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After the dust has settled on the Euros maybe you are thinking your children could be the next Jude or Cole? ⚽️ What should you be looking for in a school that can provide the best football opportunities? How Do I Find the Best UK Boarding School for Football? Take a few moments to get the basics

#Flashback to My 10-Year-Old Self: The #OneMan #PremierLeague At 10, #soccer was everything. Every time I picked up that soccer ball, it was just me, the ball, and my own #PremierLeague. And the best part? I was both teams—#ManchesterUnited and #Arsenal. Each Saturday, I played my one-man game, passing to myself, diving for saves, and celebrating every goal while my “fans”—the trees and flowers on either side of the “stadium”—cheered wildly. But then… came the loss. One fateful Saturday, #Arsenal beat my beloved #United for the first time. I was crushed—well, half of me was. The Arsenal side of me celebrated like I’d just won the Champions League, while my inner United fan was, let’s just say, not pleased. Still, I ran around the field waving my “jersey” overhead in triumph. (Sometimes, even your own biggest rivals are just… you.) Looking back, those backyard games taught me invaluable lessons that I carry into my career. I learned: ●How to juggle multiple roles with creativity, ●The resilience to bounce back from setbacks, even imaginary ones, ●And the drive to celebrate every win, no matter how small. Turns out, those “games” were building more than soccer skills—they were shaping my #mindset. Sometimes, the best preparation doesn’t come from #stadiums or #classrooms but from our own #backyards. #Resilience #CareerLessons #Teamwork #LinkedIn

“Kicking off the new year with a dive into history!” Arsenal's performance history on New Year's Day is quite interesting. In recent times, Arsenal played on December 31 in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, facing Brighton and Fulham, respectively. In this video, I explore the fascinating tradition of English football matches on New Year's Day, and take a closer look at today's highly anticipated matchup between Arsenal and Brentford. Watch to learn more about the origins of this unique scheduling tradition and what it means for the beautiful game. #EnglishFootball #NewYearsDay #ArsenalFC #BrentfordFC #FootballHistory #SportsBusiness"

World Mental Health Day yesterday. Oof. There's always a lot of really valuable discussion about mental health around this time, and I think that's brilliant. It's so important to have these conversations out in the open. But I remember a couple of World Mental Health Days really clearly. I remember the one several years ago when I was having my own mental health crisis, precipitated by a deeply painful work situation. I remember watching colleagues wearing badges and talking about how important it was, while I was feeling so alone and helpless that I was convinced that the world would be better if I wasn't here. I remember the one just before my toddlers' second birthday, when #PMDD had suddenly appeared in my life and I felt like I was spiralling into the void for a week every month, only for it to magically vanish again. I remember thinking that it didn't count; that what was happening to me was so unimportant in the face of all the statistics we see. It can be so easy to get caught up in the general. To look at statistics, to discuss the email banners and the fundraising opportunities. But sometimes I reckon the best thing we can do for #worldmentalhealthday is what's in this video: tap the person next to you on the shoulder and say, "Hey, how are you doing? Really, how are you doing?" and commit to a minute of really hearing the answer. Teams backgrounds are great; taking a minute on your Teams call to check in is even better. https://lnkd.in/eHbU3J7W

Love this post by Jerome Bettis but I also take it as a challenge in a position of leadership. It is easy as leaders when selecting talent to go with the low impact option and select someone that checks all the boxes of qualifications but are we missing the opportunity to hire/promote someone based on how they lead versus what’s on a piece of paper? Risk versus reward. As a leader, are you strong enough to get that next candidate where you need them to be and then let the stuff you can’t teach see them fly? The easy/comfortable/familiar choice is not always the right choice in the long run. The harder choice also tends to lead to the person making it becoming stronger as well.

🔴⚪ Bournemouth vs Arsenal: Who Holds the Mental Edge? ⚽ With Arsenal aiming to solidify their top 3 spot and Bournemouth fighting for momentum, today’s match could hinge on mental strength. We've analyzed key players from both sides, focusing on Focus, Consistency, and performance under pressure. Who’s poised to rise to the occasion at the Vitality Stadium? Want to know which team’s players are mentally sharper and ready for this clash? Dive into the full report now for the detailed breakdown! #Bournemouth #Arsenal #PremierLeague #MentalPerformance

An awesome discussion in our office yesterday with a couple of Aussie basketball legends, with Brad Newley doing a great job interviewing Jack White. I really enjoyed the conversation and thought I'd share some of my personal takeaways: Overcoming adversity – Jack shared how he’d suffered a torn Achilles in his first season in the NBL. Jack spoke of the disappointment of having such a significant injury at the very start of his professional career, as well as his concern for the risk of losing some of the athleticism that makes him a special player. He endured and overcame by controlling what he could and working tirelessly on his recovery. Focus and dedication saw him come back in 9 months and you get the sense he’s stronger for overcoming the challenge. Whether we like it or not, we will all face forms of adversity in our lives. How we face up to that adversity, the actions we take, informs our chances to make the best of any situation and keep moving forward, ultimately growing from the experience. Learning from Mentors – Jack spoke of his experience with Coach K at Duke, Dean Vickerman’s leadership as well as learning from the accomplished veteran players he’d always looked up to from Melbourne, like Matthew Dellavedova, Chris Goulding and Brad Newley. By learning from others Jack shared that he expects that he has and will continue to make the most of his playing career. My observation is that those (in sport or business) that have the type of personality to want to learn from others, often later become great teachers and supporters of others down the track. This type of role model cycling is critical to foster in any organisation that wants to prosper over the long term. Keeping a balanced perspective – Sports (and business) can have highs and lows. With Melbourne United most recently moving from a big loss against the Breakers at the start of November, to then delivering 2 big wins over the last few days, resulting in moving to the top of the NBL ladder. Jack spoke to staying balanced, focusing on the process and avoiding getting too high or low after a good or less good game. Jack mentioned the belief and culture that has been instilled within the United team that they can bounce back if they put the work in, and have a track record of doing so. I thought this was a really interesting point, as belief and culture often becomes intertwined as long as it informs constructive action. Overall a great experience and we're very grateful that Jack and Brad gave us their time. Go United!

🚀 *Norwich City: Mastering Set-Pieces to Rank Among England's Best* ⚽ In my view, and backed by statistics, Norwich City stands as the third best team in England for set-pieces, trailing only behind Arsenal and Wolverhampton. Their innovative patterns in attacking corners have made them a formidable force. Let's explore some of these patterns in detail. #### *Pattern One: Near Post Run* - *Setup:* A player starts at the far post and makes a swift run towards the near post. - *Execution:* The short cross is played along the ground to meet the player’s run into the penalty area. - *Outcome:* The player receives the ball in a prime shooting position and often scores. - *Blocking and Fake Movements:* Players positioned at the near post block the nearest defenders and make deceptive movements to draw them away from the target area. #### *Pattern Two: Outside the Box Shot* - *Setup:* The short cross is played to a player positioned outside the box. - *Execution:* The player outside the box takes a shot at goal. - *Support:* During this maneuver, one player from inside the box runs back to cover the area outside the box. This not only prevents counter-attacks but also ensures they can regain possession of the second ball. #NorwichCity #SetPieceStrategy #FootballTactics #SoccerAnalysis #PremierLeague Once Sport

We are delighted to announce our new Legal Column in the ever-growing Sportin Wales magazine. Catch us on page 31, where Rhys Williams shares expert advice on navigating commercial property leases in Wales for prospective tenants. #LegalAdvice #CommercialProperty #NewColumn