Football West unveil new Digital Education Platform for coaches

Matthew Badrov03/08/2022 6:05 am02/08/2022

Image provided by Football West

In what comes as exciting news for Australian coaches, Football West has announced a new service for coaches aimed at helping them take their personal development to the next level.

Football West has joined up with MiMentor, an online learning platform for football coaches. As part of Football West’s commitment to the development of the players and their coaches, MiMentor will provide Football West with a bespoke version of its online education platform and its full suite of first-class digital coach development courses and content.

This will enable clubs and coaches within WA to enhance their knowledge of the game and help their players to develop and thrive on and off the pitch.

Football West Coach Development Officer Garry Church said in a statement:

“It is fantastic that we can provide the football community of Western Australia a Digital Education Platform in partnership with MiMentor.

“We hope that this will keep the football community motivated and inspired to continually learn at their own pace. It is important that we support all coaches, especially in the regional areas where travelling to Perth for a course can be challenging and expensive. The Digital Education Platform takes the learning to the coaches.”

Designed by sports and education experts, MiMentor’s interactive and on-demand courses are academic-led, mixing the underpinning theory with practical application.

The Platform can be used by individual coaches or utilised by clubs and other sporting organisations to support the education of their coaches, players, staff, and volunteers. It also enables the club to upload its content internally or distribute it externally, allowing them to drive additional revenue through the inbuilt e-commerce feature.

As well as providing the licensable platform, MiMentor is a specialist learning platform designed for clubs and associations to support the development of their internal and external players, coaches and wider members.

For more information on Football West’s new online learning platform for coaches, click here.

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Inside GIS’ New Executive Edge Program Driving Sport’s Future Leaders

Mihaila Kilibarda17/04/2026 5:55 am16/04/2026

Image Credit: Global Institute of Sport

A new executive education program designed to shape the next generation of sports industry leaders is set to launch in June 2026, offering participants a rare blend of academic insight and real-world application at the highest level of global sport.

The Executive Edge in Sport, delivered by Global Institute of Sport (GIS) in partnership with Rotman School of Management Executive Programs, will provide current and aspiring leaders with the tools needed to navigate an increasingly complex and fast-evolving sports landscape.

The seven-week program, Sports Leadership Essentials, is delivered primarily online, offering a flexible and immersive learning experience for professionals worldwide. It is tailored for individuals seeking to strengthen their leadership capabilities within sport, as well as those aiming to transition into senior roles. This includes athletes navigating their post-playing careers.

Led by Sharona Friedman, President and CEO of GIS, and Walid Hejazi, Professor of Economic Analysis and Policy at Rotman, the course combines academic rigour with industry relevance. Participants will engage with key topics shaping modern sport, including leadership and strategy, governance and ethics, finance and revenue models, marketing and fan engagement, event operations, and the growing influence of AI and emerging technologies.

The program also features exclusive masterclasses with senior figures from across the global sports industry, alongside sessions led by leading academics and practitioners from the Rotman School.

For those seeking a more hands-on experience, participants can opt into the Sports Leadership Lab. This is a four-day, in-person summit held at BMO Field in Toronto. Delivered in collaboration with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the lab provides behind-the-scenes access to elite sport operations, bridging theory with practice in a live stadium environment.

As the global sports industry continues to expand and evolve, The Executive Edge in Sport positions itself as a critical pathway for leaders looking to stay ahead. It provides students with the knowledge, network, and perspective required to lead with impact.

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

Patrick Irving15/04/2026 6:05 am14/04/2026

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.