Northern NSW Football team up with OFC to provide access to coaching development

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NNSWF

Northern NSW Football have announced a landmark partnership with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) which will see improved access to coach development material.

The agreement will allow NNSWF coaches access to the OFC’s coach development system and content through the OFC Learn Portal.

The portal is a learning community for coaches looking to further develop their knowledge, skills and positive impact on the game.

“This is an opportunity for us to build our network across Asia and the Oceania region,” NNSWF Head of Football Development Peter Haynes said via NNSWF.

“By providing access to this portal to our coaches we can help provide them more learning and development opportunities in their own time and at their leisure.”

OFC E-Learning Development Manager Sean Douglas explained OFC Learn was set up to provide an engaging and accessible approach to education, allowing learners to access information and educate themselves at a time and place that suits them.

“The beauty of this approach is that learners from all over the world can share and learn from each other,” Douglas said via NNSWF.

“That’s why we’re happy to welcome our friends from NNSWF to join the discussions and share their experiences with learners from across the pacific and all over the world. The site has been set up to facilitate this sharing, so it’s fantastic that NNSWF will contribute as part of a global learning community.

“OFC Learn focuses on coaching and refereeing but we are also hard at work creating learning opportunities for club administrative staff and medical staff. Our recent FIFA club licensing webinar for women’s football and our discussion group for physiotherapy are great examples of this.

“There is much more to come. I look forward to seeing NNSWF coaches on the site and engaging with them.”

CPD points for courses completed through the OFC Learn platform will be determined on a course by course basis and attributed to coaches once a certificate of completion is submitted to NNSWF.

NNSWF coaches can access the OFC Learn site HERE.

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FCA to Host Exclusive Two-Part Goalscoring Workshop Series with Dr Ron Smith

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One of Australian football’s most respected coaching minds shares decades of research ahead of the FIFA Men’s World Cup.

Football Coaches Australia (FCA) has announced an exclusive two-part coach education series featuring renowned coach educator and football analyst Dr Ron Smith, offering coaches a rare opportunity to explore the evolving science of goalscoring through the lens of one of Australia’s most influential football thinkers.

The online workshops, scheduled for June 1 and June 8, will examine the historical development, modern trends and future direction of goalscoring in football, drawing on extensive research that formed the foundation of Dr Smith’s doctoral studies.

For FCA, the sessions represent the culmination of more than a year of planning and provide a timely opportunity for coaches to deepen their understanding of attacking play ahead of the FIFA Men’s World Cup.

“Ron’s work on goalscoring has been years in the making and continues to evolve,” FCA President Ian Greener said.

“We felt there was no better time to bring this knowledge to the coaching community than in the lead-up to the World Cup, when coaches around the world will be analysing the game’s best teams and players.”

Across the two sessions, Dr Smith will present findings from his extensive research into goalscoring patterns and trends, examining how the game has changed over time and what coaches can learn from football’s biggest tournaments.

Topics covered throughout the series will include:

  • Historical analysis of goalscoring trends
  • How goalscoring has evolved in the modern game
  • Key patterns identified through Dr Smith’s research
  • Scoring trends across the last six FIFA Men’s World Cups
  • Comparisons between men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments
  • The role of pressing, transition moments and direct play in creating goals
  • Practical coaching implications for improving attacking performance

The two-part structure has been intentionally designed to build upon itself. Session One will focus on the evidence, data and research underpinning Dr Smith’s findings, while Session Two will explore the practical applications and coaching interventions that can emerge from that analysis.

Football Australia has accredited both workshops with one Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hour each, allowing coaches to earn two CPD hours by attending both sessions.

Dr Smith’s coaching and coach education credentials span decades. He has worked extensively with Football Australia, the Australian Institute of Sport and the Socceroos, while also holding coaching roles internationally in Iceland and Malaysia, as well as within the A-League.

His contributions to coach development have helped shape generations of Australian coaches, making this series a valuable opportunity for coaches across all levels of the game.

Event Details

History and Future of Goalscoring – Session One
Date: Monday, June 1, 2026
Time: 7:30pm AEST
Format: Online
CPD: 1 Football Australia-accredited CPD hour

Following the completion of the FIFA Men’s World Cup, FCA is also planning a special panel discussion featuring leading Australian and international coaching voices to analyse the key tactical developments, trends and lessons emerging from the tournament.

Further details regarding that event are expected to be released later this year.

FCA members can attend the workshops free of charge, while guest registrations are available through Eventbrite.

Female Football Week kicks off across Northern NSW

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Female Football Week has officially begun across Northern NSW, with a program of gala days, networking events and awards ceremonies running until Sunday May 17, marking a ten-day celebration that organisers say reflects both the growth of women’s football in the region and the work still required to sustain it.

The national initiative, now a fixture on the football calendar, provides a dedicated period of visibility for female participants across all levels of the game from players, coaches, referees to volunteers, whose contributions have historically received less recognition than their male counterparts.

NNSWF Participation and Women’s Football Officer Serena Carter said the week offered something for everyone connected to women’s football in the region.

“Female Football Week provides a fantastic chance to highlight the dedication and skill of female players, coaches, referees and volunteers across the northern NSW community,” Carter said. “There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from grassroots participants to elite competitors.”

Women’s football in northern NSW spans remote and regional communities where clubs operate on limited resources, alongside more established metropolitan programs with clearer development pathways. Female Football Week creates a moment of shared recognition across that spectrum and acknowledges the role volunteers play, from running the canteen to progressing through the pathway.

Northern NSW Football has recorded some of its strongest participation numbers in women’s and girls’ football in recent seasons, a trend that has placed increasing pressure on clubs and facilities to keep pace. The week’s events offer clubs an opportunity to showcase their commitment to diversity and inclusion at a time when that commitment is being tested by growth.

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