Football Coaches Australia AGM wrap-up: Terry McFlynn appointed to Executive Committee as organisation achieves major growth

Football Coaches Australia (FCA) has announced the appointment of Sydney FC Hall of Famer Terry McFlynn as its newest Executive Committee member at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 9.

McFlynn was delighted to formally join the organisation after contributing in an unofficial capacity for three years.

“I was very honoured to be considered for the position and I’m thrilled to join FCA in an official capacity. The organisation is extremely important for football in Australia as it provides coaches with a voice and a direction,” McFlynn said.

“I’m here to support all of the people at FCA in any shape or form that I can. I very much look forward to working with Glenn Warry, Phil Moss, Heather Garriock, and the rest of FCA’s stakeholders who all do a fantastic job to advocate for coaches in the country.”

Phil Moss believes McFlynn’s impact will be “immeasurable”.

McFlynn will bring a world-class pedigree to FCA after enjoying a stellar career in Australian and international football, most notably as a player in the Hyundai A-League with Sydney FC. He has also captained Northern Ireland at junior level, from U15s through to U23s.

Since his retirement as a player in 2014, McFlynn’s leadership qualities and football knowledge have allowed him to successfully transition into a number of professional roles off-field.

He has served as General Manager of Player Welfare and General Manager of Football Operations, both at Sydney FC, and now works as Perth Glory’s Academy and W-League Manager.

FCA President Phil Moss warmly welcomed McFlynn, highlighting his leadership qualities and football experience, both on and off the pitch.

“I’m personally over the moon, Terry is a football person of the highest integrity. With his administrative and coaching mind, his value to FCA will be immeasurable,” Moss said.

“His skillset is extensive and varied. It is another example of the incredible calibre of people who are getting involved with FCA, which speaks volumes to the work that the organisation does.”

In addition to welcoming McFlynn to its Executive Committee, FCA’s AGM served as a platform to reflect on the organisation’s positive growth over the last 12 months and map out its key objectives for the future.

The association, which now boasts 382 members, reported major progress across three major pillars of focus – Governance, Advocacy, and Professional development.

“I think the highlight for me over the last 12 months has been the collaborative approach that we have been able to achieve with key stakeholders. This shows how determined we are to work together with key stakeholder for the good of the game and for the good of coaches,” Moss said.

“It is important to pay tribute to the work Glenn Warry (CEO) and Heather Garriock (VIce President) do. They are consistently working hard and in the best interests of coaches around Australia. The attendance at the AGM was very strong and it shows that FCA is growing and making a genuine difference.”

Since its inception in 2018, FCA has also made a commitment to gender equity and promoting diversity. Throughout the past year, the association made progress on this commitment by collaborating with the FFA’s Women’s Football Council, establishing a women’s mentorship program, achieving 40 per cent female representation on its Executive Committee, and working to break down barriers and attitudes towards women in coaching roles.

With the past 12 months proving to be successful, Moss is determined for FCA not to rest on its laurels and to continue its positive momentum.

“We are always thinking about what more we can do and how we can improve. It is important to keep those principles in mind because we have set a really strong foundation, but we are in no position to sit back and pat ourselves on the back. We need to continue to grow and evolve,” Moss said.

“The key priority moving forward will be driving revenue streams. We have set a strong platform now from which to build on, but driving sustainable revenue streams will ensure that FCA is financially viable and can stand on its own two feet. There are some really exciting things in the pipeline and I am confident that we can achieve that.”

Heather Garriock, Vice President of FCA echoed Moss’ sentiments surrounding financial sustainability, stating that accomplishing stable revenue streams was now a “must” for the organisation, particularly among corporate and commercial partnerships for FCA’s mentor program.

Heather Garriock says financial sustainability is a key goal for FCA.

With COVID-19 dominating the landscape around the country FCA has acted as a beacon of leadership, hosting more than 30 webinars and professional development workshops which reached in excess of 37,000 coaches nation-wide.

“Creating financial avenues is in our control. People are really enjoying FCA’s professional development workshops but at the moment we have been delivering them on a voluntary basis and it’s unsustainable,” Garriock said.

“It needs to become a two-way street and we need participants to contribute on their end because otherwise the services FCA offer won’t have longevity. So we will look for ways to convert the people attending the workshops and Zoom conferences into full-fledged members.”

For more information, visit footballcoachesaus.org.au

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previous ArticleNext Article

Football South Australia renews partnership with Datacord as Community Football Commitment Deepens

Avatar
Image Credit: Football SA

Football South Australia has announced the renewal of its partnership with Datacord, continuing a relationship that has grown steadily since the South Australian print and document solutions provider first entered the football community as naming rights sponsor of the Collegiate Soccer League Division 1.

That initial agreement, which saw Datacord align with one of Adelaide’s most historic amateur competitions, marked the beginning of what has since developed into a broader commitment to South Australian football at every level. The renewed partnership extends Datacord’s involvement beyond the CSL and into the wider Football SA ecosystem, with clubs across the state now able to access exclusive offers and preferred pricing on photocopying, managed print services and tailored business solutions.

The practical value of that access should not be understated. Community football clubs operate on tight margins, relying heavily on volunteer administrators managing everything from registration paperwork to grant applications. Cost-effective print and document solutions reduce the operational burden on those volunteers, a small but meaningful contribution to the sustainability of clubs that form the backbone of the game in South Australia.

“George is a great supporter of sport in South Australia and we are delighted to have Datacord as a supporter of football,” said Football SA CEO Michael Carter. “Service is second to none and we highly recommend their services to the business community within the Football Family.”

For Datacord Managing Director George Koutsoubis, the renewal reflects a genuine investment in the community rather than a transactional commercial arrangement. “It is important to support the local community, and Football South Australia is the perfect place to start spreading the word about Datacord and what we do for the South Australian community,” he said. “We are locally owned and operated, and I think it is a great partnership to be part of.”

Beyond the Pitch: Miyuki Kobayashi on the Real Challenges Facing Japan’s Women’s Game

Avatar
Image credit: JEF United

Last week, Soccerscene spoke to pioneer of women’s football in Japan, Miyuki Kobayashi, about the game’s development in Japan and the intersection between sporting and social change in the country.

 

Talent, quality and recent silverware

After Japan’s recent AFC Women’s Asian Cup victory in the final against Australia, the women’s national team solidified its standing as the No.1 team in Asia.

Throughout the last 15 years, Japan’s women’s national team has grown into a formidable opponent, boasting a World Cup trophy, an Olympic silver medal, as well as three AFC Women’s Asian Cups.

The talent is undeniable. The quality is unwavering. And the team shows no signs of slowing down.

But these victories and trophies on the world stage wouldn’t be possible without the leaders behind the scenes – none more so than Miyuki Kobayashi, former WE League Board Member and current JEF United Ladies Scout and Academy Chief.

 

Laying the foundations

Kobayashi has led the charge for women’s football in Japan, promoting not only a sport which values success, but one which empowers female footballers across the nation.

“At university, not many girls were playing and we didn’t have an official team. I went to the US and the environment was so different,” Kobayashi explained.

“That opened my eyes – women can play. That’s how I started the women’s soccer league when I came back: to make an environment for girls to play.”

Thus, accessibility and opportunity became driving factors behind Kobayashi’s work, not only for those on the pitch, but for those in the dugout.

“I got involved at the JFA (Japanese Football Association) to promote women’s football. We wanted to create the opportunity for women to be coaches.”

“They are coached by men all the time, so even when the top players leave the football world, they never think to be involved.”

Furthermore, as a former coach of JEF United Ladies Youth and General Manager, Kobayashi was intent on employing as many female coaches as possible. It was not merely a personel change, but a challenge to widespread social attitudes.

“When I started to employ female coaches, the girls’ parents asked why the coach wasn’t a man. But gradually, we started to make it equal – they didn’t talk about the gender, but about the quality of the coach.”

 

The mission to empower

In 2011, the same year Japan’s women won the World Cup, the domestic league was yet to become professional. Known as the Nadeshiko League, players would work during the day and train in the evenings.

The transition from an amateur to the current professional league required time, resilience and a change in perspective.

“The sports world in Japan is more traditional – it is dominated by men,” said Kobayashi.

“If you want to make the environment even, or (want) more women to come into the (football) world, you can change the mind of the players.”

Since 2021, the WE League has embodied a sense of growth and positive change for the women’s game. In name and nature, it looks to empower players, coaches and all involved in the industry.

“I was in charge of mission achievement for women’s empowerment. We wanted to educate the players, to inspire girls and women who watch the game.”

However, the drive to empower women in football was not without backlash and challenges.

“Some people don’t like that word: ’empowerment’. It’s too strong for them. Some women really appreciate it, but it’s not easy to change the mind of society through football,” Kobayashi admitted.

 

Growing and attracting talent

Although WE League clubs are accelerating youth development and expanding pathways across U15, U18 and first team football, Kobayashi acknowledged that the overall product must improve to bring foreign players to Japan and entice homegrown talent to stay.

“Most of the national team players go to Europe or North America. I don’t say it’s a problem, but from a young age, girls who can play in the WE League want to go abroad,” Kobayashi outlined.

Indeed, when looking at the starting XI in last month’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup final, only one player – Hana Takahashi – plays in the WE League.

But the key to attracting domestic and international players to the WE League, is aligning financial investment and industry attitudes.

“The reason why women’s football has developed in European countries is the social thinking – you have to be equal and have the same opportunities as men in football. The Japanese way of thinking, especially in the football world, is not that at all,” Kobayashi continued.

“When I speak to people at Spanish clubs, women’s football is not a charity, but an investment.”

“We have assets. We have good, young players, but we’re exporting them, so we need to import too.”

Indeed, Spain is a perfect example of what can happen when investment becomes intentional, not optional. Back-to-back UEFA Women’s Nations League titles, 90% television viewership increase since 2016, and record-breaking crowd numbers reflect what can happen when the industry aligns in vision and commitment.

Japan has the players to compete against any nation in the world. Purposeful investment, combined with its overall quality of players and style, could transform the WE League into a true, global powerhouse.

 

The vision for the future

Moving forward, Kobayashi hopes that girls progressing through JEF United’s academies develop confidence and resilience, whether as players or people.

“We want to make the girls – even if they aren’t in JEF United – continue playing football and continue to be leaders,” Kobayashi said.

“Some of them have a dream to be a coach or a leader off the field too, so that’s one of the attributes we want to develop.”

This resilience, reflected by the club’s ‘never give up’ philosophy, is testament to the vision of empowerment championed by Kobayashi across the women’s game.

Even in the face of social obstacles and a lack of financial investment, perseverance and hard work is at the bedrock of women’s football in Japan. It is not just that these values exist, but that they are consistently manifested on and off the pitch, which can show future generations that football is a sport for all – men and women alike.

 

Final thoughts

There is no limit to what the WE League and the national team can achieve if given the resources it deserves. All the ingredients are there: individual quality, a distinct playing style, football philosophy and ambitions to grow.

By following the example of industry leaders like Kobayashi, women’s football in Japan can hopefully continue to make waves of impact – in the sporting landscape and society as a whole.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend