grade players performing techniques commonly utilized in soccer games.

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In 2009, he created the Mindfootness method to program the brain to properly execute soccer techniques, while developing balance, coordination, strength, and awareness. Using scientific findings in neurophysiology, sensory and motor pathways, neuroplasticity, and skill learning he applied them to soccer training to establish the correct neurological pathways to perform the technical actions. 

 

In 2010, Dr. Rico-Sanz established a comprehensive set of criteria to grade each action with the ball during a soccer game, creating the match-GPA, an objective method of assessment of each player's technical and tactical performance. He analyzed the performance of elite players and teams including PSG, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League Finals; and the USA, Argentina, and France during the most recent World Cup. He found that Messi had the highest match-GPA while competing at the World Cup Final in 2022. Messi's percentage accuracy on technical actions was not the highest in that game. However, Messi's match GPA during the WC2022 final was the highest match performance grade ever measured objectively on elite players (https://www.soccerpsi.com/match-gpa). This proved that the match-GPA is an objective method to evaluate players' match performance by grading quality (difficulty and precision) of their actions.​ The results in elite players have set standards for young players. ​​

 

After being diagnosed with bladder cancer in June 2020, undergoing two surgeries, dealing with treatments and their side effects, SPSI became his purpose giving personal meaning and direction. He is eternally grateful to the doctors and nurses in San Diego and Orlando for their expert care. As he continues battling cancer undergoing yearly invasive procedures and scans, he has expressed gratitude to the sport: "Fútbol (soccer) taught me to deal with the emotions associated with winning or losing games, and National and International championships, so I am thankful to the sport for giving me the stoic endurance to withstand adversities in life". 

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For over three decades Dr. Rico-Sanz has shown the capacity to plan, adapt, and innovate which are essential factors sustaining the pillars of an organization. He conceived SPSI initially as an online soccer-specific teaching institution. As he was able to return to the fields, he expanded the mission of SPSI providing innovative training methods, evaluating game readiness and match performance.​ In addition to providing technical, tactical, and physical training to develop highly competitive soccer performers, players are taught about commitment, discipline, attention to instructions, collaboration, respect for others, perseverance, and resilience . Players and families are educated on nutrition, injury prevention, lifestyle, and health. Moreover, players receive advice on the importance of obtaining a higher education. All these activities are paramount to the comprehensive development of players as student-athletes and sportspersons.