Football Coaches Australia and XVenture partner to boost coaches across Australia

Australia’s football coaches will have access to a unique set of online courses thanks to a new partnership between Football Coaches Australia (FCA) and XVenture.

The courses will aim to develop essential skills on the mental side of the game – such as leadership, resilience, culture, and communication.

Having worked with a variety of Socceroos and top coaches, XVenture founded Mike Conway has developed a series of immersive and interactive courses as part of FCA’s plan to build a library of material for coaches in Australia to utilise.

The cost-effective courses – available from the start of next year – could be used by all coaches from park football to elite levels, and will position FCA as a world leader in the delivery of unique professional development experiences for football coaches.

The partnership will be launched in November with the delivery of an inaugural national FCA/XVenture ‘Mind Games’ Cup competition, pitting teams of coaches from national teams, A-League, W-League, NPL and grassroots football clubs in addition to academies and school teams against each other for the trophy and a $5000 cash prize.

This will provide ‘Community, Connection and Camaraderie’ between all Australian football coaching cohorts.

The partnership aligns with FCA’s mission of ‘promoting and strengthening the reputation of football in Australia and the reputation of Australian football on the world stage’.

The focus of XVenture’s work is developing emotional agility, resilience and leadership (EARL) to enable improved personal and professional relationships, individual and team success. The ultimate process involves ‘lifting the ceiling’ on people’s thinking to create Winning Minds.

Teaming with XVenture will enable FCA to connect with coaches Australia wide, and FCA professional development programs, commencing in early 2021, will focus on the essential ‘soft skills’ of coaching relevant to being successful, at a professional and/or community club level – that is, Leadership, Culture, Communication Skills, Resilience, Emotional Intelligence & Mental Agility.

XVenture Mind Games has been created by Mike Conway, the current emotional agility and mind coach for the Socceroos, who has worked with a number of high- profile coaches over the last few years including: Graham Arnold, Rene Meleunsteen, Steve Corica, Richie Garcia, Jean-Paul de Marigny, Ufuk Talay and Trevor Morgan.

XVenture are leaders in the creation and delivery of cutting-edge learning and development programs. Adapting their face to face business in response to Covid 19, XVenture Mind Games is a first of its kind remote virtual high- performance team mind-training solution for developing key skills including adaptability, communication, social skills and collaboration.

Since its launch, more than 500 teams across business, elite sport and education have participated globally including teams from: Perth Glory FC, Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Melbourne City FC, Chicago Fire FC, Australian Women’s Cricket Team and Olympic teams from Cycling, Water Polo, Rugby 7s, Hockey and Canoeing.

“We are absolutely delighted to enter this ground-breaking partnership with Mike Conway and his XVenture team,” said Phil Moss, FCA President.

“I’ve personally known & worked with Mike for nearly 20 years and everything he touches turns to gold. The modern game is so heavily reliant on the mentality of coaches and players so this is a perfectly natural fit for us as an organization as we continue to work with our members on their professional development.

“It connects the professional game with the community game, professional coaches with community coaches and further strengthens the camaraderie amongst our coaching fraternity.

“FCA is working on a number of really exciting initiatives with XVenture and we can’t wait to roll them out.”

FCA Executive Committee member Member Terry McFlynn, who has undertaken XVenture programs at both Sydney FC and Perth Glory, added that “FCA are delighted to enter into this partnership with one of the countries leading organisations in the field of mental agility, leadership, communication and team building.”

“I have had the pleasure of working closely with Mike and the team at XVenture on a few projects. The detail and delivery of the programs are second to none and the desired outcomes are amazing to witness first hand.

“This is a very exciting partnership, one which I know will benefit coaches at all levels nationwide.”

XVenture founder and CEO Mike Conway says of the partnership: “It’s an absolute honour to partner with Football Coaches Australia. I believe in what they are trying to achieve in building the reputation of Australian coaches and Australian football in a Global context.

“I’ve experienced first- hand the difference that great coaches can make to teams and the lives of individual players. I am thrilled to be able to provide our experience at XVenture to develop key skills for all levels of coaches, and thus improve the standard and quality of the game.”

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Juventus FC confirms 2025/26 Jeep & Visit Detroit shirt deal

Juventus FC has unveiled a landmark dual front-of-shirt sponsorship deal for the 2025/2026 season, with both jeep and Visit Detroit set to appear a co-branded collaborators across the club’s men’s, women’s, and Next Gen sides. The announcement marks a first for Serie A and European football, as a destination marketing organisation (DMO) joins a top-tier club’s shirt sponsorship.

The agreement builds on Jeep’s long-standing connection with Juventus, dating back to 2012, while welcoming Visit Detroit — the world’s first convention and visitors bureau — in a bold move to merge global tourism promotion with elite football.

Shared Shirt Real Estate, Expanded Global Reach

Under the agreement:

  • Jeep and Visit Detroit will co-feature on the front of Juventus’ domestic kits
  • Jeep retains sole front-of-shirt rights for international fixtures

The co-branding strategy reflects a broader shift in club commercial models, as Juventus looks to diversify revenue streams, grow its global footprint, and strengthen ties to the North American market.

Breaking New Ground in Tourism & Sport

While tourism boards have collaborated with clubs before, this is the first time a CVB has secured front-of-shirt branding at this level — signalling the rise of cross-industry partnerships blending travel, sport, and city branding.

The deal also aligns with Juventus’ push to build deeper connections in the U.S., where Serie A’s popularity continues to climb.

A Shared Focus on Innovation and Reach

All three parties — Juventus, Jeep, and Visit Detroit — say the collaboration is grounded in shared values: innovation, community, and global ambition. Jeep brings legacy and loyalty, while Visit Detroit represents a fresh, lifestyle-led approach to brand engagement.

Both brands will benefit from:

  • Widespread global exposure across multiple teams
  • Integrated marketing and activation opportunities
  • Hospitality and fan engagement initiatives in Italy and abroad

A Sign of Things to Come

Juventus’ new sponsorship model reflects broader commercial trends in football: dual-brand kits, destination marketing, and increased U.S. market integration. The agreement could set the stage for similar deals, especially among clubs seeking to balance heritage brands with emerging categories like tourism and experiential branding.

‘Football For Good’ partnership launched by PFA and Juan Mata’s ‘Common Goal’

'Football For Good' partnership launched by PFA and Juan Mata's 'Common Goal'

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has announced a partnership with Juan Mata’s ‘Common Goal’, which aims grow and support the ‘Football For Good’ community in Australia.

This collaboration is the first of its kind between Common Goal and a players’ association, and it aims to tap into football’s potential to create real social impact—both in Australia and around the world.

The partnership was officially launched at a media event in Sydney on last Tuesday afternoon.

As part of the agreement, PFA and Common Goal will work together to:

  • Raise awareness about the Football For Good community among socially conscious and community-focused Australian footballers;
  • Host ‘Football For Good’ events and fundraising campaigns; and
  • Use the PFA’s Footballers’ Trust to help identify and support community projects that players can contribute to.

Australian footballers will also be encouraged to get involved by pledging 1% of their football earnings to Common Goal, or by donating any amount to causes they care deeply about.

All contributions will go toward supporting PFA-accredited grassroots and community-led organisations that use football to create positive social change.

These include:

  • Australian Blind Football
  • Football Empowerment
  • Football Futures
  • Football United (Creating Chances)
  • Heartbeat of Football
  • John Moriarty Football
  • One Ball
  • PlayrProject
  • Pride Cup
  • Reflect Forward
  • Transplant Australia Football Club

 

Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder Juan Mata, who co-founded Common Goal in 2017, was on hand to help launch the partnership and share the message of using football as a force for good.

“Australia has a passionate football culture and has an incredible opportunity to lead with purpose,” Mata said in a press release

“Through this partnership with the PFA, we want to inspire Australian players to see how they can use their platform to make a meaningful difference in their communities and beyond.”

Common Goal Advisory Co-Chair and founder of Football United, Anne Bunde-Birouste highlighted the importance of the partnership.

“Professional player engagement is paramount to supporting our work with children and young people for the inspiration they bring,” Bunde-Birouste said in a press release.

“This world-first collaboration will greatly enable Australian players to get involved with football for good organisations, helping us help our communities through the magic of football.”

A growing number of Australian footballers have already joined Common Goal, including Alex Brosque, Caitlin Foord, Aivi Luik, Angela Beard, Winonah Heatley, Izzy Dalton, Libby Copus-Brown, and Alex Chidiac.

Here in Australia, the initiative is backed by the PFA’s Footballers’ Trust, which gives players a way to donate a portion of their football earnings to causes they care about.

Since launching in 2019, the Trust has helped direct $500,000 in player contributions to 24 different charities, human rights groups, inclusion initiatives, and football-based programs both locally and overseas.

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