Chris Ramsey to Lead FCA Masterclass on Developing Young Players

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Image Credit: New Orlean Jesters

Football Coaches Australia (FCA) is set to host an unmissable online Coach Education session on Monday, March 2 at 7:30pm, featuring renowned coach educator Chris Ramsey.

Titled “Think Growth and Maturation when Developing Young Players”, the session will provide practical insights into nurturing youth talent, focusing on physical, psychological, and emotional development.

Ramsey’s football career spans decades both on and off the pitch. As a player, he featured as a right back for clubs including Bristol City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Swindon Town, Southend United, Naxxar Lions, and Cocoa Expos. Notably, he played in the 1983 FA Cup Final for Brighton against Manchester United. He won a Fourth Division championship with Swindon Town in 1985–86 and contributed to back-to-back promotions the following season.

Transitioning into coaching, Ramsey has an extensive résumé: he has worked in the Tottenham Hotspur Academy, served as first-team coach assisting Tim Sherwood and Les Ferdinand, and held the managerial reins at Queens Park Rangers F.C.. Internationally, he has guided England youth teams, including the U-20s at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. He also led Charleston Battery to the 2003 USL A-League title.

Currently, Ramsey is The Football Association’s Professional Development Phase Lead across England’s national teams. His services to football and diversity in sport were recognized with an MBE in 2019, and he is set to receive the 2025 Outstanding Contribution to London Football Award.

FCA members attend free, with non-members and guests $22. The session is fully supported by Football Australia, with one hour of CPD credited for FFA coaching licence holders.

Book through Eventbrite.

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Global Institute of Sport hosts Masterclass on Athlete Management and Engagement

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The Global Institute of Sport (GIS) held an Industry Masterclass on Athlete Management and Engagement, featuring guest speakers Brad Lloyd and Stefani Chinn.

This is part of its broader course offering, which includes a Master’s in Sports Business and Sports Analytics through the University of Newcastle.

The Masterclass addressed four themes: the day-to-day operations of player management, the construction of authentic athlete brands, the role of agents, and the impact of data.

The Panellists

Brad Lloyd is the founder of Apogee Sports Advisory, which develops micro-credentials in sport, and previously served as General Manager of Football at Carlton Football Club and as a player agent.

Stefani Chinn is a sports marketing consultant specialising in ambassador program design and formerly served as Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Communications at the World Surf League (WSL).

Player management: the daily operations

Lloyd outlined the complexities of player management, drawing on his experience as General Manager at Carlton, highlighting the role of “list management.”

This involves negotiating player contracts and managing the composition of the list, including age profile and positional spread, to align with the club’s broader requirements.

Player welfare also falls within this remit, with a high-performance manager tasked with ensuring athletes remain fit and available.

“It’s all about attraction and retention,” Lloyd explained.

He noted that communication with club shareholders is a constant part of the role, with “talking up and down” the organisation requiring a strong team.

“Getting people, you trust with their credentials in these roles is paramount,” Lloyd explained.

Building Authentic Brands

Chinn addressed the construction of athlete-focused marketing strategies, arguing for a shift away from organisation-centred approaches.

“What was needed to do from a fan, athlete and commercial perspective was lead with an athlete-first approach.”

For this Chinn emphasised the importance of understanding athletes beyond their on-field performance.

“Knowing the athlete first is such an important piece, there is so much to the athlete than just how they play,” she said, also cautioning against an overreliance on social media metrics: “What we say is fit over followers, followers is a metric, but not a central one.”

Role of Agents

Lloyd addressed the function of agents, noting that while contract negotiation is central, agents must first understand the player and assess whether an opportunity is a suitable fit.

“I find if you get the agent onboard quickly, they will work with you,” Lloyd said.

Chinn distinguished between agents and managers: “Practically, in sports less governed, there are less agents and more managers”,

“It’s important to get the manager onside… the management team is critical” Chinn highlighted.

She noted that within the WSL, relatively few athletes have formal management, making direct engagement with players important.

The Impact of Data

Lloyd underscored the value of organised, accessible data that allows analytics to support and verify observations made within the team and the club’s image.

Though, he did stress that data-focused staff need to communicate their analysis clearly into club strategy.

Chinn discussed the evolution of data use in marketing, noting it was once used in a limited capacity, described as “spots and dots,” to determine audience reach.

Its current application allows more targeted decisions, resulting in what she described as “incredibly informed decisions.”

Though not football-focused at its core, the Masterclass offered insights applicable across codes.

Football’s scale means the club and agent-based environment is ever-present.

As individual athlete identities grow more prominent within sport, lessons from individually driven codes, offer valuable insight for a growing market.

These findings from other codes can be adopted into football; to benefit the whole system, it would be restrictive to not take these into account.

Soccerex Selects Miami’s Nu Stadium for Landmark Global Gathering in 2026

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Soccerex will bring the global football industry to Miami in September 2026, with the organisation announcing Nu Stadium as the host venue for its flagship international gathering.

The leading global football business platform will stage Soccerex Miami from September 23–25, 2026, bringing together senior executives, investors, clubs, leagues, federations, brands, media organisations, technology companies and other commercial stakeholders from across the international game.

The event will take place at Nu Stadium within the Miami Freedom Park site, positioning Soccerex at the centre of one of football’s fastest-growing markets as the sport continues to expand its influence across North America.

For nearly three decades, Soccerex has served as a meeting point for the global football industry. The 2026 event represents a further step in the organisation’s evolution towards a year-round platform focused on creating strategic connections, commercial opportunities and long-term value across the game.

Soccerex Miami 2026 will feature conferences, curated networking opportunities, strategic business meetings and industry programming designed to connect decision-makers and facilitate new partnerships.

A key component of the event will be Soccerex’s expanding Deal Network platform, which is designed to create more targeted connections between investors, rights holders, decision-makers and strategic partners throughout the year.

The gathering will also continue the expansion of HerSoccerex, Soccerex’s dedicated initiative focused on increasing investment, visibility, leadership opportunities and commercial growth across women’s football.

Soccerex CEO Garrett Navia said Miami represented an increasingly important location for the global football industry.

“Miami has become one of the most important crossroads in global football,” Navia said.

“The city sits at the intersection of the Americas, international business, culture, investment and the future growth of the sport itself.

“Bringing Soccerex to Nu Stadium is not just about hosting another event, it is about establishing a long-term home for the global football industry in one of the most dynamic football markets anywhere in the world.”

Navia said Soccerex was focused on expanding its role beyond traditional events and developing a platform capable of creating measurable outcomes across the football ecosystem.

“For nearly 30 years, Soccerex has connected the global game,” he said.

“What we are building now is much bigger, a year-round platform designed to create business opportunities, strategic relationships and measurable outcomes across football while also using the reach and influence of the sport to create meaningful impact and lasting legacy within the communities it touches.”

Soccerex Miami 2026 will also place an emphasis on community engagement and impact initiatives, with the organisation aiming to use football as a vehicle to create opportunities and leave a positive legacy in the communities connected to the event.

Nu Stadium, which opened in April 2026 as the home of Inter Miami CF, will provide the backdrop for discussions around some of the most significant issues shaping football’s future.

Investment, infrastructure, sponsorship, media, technology, innovation, fan engagement, women’s football and the continued globalisation of the game are all expected to feature prominently across the three-day gathering.

Located within the wider Miami Freedom Park development, the 26,700-seat venue represents one of South Florida’s newest major football and entertainment destinations.

Additional announcements regarding speakers, strategic partners, community initiatives and industry activations are expected in the lead-up to the event.

Soccerex was founded in 1996 and has since developed into one of football’s leading business platforms, connecting clubs, leagues, federations, brands, investors, media companies, technology providers and rights holders from across the global game.

Through its international events, executive experiences, Deal Network and HerSoccerex initiatives, the organisation is seeking to expand its role as a year-round platform connecting capital, commerce, innovation and leadership across the football industry.

Soccerex Miami 2026 will take place from September 23–25, 2026, at Nu Stadium in Miami, Florida.

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