Community football celebrated at Club Development Conference

Over 200 attendees converged at Valentine Sports Park on Saturday, 1st February for the 2025 Football NSW Club Development Conference.

As registrations continue to flow through for the 2025 season, more than 85 Football NSW Clubs across Sydney Metropolitan and regional NSW were represented in celebration of community football for a jam-packed day of workshops, panels and special guest speakers.

Hosted By Stephanie Brantz, the Conference featured keynote speakers including Karen Jones, acting CEO at Destination NSW and Chief Executive of the NSW Office of Sport, Dr Catriona Rose from the Australian Sports Commission and Matildas cap #167 Ellie Brush.

Following the successful second edition of the Conference, Football NSW’s Program Manager – Club Development, Trevor Huxley was thrilled with the community’s support.

“The Club Development Conference is a fantastic opportunity to bring together all levels of the game to learn from one another, network and discuss best practice for grassroots football,” said Huxley.

“It has been inspiring to see grassroots clubs across the state in attendance, illustrating a remarkable commitment to supporting their local communities. It’s vital that Football NSW continues to lead in this space, providing support to the volunteers and local administrators who are central to the ongoing growth of our game.”

In addition to keynote speakers, attendees had the opportunity to select sessions most relevant to their Club or position, with themes including safeguarding, volunteerism, marketing and data analysis, infrastructure and grant funding, player and spectator behaviour, women & girls’ football, diversity and inclusion and grassroots coach education.

To access more information and Club resources, visit the Football NSW Club Hub.

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