Treiner: The platform that is tailor-made for coaches

Treiner App

Treiner is a sports tech web app that enables coaches and training sessions to be booked on its marketplace in order to aid in the development of footballers – whilst expanding the opportunities for domestic coaches who crave a chance to build their own coaching skills, brand and networks.

Upon spotting a gap in the footballing market, co-founder James Muir worked to build a hub for football coaches. This effort eventuated as Treiner, a Melbourne-based nationally operating platform which is the only football-specific coach-booking app in the country.

With a desire to transform Treiner into the LinkedIn equivalent specific for football in order to better professionalise the coaching recruitment process, Muir spoke to Soccerscene about what separates Treiner from other coaching platforms.

Playing

Q: So just briefly, what is Treiner and what do you do?

James Muir: We started Treiner back in late 2017, where we initially launched as a platform for coaches to get a little bit more work. Originally it was just private training and extra training on top of what coaches were doing at club or school level.

The biggest problem [we found] was parents and players were looking for good coaches who were available and, in their budget, and clubs looking for extra coaches. And a lot of coaches wanted to move into a full-time coaching role, but really struggled because of the lack of full-time roles within football in Australia.

Over the last few years as we’ve invested in our tech, we’ve evolved from that private training model to basically being able to build out the tech for any club, coach or academy to run any paid training programs. So, not just private training sessions but also one-off team training sessions, regular weekly training sessions, SAP (Skills Acquisition Program) Program and academy training programs through to school holiday workshops and clinics.

That’s what we’ve been focusing on for the last year, year and a half, and now we’re adding in extra components from the job aspects. So, allowing schools and clubs to actually post jobs there themselves. That should be live for the end of the season.

Basically, what we are building is the LinkedIn for football coaches. So, they can have a proper coaching CV on the platform – something which can be easily shared with clubs and schools. And similar to LinkedIn, they’d be able to apply for jobs and courses through the platform. The courses would be external courses, similar to the ones a lot of coaches are doing at the moment with Barcelona’s Sport Science Institute, English FA for example, as well as Australian-based courses like the ones run by FCA (Football Coaches Australia). Coaches often have a professional career as well outside of football or at some stage will transition to one, so to have a platform specific to football coaching enables them to separate this and prevent any negative impact on their professional career from having too much coaching experience.

Directing

Q: What did you see in Australian football that motivated you to set up Treiner?

James Muir: I’ve worked full-time for the majority of my career in football, but initially when starting as a coach I had to do 10-20 different jobs as a self-employed coach with the likes of schools, clubs and academies. I didn’t really enjoy that; having to go from A to B to C to D to E and driving around switching my training top in between as well. And the hours before and after school, and on weekends and holidays as well.

So, when opportunities to work full-time in football came up, I jumped at the opportunity and I really enjoyed moving to Fiji and working with Fiji Football for a number of years and then coming back to Football NSW. However, transitioning back to club football was where I got a shock again of the amateur operations of even National Premier League clubs. Even clubs that aspire to be a part of the National Second Division, they’re still pretty amateur in a lot of the ways that they recruit and handle coaches.

If you look at last year for example with JobKeeper and the number of coaches who were stood down and weren’t handled well, they had to basically take up other jobs or move on to a new career in a lot of instances. Coaches that weren’t Australian citizens or permanent residents were left in the lurch, some of whom were at A-league clubs in the Academy space.

Basically, we wanted to really help improve the standards and benefits for coaching in Australia. And obviously that’s a challenge because people say there’s not much money in the sport, but then if you look at the volume and frequency of transactions that’s spent on the sport there is actually a lot of money there, it’s just spent a lot of the time at the grassroots level and the semi-professional level, and not always within a club environment. It’s not often at the higher end with the A-League clubs and that’s because there’s a lack of connection between A-League clubs and the community.

So, we’re starting to see a lot of A-League clubs moving into revenue-generating activities with their pre-academies and their school holiday programs as well, which I think is fine – that happens worldwide.

There’s definitely a perception of how things are in Europe, but if you go to Serie B/C and most 2nd division clubs across Europe and see how they struggle for fans and sponsors and with finances, you’ll quickly see that not every club is like a Juventus or AC Milan. If you spend time with lower league clubs, you’ll see how things actually work. Having a good understanding of how global football works and relating that back to Australia was important in setting up Treiner.

Back in 2019, Indeed actually found that trying to fill the coaching position was very challenging and that it was the hardest job to fill. And often that’s because the coaching position is not paid well. Generally, it’s $25-$40 an hour for a coaching role, which if you’re looking for a high-quality coach who’s invested $20-$30,000 in their coaching education over a 5–10-year period they would want to be paid more than that. Clubs in the community and NPL space are paying between $2-10k per annum for a coach to coach between 2-4 sessions per week plus a game at the weekend, but when you break this down it equates to between $2-5 per hour for the time spent working. A-League clubs in the academy NPL and WNPL space are paying between $20-30,000 per year for what they expect to be a full-time commitment, so there needs to be more done by FA & FCA as well as individual coaches to drive working conditions.

Coaching

Q: How successful has Treiner been in expanding the opportunities for Australian football coaches?

James Muir: Since we launched in 2017, we’ve had around 13,000 hours of training sessions booked through the platform. Obviously last year with COVID and at the moment with lockdowns in different states at different times that’s been impacted. A lot of the weekly programs that are the bread and butter of the platform have obviously been impacted but we’ve seen a large spike in one-on-one sessions during COVID, especially last year where we saw a lot of A-League and W-League players jumping on the platform.

Where we really want to go with the platform is assisting coaches to build up their portfolio as a coach. It’s very hard if you’re in a professional career to put in your coaching experience on your LinkedIn. Because if you’ve been coaching for a while and you’ve got a large number of experiences and you’re going for another professional job it doesn’t look very professional to have all these coaching jobs, so it is important for us to create that platform for coaches. Being able to have football-specific qualifications on there and being able to demonstrate your vision and philosophy by showing videos of how your training sessions unfold, alongside reviews and testimonials from players, are the important factors.

[As well as this] payments are a huge area of concern for a lot of coaches across the country. There’s been a lot of disputes even at the professional level, but below that a lot of coaches coach for a large period of time unpaid in a number of roles. And sometimes they’re sacked from clubs and aren’t paid or are paid a small amount that was agreed in the contract. Often there are also delays in payments from clubs for a number of reasons.

In 2019, a UQ & FCA research study uncovered more than 70% of coaches are coaching without a valid contract. Stats like that showed us that there definitely needs to be an automated way and a platform that can handle all these contracts and all of these payments, as often coaches are inexperienced in these matters. So, professionalising that whole experience for coaches is critical and that’s what we are endeavouring to do through Treiner.

Treiner logo

Q: As you’ve pointed out, Treiner allows for a more personalised coaching experience, what has the collective response been like from users?

James Muir: Users have found it really easy to choose between coaches, to see which coaches are available and to see which coaches are at different areas. One of the things that we added early last year was a post a job option. When we first started, we had around 250 coaches in the first year and then up to 3,000 by 2019. What we found towards the end of 2019 however, was that there were too many coaches to choose from. It was overwhelming for users to have to scroll through and choose one out of so many coaches.

So, we focused on the main coaches who were active on the platform and responsive. So, now we’re focused on these coaches who are more professional in their approach whilst still bringing on the others as they become more active.

From a user’s perspective, being a tech platform in comparison to a coaching provider, that’s where we differentiate. We focus on that user experience and continually improving that, so, our platform is always updating monthly – we have in-house developers and a Chief Technology Officer that oversees our tech build. That’s our main differentiator to a lot of other coaching providers out there.

And we want to be agnostic as well. We are happy to have any verified coach or organisation on the platform, it’s not about us or our brand it’s about having access to all coaches and hopefully overtime we will see the best coaches getting more work and getting rewarded for that.

From grassroots through to the A-League, we saw there wasn’t a transparent and honest recruitment process. Often it wasn’t just about who you know, but more so who was in the vision of the person making the decision. They wouldn’t have a headhunting process to look for the best coaches in the region and coaches were often promoted in-house after being an intern or volunteer to save costs. So, that process needs to be a bit more transparent and that’s partly why we built our platform to assist those clubs and their academies in their recruitment process.

Q: What does the future hold for Treiner?

James Muir: At the moment we’re trialling some of these new features with selected different clubs, schools and academies. If organisations are keen to join in that beta trial, the benefit of being a part of that trial is that you can get something that’s been built specifically for you. For any other people interested in getting into coaching, starting their own coaching business or even a sports tech start-up, feel free to reach out to us as we are more than happy to share our knowledge and assist in improving the football ecosystem through collaboration.

Interested parties can direct all enquiries to james@treiner.co.

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Building from the Ground Up: Banyule City SC’s Ambition to Grow

Six years ago, Banyule City Soccer Club had big ambitions and a whole lot of challenges. Taking the reins during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee worked behind the scenes to keep the club connected, focusing on long-term goals that are now beginning to take shape.

Under his leadership, the club has seen the return of a senior women’s program — one that’s rapidly climbed the ranks to the Victorian Premier League and the growth of a strong junior base with nearly 200 players. As Banyule prepares for major upgrades at two of its key grounds and sends its U16 girls’ squad to the Borneo Cup in 2025, the club is entering a new chapter.

Speaking with Soccerscene, President of Banyule City SC Nasr Said reflects on his leadership journey, the club’s community-first values, and how Banyule is building pathways that support players from grassroots to elite levels all while staying true to its inclusive, family-oriented roots.

Can you share some insight into your role as President and how Banyule City SC has evolved since the beginning of your presidency?

Nasr Said: I took over running the club six years ago, after playing at Banyule for about four years. I’ll be honest it hasn’t been easy. The first couple of years were tough, especially with COVID hitting just as I stepped into the role. We couldn’t even get a proper season going, but we did what we could off the field — sharing content on social media, keeping the kids engaged with soccer drills from the coaches we had. It was a difficult time for every club.

Once we got through that, I had goals and ambitions for the club one of the biggest was to rebuild the senior women’s program as there hadn’t been a women’s team here for over a decade. Since then, we’ve had incredible success. The women’s team went from State League 4 up through the ranks — State 3, State 2, and then straight into the Victorian Premier League (VPL). They won the league four years in a row, went undefeated during that time, and now they’re playing in the second-highest division in Victoria, just under the NPL.

Image Credit: Banyule City SC Facebook

On the men’s side, we’ve had our ups and downs, one year we nearly got relegated, and other years we were close to promotion but we continue to push forward.

As President, I work closely with our committee, the Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President and support them however I can. My role is about bringing in resources, building a strong structure, and making sure the club runs smoothly. I’ve put in a lot over the past six years. We’re in a good place now, but there’s always room to grow.

The Council’s planned upgrades at Banyule Flats Reserve and Yallambie Park are exciting milestones. What kind of impact will these developments have for your players, members, and the broader community?

Nasr Said: Yallambie Park has been meant to get rebuilt for the last 25 to 30 years. We haven’t had a proper home ground for the past two years and it’s had a big impact on the club. Banyule Flats Reserve isn’t suitable for matches it has two cricket pitches which make the ground too small for football. And Yallambie Park has been deemed unsafe for play both this year and last year. 

The good news is Banyule Flats Reserve is scheduled to be rebuilt in September, and that’s a massive step forward. The council built a new pavilion there five or six years ago, it’s state-of-the-art, on par with NPL-level facilities. Once we have a proper ground there, it’ll be huge for the club.We’ve got an industrial-grade canteen and proper change rooms that will help us attract spectators, generate revenue, and give us a real home base.

As for Yallambie Park, the council has said for years they’ll fix the facilities and just recently, a council rep told us work will begin within weeks. All we can do now is hope. If both grounds are upgraded, it’ll be a game-changer financially and in terms of creating a safer, stronger environment for our members and players.

With nearly 200 junior members and growing senior squads, how do you ensure that every player has access to a clear development pathway from grassroots to competitive football?

Nasr Said: We have around 200 junior players, which is a great number for us it allows us to manage things properly and ensure quality across all levels. As a community club, we’re open to everyone. We don’t hold trials; anyone who wants to play is welcome, regardless of their experience. We’re not at NPL level, so we focus more on inclusion and development than elite selection at the junior stage.

That said, we still place a strong emphasis on growth. Our junior coordinator and technical director work closely with coaches to identify areas for improvement both for players and coaches. We have kids at all levels: some very talented, some still learning the basics.

This year, I’m starting to run the Banyule City Academy that is run through the club to support players who are more advanced and want to pursue football more seriously. It’s not about excluding others, but offering additional development to those aiming to go further. We teach our coaches, aid them in gaining proper accreditation through coaching courses. Through that, we guide them in working with these players in smaller groups, helping them refine their skills and understand our playing style. 

One of our key goals is consistency from juniors through to seniors. We guide our coachesby saying ‘This is what we want your players to do’ and teach a playing style that mirrors what our senior teams use, so when juniors progress, the transition is smoother. Ultimately, we want to give kids who are serious about football every chance to succeed – and maybe even play professionally one day.

Image Provided by Nasr Said

The U16 girls heading to the Borneo Cup in 2025 is a big moment. How did this opportunity come about, and what does it signal about the club’s ambitions in developing female footballers?

Nasr Said: The Borneo Cup opportunity actually came about through a good friend of mine, who was coaching at Watsonia Soccer Club. He’s really well connected in Australian football and knows a lot of players who’ve played internationally. He mentioned his under-16 girls’ team was looking for a better environment and that they weren’t happy at their current club. So we had the conversation, and those girls ended up coming across to Banyule.

Now we’ve got a strong under-16s girls squad around 17 or 18 players and while there’s still plenty of development ahead, they’ve got a great opportunity in front of them. The Borneo Cup is a serious international tournament, with high-level academies and teams from all over. We’ll be one of the only Melbourne clubs — possibly one of the only Australian ones taking part.

It’s a big deal. For many of these girls, it’ll be their first international tournament. There’ll be an opening ceremony – we’ll be walking under the Australian flag it’s going to be unforgettable. And more than that, it’s a huge step forward for the club. Not many local teams get the chance to represent on an international stage, so this says a lot about where we’re heading and what we want to build for female footballers at Banyule.

