Football West unveil new Digital Education Platform for coaches

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Football West
Image provided by Football West

In what comes as exciting news for Australian coaches, Football West has announced a new service for coaches aimed at helping them take their personal development to the next level.

Football West has joined up with MiMentor, an online learning platform for football coaches. As part of Football West’s commitment to the development of the players and their coaches, MiMentor will provide Football West with a bespoke version of its online education platform and its full suite of first-class digital coach development courses and content.

This will enable clubs and coaches within WA to enhance their knowledge of the game and help their players to develop and thrive on and off the pitch.

Football West Coach Development Officer Garry Church said in a statement:

“It is fantastic that we can provide the football community of Western Australia a Digital Education Platform in partnership with MiMentor.

“We hope that this will keep the football community motivated and inspired to continually learn at their own pace. It is important that we support all coaches, especially in the regional areas where travelling to Perth for a course can be challenging and expensive. The Digital Education Platform takes the learning to the coaches.”

Designed by sports and education experts, MiMentor’s interactive and on-demand courses are academic-led, mixing the underpinning theory with practical application.

The Platform can be used by individual coaches or utilised by clubs and other sporting organisations to support the education of their coaches, players, staff, and volunteers. It also enables the club to upload its content internally or distribute it externally, allowing them to drive additional revenue through the inbuilt e-commerce feature.

As well as providing the licensable platform, MiMentor is a specialist learning platform designed for clubs and associations to support the development of their internal and external players, coaches and wider members.

For more information on Football West’s new online learning platform for coaches, click here.

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Off the Pitch podcast: Gary Cole on Australian coaching

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Gary Cole FCA
Image credit: Football Coaches Australia

In episode three of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch podcast, Football Coaches Australia (FCA) President and former Socceroo and NSL star Gary Cole joins the show to delve into the health of Australia’s coaching scene.

As a player, Cole was renowned for his lethality in front of goal – winning the NSL Golden Boot in back-to-back years, playing for Heidelberg United in 1980 and 1981. For Australia, Cole recorded 21 goals from 40 games across all levels and even held the Australian record for most goals scored in an international match after kicking seven against Fiji in 1981.

After his professional playing career, Cole became a renowned coach. He first worked under the Australian Institue of Sport as youth development coach, before transitioning to the NSL as Heidelberg United boss, and then moved to the Victorian Premier League as coach of the Bentleigh Greens, Bulleen Inter Kings and the Altona Magic (two different stints). In the VPL Cole won two championships as head coach, first with the Altona Magic in 1996 and secondly with the Bulleen Inter Kings in 1998.

Following his work in the VPL, Cole moved into administration, enjoying stints as the Director of Football at Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC. Later, Cole would work for Football Victoria before finally joining the FCA.

For his impact as a player, coach and a continual supporter and driver of footballing standards in Australia, Cole has been awarded as a member of both the Australian and Victorian Football Hall of Fame.

On the Off the Pitch podcast, Cole relayed his experiences and explained the work the FCA was doing to support coaches across the country.

“Football Coaches Australia is a voice for coaches in Australia. It started very focused for professional coaches in Australia, and really during COVID, when there wasn’t a lot of football happening, we branched into ongoing coach development,” Cole said on the podcast.

“[For coaches] the [FCA] is representation, continuing professional development, trying to be their voice, trying to raise standards, and focused on their mental health.”

“They’re our primary things, as well as to raise the bar for coaches, coach behaviors – and to try and get some equity and some equality in the game.”

To discover more about how the FCA is assisting coaches in Australia and learn about the challenges the organisation is facing, listen to the full interview with FCA President Gary Cole on episode three of the Off the Pitch podcast by Soccerscene HERE

AFC Coach Education Panel Meeting: Highlights and Insights

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Image credit: Shutterstock - Dziurek

The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) latest AFC Coach Education Panel Meeting reflected the Confederation’s desire to continually strengthen each Member Association (MA).

The meeting was led by AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh and took place virtually Thursday last week, featuring technical and coaching experts from across Asia.

With the key focus on finding how to strengthen coaching to boost player development, the meeting saw a range of matters discussed such as the AFC Coaching Convention, the AFC-UEFA Diploma equivalence, and the progress of tutor courses.

Most notably, the panel witnessed an extensive presentation on the pioneering Triple A Project, an all-new AFC programme designed to elevate technical standards and player development across the Confederation.

The name Triple A comes from the founding principles the initiative was built from of Analysis, Advice, Accreditation. To achieve its goals, the Triple A Project will engage with MAs to establish technical summits to effectively deliver unique supports according to each member’s needs.

Roxburgh explained how the Triple A Project would be beneficial for MAs.

“The idea is to hold joint exchanges with MAs, allowing us to analyse global developments and enable the Confederation to provide tailored support, offer advice, and establish guidelines,” he said in a press release.

“This will facilitate greater information exchange and drive further enhancements in technical projects, activities, and initiatives.”

Panellists next reviewed reports of The Hub initiative, a programme in collaboration with the Japan Football Association (JFA) designed to create opportunities for female coaches to gain their AFC Pro-Diploma status.

Panel members were then made aware of the latest endorsements under the AFC Coaching Convention, as well as future events like the upcoming AFC Coach Education Conference 2025.

To finalise the meeting, participants undertook an active QandA session, sharing key insights and learnings while also questioning standard practices to help the Asian Football Confederation and its Member Associations reach their true potential.

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