Through Money Smart Athlete, the Sports Financial Literacy Academy (SFLA) aim to financially educate, empower and mentor athletes to enable them to plan their desired financial future and attain financial independence. SLFA have a real passion for developing the whole athlete because heightened care to athletes off the field can lead to an increased likelihood of optional performance on it!

Key Responsibilities:• Key member of a leadership team which oversaw all aspects of academy & worked in partnership with the Technical Director & senior staff to deliver academy strategic objectives & strategic opportunities.• Fostered a club philosophy & culture to support performance pathways for players within the academy.• Instrumental in the design & implementation of high performance supports to develop homegrown players with attributes & capabilities required to progress to pro soccer with the 1st team.• Gained and demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities through guiding a multi-disciplinary staff to successfully deliver an internationally recognized holistic development program- Performance, Advisory & Support Services (PASS) - and led in the delivery of these activities across all Chicago Fire FC Soccer Operations units including 1st team, academy & grassroots.• Spearheaded player centered initiatives across the club Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDT) in player health, education, welfare and operations.• Launched holistic development for high performing athletes, which included leading a team of staff that planned & delivered ethical intelligence, emotional intelligence, life skills & wellbeing, education & academic performance & psychosocial skills initiatives to improve performance.• Initiated the academy Duty of Care responsibilities ensuring a positive & safe development experience for players, staff and families. Duty of Care areas included policies and protocols regarding Player Care, Safeguarding, Duty of Care & Return to Play.Key Achievements:-US Soccer Development Academy Report from Double Pass stated: “the Chicago Fire PASS program is the standard-bearer for excellence in its field. This program is all-encompassing and should be a beacon of the Development Academy”.-10 academy players signed as homegrown players for the 1st team at Chicago Fire FC.red-98% of players furthered their soccer education as student-athletes at college.

Key Skills: Executive Leadership, Staff Learning & Development, Strategic Planning & Execution.Key Responsibilities:• Key member of a group of senior staff from sporting / business units who designed and implemented the club’s 3-year strategic plan.• Gained valuable insight into key components that included:-Club Values project -Goal Setting initiatives -Staff Wellness Programs -Crisis Management tools, -Club Rebranding exercises -Diversity and Inclusion pledge -Pandemic Safety measures -Training Facility Design• Spearheaded cross department learning and development collaborations through the in-house education program, Fire College.Key Achievements:- Initiated ground breaking initiatives, including researching learning styles of over 100 front office and soccer operation staff, implemented strategies for personal growth and development and how to work effectively in teams.

Key Skills: Senior Leadership Youth Development, Business Development/Operations, Club Acquisitions.Key Responsibilities:• Oversaw a youth soccer network of 11 clubs and initiated and guided strategy for individual member club growth and development.• Led the acquisition of youth soccer clubs who became key Chicago Fire Junior affiliates by designing and implementing a pioneering club quality standards initiative to ensure best practice standardization on and off the field of play.• Improved cost efficiency of Chicago Fire Juniors home-grown clubs, which include 3 non for-profit youth soccer clubs by using a wide range of methods to maximize gross revenue and streamline expenditure, including the analysis of player fees & financial aid, facility usage, staff area of responsibilities and fund-raising opportunities.Key Achievements:-Oversaw an expanding network of Fire Juniors youth soccer clubs, which had grown from 400 to 13,545 recreation and competitive youth players that spanned across 6 states and included 351 youth soccer coaches and 421 youth travel teams - at the time regarded as the most extensive youth affiliate network in Major League Soccer and framework for others to adopt.

Key Skills: Grassroots to Excellence Player Development, Club Youth Affiliates, Academy Management.Key Responsibilities:• Built strategic coach education processes, coach operations, and coach evaluation initiatives locally, regionally and nationally, to enhance the professional development of the club’s coaching staff.• Led the Player Development department and was responsible for administering an academy program, managing Fire Juniors partnerships, and supervising the Elite Performance programs for Youth Elite Soccer (YES).• Managed the Youth Elite Soccer and Chicago Fire FC MLS relationship using a series of on and off the field measures.Key Achievements:-Was a key member of a development team that supported Chicago Fire FC’s first homegrown player, as he transitioned from the club academy to first team. In addition, I supported further homegrown players as they progressed to the 1st team.

Key Skills: Senior Leadership, MLS Club Partnerships, Coach Education, Head Coach NPSL U23 team.Key Responsibilities:• Held a senior leadership position at the Major League Soccer Camps based at partner club Chicago Fire FC and led a team of Regional Directors of Coaching in implementing coach education programs for over 250 staff coaches across the USA.• Responsible for the supervising of MLS Camps academy coaching team in the United Kingdom and oversaw the recruitment and training of seasonal soccer coaches who coached in grassroots to elite soccer clubs in the USA.• As Head Coach of the Chicago fire NPSL (U23), I was responsible for the planning of technical and tactical training in accordance with the club’s Academy curriculum and coaching philosophy in relation to player development strategies. In addition, I contributed to the development of U23 players to facilitate their progression into the first team environment.Key Achievements: -Implemented an U23 player/team development program which culminated in winning a National Championship title.

Key Skills: Youth Development, Player Development, Teaching and Learning, Event Management, Healthy Lifestyle Initiatives.Key Responsibilities:• Delivered broad, balanced and differentiated physical education lessons to students at the school in accordance with the National Curriculum in PE of England.• Championed the school’s responsibility to provide and monitor opportunities for student personal and academic growth and promoted and encouraged a healthy lifestyle for students and staff at the school through regular PE and Sport activities.• Organized and coordinated several Gaelic Games deliverables in partnership with local, national and international Governing Bodies which included- Games Opportunities, Skill Development Initiatives, Education Programs and Support Initiatives.Key Achievements: -Led an award-winning ‘GAA in schools’ initiative, which introduced Gaelic Games to over 80,000 primary and secondary school students across the United Kingdom- the largest GAA youth sports project out of Ireland.