Looking ahead, what are your key priorities as President for continuing to build a club that’s competitive, inclusive, and deeply connected to its community?

Nasr Said: My number one priority is making sure the club’s doors are open to everyone—no matter who they are. Inclusivity is massive for us. I really want to build a strong foundation for our junior players, because at the end of the day, they’re the future of the club. My goal is to see our men’s team reach NPL or VPL level, and our women’s side competing in the NPL too. But more than that, it’s about creating a club where families and members genuinely feel welcome.

I make it a point to connect with parents whether that’s at training on a Tuesday or Thursday, or just having regular conversations to check in. I’ve seen clubs where that connection is missing, and I never want that to be us. The role of President isn’t about being above anyone—it’s about building a culture and a reputation that people talk about in a positive way.

Of course, growing our sponsor base is another key part of the vision, because to compete at higher levels, you need the right support structures in place. But whether it’s juniors or seniors, men’s or women’s football we treat every team the same here. It’s all part of the bigger picture. We’re not there yet, but I really believe we’re on the right track. These things take time. You can’t build something lasting overnight but we’re getting there.

Geelong Council proposes plans for new soccer hub

Geelong Hub

The City of Greater Geelong has proposed plans for a new major soccer hub to address the region’s lack of professional level facilities. 

The proposal revealed a bid for a new regional facility in Geelong’s north which would transform the landscape of soccer in the city.

Plans for the facility highlighted it could provide up to eight elite pitches, including a primary exhibition pitch which could hold between 1000 to 2000 people for standard games, and up to 5000 people for special events.

On this show pitch, Geelong locals could bear witness to future National Premier League, A-League and even international games on their doorstep.

Currently, the council is scrutinising nine different locations across Geelong’s north for the proposed soccer hub. Additionally, a second subregional multi-sports hub towards the city’s south in the Armstrong Creek region was also revealed.

Rumblings of a regional soccer centre in Geelong first occurred in 2021 when the City of Greater Geelong committed $50,000 to a feasibility and business plan, which was later strengthened through a strategic partnership between the council and Football Victoria.

Speaking to Soccerscene, City of Greater Geelong Councilor and Chair of Sports and Recreation, Eddy Kontelj, explained why the proposed hubs would be so vital to soccer in the region.

“These regional facilities would open up so many great opportunities for us,” Cr Kontelj said.

“In terms of the development of coaches, players and administrators, a central location would certainly help us to correlate all the skills and services you need to help aid that development.

“But the exposure to the game here would be opened up too. Having significant tournaments played here of a national nature would be such an advantage.”

Furthermore, the council has plans for the new soccer hub to be used for premier games and competitions.

Councilor Eddy Kontelj says the hub would be a boon for Geelong. Image Credit: Eddy Kontelj

“In 2022-23 we completed an issues and opportunities report to assess where we need to go, and that’s driven this focus to establish our regional and subregional facilities in Geelong. We invited all our clubs and Western United to participate and we got really good feedback from it,” Cr Kontelj said.

‘United is really excited and they’re looking forward to being able to partner with us in Geelong to continue to grow the game in the region.

“And a facility like this could include the W-league, the Matildas, and the Socceroos – and the opportunity for those clubs to also train at a higher level at this type of facility.”

Currently, there is a shortage of elite level facilities in the Geelong region for soccer players. In 2023, the G21 Regional Football Strategy 2023-33 revealed that 36% of the city’s pitches were in a “poor” condition. The same report found a lack of football facilities, specifically multi-pitch facilities featuring natural, hybrid and synthetic grass were inhibiting participation and the ability to draw tournaments to the region.

Additionally, without a dedicated soccer hub, Geelong is on the backfoot compared to Victoria’s other major regional cities, Bendigo, Ballarat, Shepperton and Mildura.

Cr Kontelj denied that the sport had been neglected in the region but said that there was more to be done.

“At the club level our facilities are magnificent. I’ve compared those with the facilities Melbourne has and I’d have to suggest our sporting facilities are probably superior. I’ve even had club presidents tell me that too,” he said.

“However, having that said that – it’s the expansion and development of the game that we have probably been a little slower on, and that is something we must catch up on now.”

Through the new sports hubs across Geelong’s northern and southern regions, the council hopes the plans will not only cater for the area’s pre-existing network of players, clubs and fans but also provide easy access to pristine sporting facilities for a rapidly growing city.

“We’re one of fastest growing cities in Australia currently and we’ve got some new growth areas that are opening up – namely the north-northwest growth zone, which is forecasting to have some 110,000 to 120,000 people living there in the next 20 years,” Cr Kontelj said.

“This project is not only a requirement today. It’s going to be a requirement going forward with the growth of population that we’re expecting.” 

The council now aims to finalise the hubs’ design and secure funding for the project.

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