Community
Football is about more than what happens on the field. Clubs represent people and communities, and I believe coaches have a responsibility to strengthen those connections. This is a space to share experiences from my journey through community and supporter engagement, coach development, leadership, learning and giving back to the game.
UEFA Pro Diploma Independent Study
JUNE 2026
My formal coaching journey with The Football Association (The FA) began at 16, when I completed my FA Level 1. Even then, the UEFA Pro Diploma was something I aspired to, although at that point it felt a very long way off.
After building much of my coaching career overseas, I applied to The Football Association's UEFA Pro Diploma in 2024 and, following a rigorous application process, joined the programme in 2025 before graduating in 2026. Based in the United States throughout, the course involved more than 82,000 miles of travel back and forth to Europe over two years.
The journey also came during one of the most demanding periods of my life and career. I stepped into the Interim Head Coach role at the Portland Thorns, one of the most recognized and successful clubs in women’s football, where expectations are understandably high. During that same period, I unexpectedly lost my brother, just two days after Christmas. Continuing the programme while navigating significant professional responsibility and personal loss gave the experience a meaning that went far beyond achieving another coaching qualification.
Reaching that goal relatively early in my career was a reminder to aim high, even when the destination feels distant. You never quite know when a door might open, but you can make sure you're ready to walk through it when it does.
I also hope my experience can contribute to the continued conversation around how we support and develop English coaches working abroad, while keeping them connected to coach development opportunities at home.
A key part of the UEFA Pro Diploma was the Independent Study, which gave us the opportunity to explore an area of our choice in greater depth.
Sometimes the best lessons in leadership come from the most unexpected places. My experiences across different coaching and leadership roles in the NWSL made me increasingly curious about how we communicate and influence people. That curiosity took me outside of football.
For my Independent Study, I looked at what coaches can learn from hostage negotiators about leading and influencing high-performing individuals and teams. Through conversations with experienced hostage negotiators, including professionals from the FBI and senior policing, I examined how their approaches to communication, trust and influence could translate into high-performance environments.
Sometimes, to become better at what we do, we have to be curious enough to look beyond our own world.
Click the “UEFA Pro Diploma Journal 2026” button to read my Independent Study and explore the work of my colleagues from the course, including several names you may recognize.