Socceroos Emotional Agility & Mental coach Mike Conway on “creating winning minds in Qatar”

Avatar
Mike Conway

As part of an exclusive series being run throughout the duration of the Socceroos’ time in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup, former Socceroo and host of ‘The Football Coaching Life’ Gary Cole caught up with Mike Conway, XVenture founder and Emotional Agility and Mental Coach, for the Socceroos ahead of Australia’s opening game against World Champions France.

Having previously worked with Socceroos coach Graham Arnold as part of the team behind Sydney FC’s historic A-League Men’s success, Conway is one of Arnold’s secret weapons intended to give Australia an edge over their opponents, with the Socceroos set to take on France, Tunisia and Denmark in Group D of the World Cup.

Conway’s wealth of experience in emotional intelligence, resilience and mental agility coaching has translated to his founding of XVenture, an organisation championing the development of effective mental durability in athletes and coaches. Conway’s work through XVenture has seen him mentor many of Australia’s national team players individually including Socceroos captain Mathew Ryan, Adam Taggart, Harry Souttar, Ajdin Hrustic, Awer Mabil, and Matilda, Amy Harrison.

During the pandemic, the XVenture team worked with a number of elite sports teams with their XVenture Mind Games solution, including Melbourne City FC, Australian Women’s Cricket Team, Chicago Fire FC, Western Sydney Wanderers and many more.

Moreover, Football Coaches Australia and XVenture have partnered on numerous initiatives and programs designed to amplify opportunities for coaches based locally and abroad, including the FCA XV Essential Skills Program. The program – delivered online via FCA XV’s College modules – provides coaches with a revolutionary virtual world environment which aims to develop the ‘essential skills’ of coaching across 5 modules – Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Resilience, Culture and Communication Skills.

In a wide-ranging chat with Gary Cole via Football Coaches Australia, Conway discusses the significance of building rapport and trust, the strategies involved in developing emotional intelligence, and provides some insights into the day-to-day preparations of Australia leading into their opening match against France.

This is the first of a limited and exclusive series of podcasts leading into each of the Socceroos games and is not to be missed.

The podcast can be viewed HERE.

Previous ArticleNext Article

FCA to Host Elite Goalkeeping Workshop with FA Goalkeeper Instructor Neil Tate

Avatar
Image Credit: Fotokostic / Shutterstock.com

Football Coaches Australia (FCA) will continue its strong run of coach education events on Monday 18 May with a specialised session led by highly respected FA Goalkeeper Instructor Neil Tate.

Titled “Developing Goalkeepers to Fit the Team Playing Style,” the workshop will explore one of the modern game’s most important tactical evolutions: the goalkeeper as an active component of a team’s overall identity and playing philosophy.

Elite football is increasingly demanding goalkeepers who can influence build-up play, transitions, defensive structure and decision-making under pressure. Tate’s session is designed to help coaches better understand how goalkeeper development must align with a team’s tactical framework.

Tate brings significant high-performance experience to the session through his role as an FA Goalkeeper Instructor. He has worked extensively in coach development and modern goalkeeping methodology. His expertise spans the technical, tactical and psychological demands placed on goalkeepers within elite football environments.

The session will break down the goalkeeper attributes required across differing systems and styles, including possession-based football and counter-attacking models, while providing practical examples from the modern game.

Coaches attending the workshop will gain insights into:

  • Goalkeeping attributes required in different tactical systems
  • Real-world examples of goalkeepers fitting team playing styles
  • Goalkeeper-specific practices to develop modern skill sets
  • Team training exercises integrating goalkeepers into tactical frameworks
  • Downloadable PDF session plans for practical implementation

The workshop follows FCA’s recent HEADSAFE education session, which attracted more than 140 coaches from across the Australian football landscape, highlighting the growing appetite for high-level coach education and professional development opportunities.

As the game continues to evolve tactically, FCA remains committed to providing coaches with access to industry-leading expertise and contemporary football knowledge.

The session will take place online on Monday 18 May at 7:30pm Melbourne time. You can sign up here.

New ‘Unfiltered’ Episode with Paul Klisaris and Oscar Yildiz

Avatar
Image Credit: One-Nil Media

The ‘Unfiltered’ podcast by Soccerscene promises honest, thought-provoking conversations about football culture, identity and the stories fans don’t usually hear in mainstream coverage.

In the latest episode, Mihaila Kilibarda sits down with passionate councillors Paul Klisaris and Oscar Yildiz to debate the role of policy in shaping infrastructure, career opportunities and on-field success in the Australian football landscape.

From exposing flaws in policy making, to critiquing the A-League, Paul and Oscar discuss the future trajectory of football in Australia. With strong views on the disconnect between decision-makers and grassroots communities, this is an unfiltered look at the issues holding the sport back—and the urgent need for change.

“Bring back Preston, bring back South Melbourne, bring back that culture into the game. There was nothing wrong with that. Bring it back. Regulate it better, police it better, like they have in Europe. There is rivalry and that’s healthy!” says Paul Klisaris in this episode.

Oscar Yildiz agreed that “We might need to throw a bomb. There is no incentive for clubs to aspire to. You know, you can finish last and still stay in the league. They need to have people from state, from federal, people, again, who know the game, who genuinely know the game. And, it means understanding the politics around the game.”

Listeners can expect Unfiltered to go beyond match reports and transfers. Each episode will dive into the ideas, people and cultural forces that make football one of the world’s most compelling sports. Episode 2 is available now, hoping to challenge, entertain and inspire.

Listen now on Spotify: 

With Unfiltered, Soccerscene is giving fans a space to think, feel and debate about the game they love. Further, it is encouraging conversations that are as engaging as the football itself.

Stay tuned for future episodes, featuring more voices shaping the beautiful game.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend