Northern NSW Football brought coaches from across the region together at South West Rocks on Sunday for its Regional State Coaching Conference, held in the Football Mid North Coast region for the first time.
The conference provided coaches with a valuable opportunity to enhance their knowledge, share ideas and strengthen connections with their peers through expert-led theory sessions and practical activities designed to support coach development at all levels of the game.
A range of leading professionals delivered sessions throughout the day, covering key areas of football and coach education while reinforcing the importance of ongoing learning and collaboration across the northern NSW football community.
Conference speakers included NNSWF and APA Titled Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist Jonathan Newman, NSW Health’s Holly Boss and NNSWF General Manager Participation and Women’s Football Allana Neeve.
Attendees also took part in practical sessions led by Football Australia Coach Education Tutor Chris Adams, former Premier League footballer and NNSWF Talent Development Officer Brett Angell, NNSWF Technical Director Ryan Doidge and NNSWF Regional Talent Development Officer Larry Budgen.
Coaches also had the opportunity to connect with representatives from exclusive apparel supplier Umbro and official partner Green Room Futures.
Adams highlighted the importance of bringing coaches together and strengthening connections with Football Australia.
“It’s been a brilliant day. We’ve seen lots of different theory and practical sessions. It’s been awesome to see so many coaches from across the whole of the northern NSW region who have travelled to be here today at this awesome facility,” Adams said.
“It’s a huge credit to all the team at Northern NSW Football for all the hard work they do, not only in terms of the coaching conference but all the coach education opportunities they provide for coaches across the region.
“This is a real opportunity for coaches to get together, whether that be from grassroots level, NPL level or a TSP level, to ultimately work together and stay connected.
“It’s also really important for us as the national governing body to be here today so there’s that national connection.”
Angell was pleased to see coaches come together at the conference and looked forward to seeing them put their learnings into practice in 2027.
“The conference was a fantastic day of collaboration, networking and professional development for coaches from across the region,” Angell said.
“A massive thank you to all the presenters who delivered such valuable, industry-leading sessions and shared their knowledge with our coaches.
“It’s great to see coaches come together to learn from one another and I’m looking forward to seeing them put the ideas and insights they’ve taken away from the day into practice.
“We’re excited to continue building on these opportunities and seeing our coaches out on the grounds.”