Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has today partnered with The AllStars Academy (TAA) to provide personal and professional development opportunities for Australia’s elite players.
TAA is a national and respected provider of children’s programs including the award-winning ‘Football Star Academy’ and toddler program ‘Soccer Time Kids’ and uses professional and nurturing sporting environments to educate and inspire the lives of more than one million Australian children.
Through a new two-year partnership, PFA and TAA will promote coaching, internship and work placement opportunities across Australia for Socceroos, Matildas, A-Leagues players and the Afghanistan women’s national team players.
The partnership will unlock business ownership opportunities for retired and transitioning PFA members who wish to stay in the game and acquire their own Football Star Academy and Soccer Time Kids franchises across Australia, or via coaching opportunities at weekly clinics across the country.
PFA members will also be supported by TAA through internships or work placement opportunities in sport management, sport science, strength and conditioning and more.
The partnership will also see The AllStars Academy and Football Star Academy become the naming rights partner of the annual Player Agents Conference in 2022 and 2023.
The AllStars Academy CEO and Founder Peter Nikolakopoulos said partnering with the PFA would ensure TAA can support PFA members in cementing their connection to the game well before their professional playing careers have come to an end.
“We at TAA are delighted to partner with the PFA and support our professional players who contribute so much to Australian football,” Nikolakopoulos said.
“We know many PFA members have indicated their willingness in the past to play a greater role in game development and mentoring of the current generation.
“Our Football Star Academy and Soccer Time Kids programs in particular can provide many opportunities for our professional players to not only provide the next generation with a pathway to thrive but at the same time ensure they themselves as professional athletes can set up their lives well ahead of their retirement and focus on enjoying the final years of their career, as well as the immediate years following retirement.
“As we head into a popular time for football globally, thanks to both the Men’s and Women’s FIFA World Cups, we also look forward to connecting A-League Women, A-League Men and youth players and also the Afghanistan women’s national team players with coaching opportunities across our Football Star Academy network nationally.”
PFA Co-Chief Executive Beau Busch said the partnership would ensure players could explore personal and professional development, as well as coaching opportunities.
“Through the PFA and our partners, players across Australia and overseas have the opportunity to enhance their careers and lives through personal and professional development. The programs at The AllStars Academy are yet another excellent avenue for players to balance their careers.
“The team at The AllStars Academy provide an incredibly supportive environment for our members to develop and we encourage them to explore the available programs. Whether it’s coaching young children, taking on an internship to develop a new skill or developing a business, our players can extract a huge amount of value from this partnership.”
