Temisan Williams MSc, BSc’s Post

The key objective of this study conducted by the European Club Association (ECA) was to understand the first team transition process in Europe and provide a starting “toolkit” for clubs of all sizes that would like to improve their performance in this crucial area.   Here is the link to the study: https://rb.gy/s62lbg From a young player perspective, it is possibly the most challenging step during his entire career, which starts from the players’ initial interactions with the first team and concludes when they become established members of the squad.   How can clubs make the transition to first team football process more successful and efficient? Which clubs perform best in this area in Europe, and what can be learned from them? What is the most suitable domestic competition model to support transition goals? One could think that Portuguese clubs are doing a god job. This study shows a completely different scenario! We should look at England. Premier League and Championship on the top 3. Outstanding! Also, Italy's Serie A and Serie B performances are remarkable. #footballindustry

I'm sure this was the talking point of all football fans around the world earlier today. It was an incredible match of football that had it all: the passion, the fouls, the goals, the red cards, the controversies. What fascinates me is Xavi's post-match comments. As an educator, I completely disagree with this behavior. He had attributed the loss to poor officiating decisions and criticised the referee's performance. This just speaks of how big a sore loser he is. Sure, in his glory days, Xavi was the best footballer on the planet. Rarely did we see a side of him that needed this tenacity and fight. But as a manager of the biggest club in Spain, it seems that the pressure has taken its toll on him. I was taught to win with humility and lose with grace - a motto I instill in all my sports teams. In Xavi's case, it is almost win-at-all-costs, even his morality and the beauty of the game. There was another instance of unsportsman-like behavior that took place in the Palace-Arsenal match over the weekend, but I'll leave that for another day. Perhaps professional sports permits certain levels of unsportsman-like behavior, but I pray hard that student athletes do not adopt such mindsets when faced with defeats in competitions. #psychologicalskills #sportpsychology #GTsnippets

What if you ARE enough? In my nearly 20 years of refereeing, the narrative in my head has been "you're not tough enough, your decisions aren't consistent enough, you're not fit enough...etc. etc. etc." I've been to provincial and national tournaments and camps. I've learned from and trained with some of the most amazing people (both in regards to their athleticism and their kindness/attitude). I've watched people a decade younger than me commit to refereeing in a way I don't think I had the confidence to when I was their age. Through this slow and steady burn of my development, the constant narrative has continued "you're not young enough, you're not good enough, you're not enough." I got appointed as an assistant referee in the gold medal match at the Canadian College Championships this past weekend. I think it's the first time in 20 years, where I stopped, and really thought for a second, "wait a minute, is it possible I AM enough?" <- notice the question mark still lol. Here's the thing...In my mind, the idea of getting appointed to the gold medal match at a National tournament as an assistant referee was like...reaching the summit of Mt. Everest. Something I didn't know if I could reach, but that I kept climbing toward despite all the ups and downs over the years. But here's the thing, a few days post match and I'm realizing...it's not about the medal match, it's not about summiting the mountain...as cheesy as it sounds, it's genuinely about the climb. I debated even posting this because a small part of my mind is still saying "this isn't worthy enough, you post too much, no one cares enough" but deep down I know this is important, because I know I'm not the only one climbing. For context, if you don't know the world of refereeing, it can be pretty intense and not much different than being a player at an elite level. There's constant training (both physical and in law/decision making), self-analysis, teamwork/team building, coaching and assessing...it can be a challenge to keep up, but many of the people involved in refereeing are also some of the most supportive, wonderful humans you'll ever meet. It's not about the gold medal game. Why? Because when I focus on the climb and not the summit, I realize this wild, emotional, challenging, exciting journey of a climb is what's been enabling me to slowly change my narrative and to say, I AM enough (tough enough, fit enough, consistent enough, committed enough, coachable enough). Whether you're climbing your way to a career goal, sporting goal, leadership goal, I challenge you to reflect...how is the climb changing you? https://lnkd.in/gHTz7g8b I am grateful to Ontario Soccer and Canada Soccer and dedicated mentors, coaches, assessors, and colleagues who show up for female referees. Who care about development and who recognize not everyone climbing the mountain will do so in the same way, on the same timeframe, or at the same age.

In the dynamic world of football, short tenures for coaches and players have become the norm. The average tenure of a coach in Europe's top five leagues is just 15 months. Players are changing clubs more frequently, partly due to the high turnover of coaches and the associated playing philosophies and preferences. The impact is enormous, not only financially but also strategically. 🗓️ This volatility is also a hurdle in the career planning of players. In the transfer, the sporting director and coach can show the player a way forward, but it may well be that one, if not both, decision-makers are replaced within his contract period. 🔄 Transfers are also shifting towards the end of the transfer period. In the past, 36% of transfers were made at the beginning of the window, whereas now it is only 24%. This means additional time pressure for agents and players to make the right decision. 🕰️ These circumstances makes it all the more important for us as an agency not only to create as much clarity as possible for the player and his sporting development on the club side, but also to prepare them for a rapidly changing environment. Because in a volatile world, the most adaptable are the most successful. ☄️ #skylartalent #adaptation #success Source: Uefa report: The European Club Talent and Competition Landscape

