Central Coast Mariners team up with NSW Police to aid youth

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Image credit: NSW Police Force Facebook

The Central Coast Mariners have confirmed that they are teaming up with the NSW Police and Police Citizens Youth Clubs (PCYC) NSW to deliver the Fit for Life program aiming to help young people across the state.

Fit for Life is an intervention program engaging youth aged between 10 to 17 at risk of poor choices and antisocial behaviour while aiming to improve overall well-being, promote a healthy lifestyle and divert young people from offending behaviours.

The program also focuses on linking physical, emotional and social well-being, nutrition and building resilience skills.

This partnership will see Mariner’s players, coaches and staff join these sessions at Bateau Bay, Morisset and Umina Beach PCYCs and Windale Public School once a month.

Superintendent Samuel Crisafulli, Youth Command, said the partnership with the Mariners will provide the youth with a new, safe and fun environment to develop and improve their well-being:

“NSW Police are dedicated to improving the lives of young people through engagement and empowering youth to make the right decisions with programs like Fit for Life,” he said in a media release on the Mariners’ website.

“I’d like to thank the Central Coast Mariners for joining us to help mentor young people across the Central Coast, and give them a sense of purpose, belonging and the tools they need to make good decisions.”

Ben Hobby, PCYC NSW Chief Executive Officer, showed his appreciation to all parties involved in the Fit for Life Program:

“Our collaboration with NSW Police and the Central Coast Mariners will be instrumental in continuing a positive, engaging program that inspires youth to lead healthier, more active lives,” he said in a media release on the Mariners’ website.

“This partnership demonstrates our shared commitment to fostering community well-being and providing young people with opportunities to thrive.”

Central Coast Mariners Men’s Head coach, Mark Jackson, said he is looking forward to taking part in this initiative to help youth across NSW:

“We’re excited to be part of the Fit for Life program and make a positive impact to the lives of young people on the Central Coast,” he said in a media release on the club’s website.

“Football has the power to inspire, and through our involvement, we hope to help people develop not just on the pitch but in life. Empowering them to make choices that lead to a bright future.”

Central Coast Mariner Women’s Head Coach, Emily Husband, added that the program will help the club strengthen their connection to the broader community:

“This partnership is a wonderful opportunity for our players and staff to connect with the community in a meaningful way,” she said in a media release on the club’s website.

“We believe in the power of sport to influence positive change. Engaging with these young people we hope to be part of their strong support system.”

For more information about the Fit for Life program, visit PCYC’s website.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

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Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

 

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

 

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.

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