It’s not pro or bust ✍️👋 For the majority, professional football isn’t even an option. According to figures it’s actually 0.012% who do make it or 180 out of 1.5 million depending on what you read. “So what happens if I don’t make it as a professional?” This is an important question that all of our players are currently asking as we enter the business end of the season. Our job as professionals in the football industry is to help them understand success in football can come in many forms. A great example here comes from my last visit to our academy in Alicante 👇🏻 Chris, 25, from North Carolina, who invested a year in Spain chasing his dream. Realising he falls slightly short, he’s now crafting Plan B, a path he hadn’t considered before. Through conversations, Chris has developed a solid plan, leveraging his experience to pivot into: - Semi-Professional Soccer Player - Personal Trainer to Soccer Players - 1-1 Soccer Coach for Children Already a certified PT, Chris is turning his development as a player into opportunities. He’s utilising our professional network to secure a club, and our guidance on becoming a 1-1 coach aligns with the qualifications he gained in 🇪🇸. Success unfolds in different ways ⚽️🇺🇸🇪🇸✈️🌍 Want to spend a year opening up your football pathway for in Europe? Drop me a DM. #football #footballbusiness #coaching #collegesoccer #business #careerbuilding #guidance

Yesterday, Spain became football’s first ever 4-time European Champions. They won every single game in the tournament. And they didn’t need a single penalty shootout—another record they broke. A truly deserving and successful journey. But sport and business are not so different. Ultimately, you come together as a team to create value. Whether it’s profit or goals, you have to have a vision, drive, and hunger to make it big. Here are 3 key learnings that we can learn from Spain’s victory in the Euros. 1/ Tactical flexibility. The game is always changing. Being agile is key. Bringing in substitutes and changing formation according to the circumstances makes a big difference. Always adapt. 2/ Skill and experience goes hand in hand. Mixing the experience of seasoned players, like Carvajal and Morata with the talent of 17 year old Yamal paid off. Good leadership is key when you are trying to utilize talent. Experience is important, but so is skill. Pick the right team. 3/ Be resilient. When England tied the game 1-1, the pressure was on Spain. But they didn’t collapse. They attacked and made sure that they gave themselves a chance to score. And it paid off. The same applies to business—you have to remain strong and maintain your composure at all times. What a performance.

In Spain🇪🇦, the prominent focus in football coach training is on possession play and attacking style of play. Emphasis is placed on the development of individual technique, tactical creativity and combinative play. In addition, emphasis is placed on the comprehensive training of coaches, covering aspects such as sports psychology, training methodology and team management. On the other hand, in Italy🇮🇹, the focus is more oriented towards discipline, defensive organization and game strategy. Importance is given to tactics and the ability to adapt to different game situations. Italian coaches tend to have a more pragmatic approach and focus on defensive solidity and attacking effectiveness. Both approaches have their strengths and have proven to be effective in developing successful soccer coaches. The choice between them depends on individual preferences and the style of play you want to implement. In my personal 💬 opinion and for my taste today I prefer the school and style of football of the Spanish coaches, a school that I see based on the total football of the Dutch. I would like to hear your opinions on the topic and so that we can have an interesting debate here 👇 #Spain 🇪🇸: #PossessionGame #IndividualTechnique #TacticalCreativity #Italy 🇮🇹: #Discipline #DefensiveOrganization #GameStrategy #FootballDebate #FootballOpinions #FootballCoaches #CoachTraining

When I came to Singapore I decided to coach tennis as I thought it would be a good way to meet new people that had similar interests to me. I also assumed that I would have to verify my Australian certification (my ability to coach tennis), and get my qualification here in Singapore. I was fairly shocked when I attended a training course with a number of other tennis coaches that they didn't actually know how to play, and struggled with basic concepts such as different grips - eastern, western, continental. At the end of the course you just paid your money and didn't even have to sit an exam. I noted that there is an abundance of coaches here in Singapore, much much more than Australia. Is the reason for that because everyone calls themselves a coach? On the flip side there are plenty of talented coaches here whom are exceptional athletes. This makes it very challenging for people to find legitimate coaches, and I now understand why customers are challenging accreditations and backgrounds, especially when they are being asked to pay as much as $120+ for a session. If you truly don't have the experience or the background to be a coach or you are still training to be a coach - you shouldn't be able to call yourself a certified coach, and you certainly shouldn't be allowed to charge hundreds and thousands of dollars to coach others. There should be more governance over coaching accreditations, and the courses to get accredited need to be far more robust. That is just my personal opinion. What do you think? #tenniscoaching #coaching #fitness #fun #development

Great reminder post from Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu below. Here's my re-write for underestimated founders: Continually overlooked and underestimated - the hurt goes on. But let's not forget the immense growth and resilience underestimated founders continue to show. Diversity-X has a community of underestimated founders, who, despite the challenges, strap on the boots and climb the mountain daily. Underestimated founders do break through and reach remarkable milestones and created incredible impact - which in itself is awe-inspiring. To all underestimated founders and their teams - congratulations on everything you have achieved to date. Keep 🧗🏾♂️! You’ve faced criticism from those who have never walked in your shoes, or are just overlooked and underestimated. When you realise that what doesn’t break you makes you stronger, this journey will help shape your future success. 🏆 Keep your heads held high… the best is yet to come 🙏 Have a great day! #founders #startups #angelinvestors #vc #ecosystem

💭 Welcome to this week's edition of "Quote of the Week," where we highlight insightful words from sports to enrich our daily journeys. This week, we reflect on a powerful quote from the legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi. Vince Lombardi’s words underscore the resilience required in sports and every aspect of life. It’s a powerful reminder that the test isn’t about avoiding failure, but how we respond to it. Success is about rising every time we fall and learning from each setback. 🌟 In our community of sports tourism and management, Lombardi’s wisdom holds a special significance. Whether navigating the complexities of organising an international sports event or forging new paths in sports infrastructure, the spirit of perseverance is fundamental. Each obstacle we encounter and every recovery we make, paves the way to our success. Let’s carry this resilient spirit into our endeavours: stand up after every fall and push forward with renewed vigour. Here’s to conquering challenges and celebrating each victory along the way! #motivation #inspiration #SportsIndustry #Sport #Quote