High Performance Academy Sydney -
Private Soccer Coaching

From First Touch to First Team is the podcast for young football players parents and coaches. Every episode, host Jan Schmidt sits down with professional players, coaches, and people building lives around football, and unpacks the real journeys behind the game. The goal is simple: to give young players and their parents the education, the honest stories, and the perspective they need to navigate the pathway to professional football. In this episode, Jan sits down with Abdul and Thomas from UBF, one of the fastest-growing independent football media brands in Australia. Two football-mad kids from Western Sydney who met at a Westfield Parramatta food court two and a half years ago and turned a conversation about Alexis Sanchez versus Eden Hazard into a media brand that now works with A-League clubs, NPL clubs, Football Australia, and covered the FIFA World Cup with the Socceroos. This is the second episode in the series on building a full-time life in football without ever playing professionally, because the game has far more to offer than just becoming a pro player. We cover the state of Australian football and where it is heading, why NPL teams are outperforming the A-League in the Hahn Australia Cup, the pay-to-play barrier that keeps talented kids out of the game, and why football is the most participated sport in Australia but still gets underfunded compared to table tennis. Abdul and Thomas open up about interviewing Gary Cahill, Matheus Tell, and Kevin Prince Boateng, the Australia versus Turkey World Cup moment that united the country, why A-League players need more character like Irankunda and Adrian Segesic, and Thomas's simple mantra for consistency: shut up, suit up, show up. They close with their best advice for every young player, content creator, and football fan trying to build something in the game: back yourself, be yourself, and put yourself out there. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this is essential listening for anyone who has ever wondered what it takes to build a life in and around football. Jan and the Eleade Fussball coaches help young Australian players bridge the gap between team training and individual development, so they can reach the highest level possible. Individual and group sessions with a cognitive focus, game analysis, and performance testing, all built around the individual player. Through this podcast, we share the real journeys of players who have reached the top, so young footballers can see just how different every path can look. Find Eleade on https://www.instagram.com/eleadefussball/ or at http://www.eleadefussball.com CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome and meet UBF: Abs and Thomas 02:20 How UBF started at KFC over an Alexis Sanchez vs Eden Hazard debate 04:50 Why NPL teams are outperforming the A-League in the Australia Cup 07:32 Why Australian football fans could learn from European crowds 09:59 Just put yourself out there: advice for young football fans 12:50 Interviewing Gary Cahill, Matheus Tell, and Kevin Prince Boateng 15:37 Why Australia's most participated sport is underfunded 18:21 The pay-to-play barrier holding Australian football back 30:29 The Irankunda character effect and why A-League players need personality 38:25 The Australia vs Turkey World Cup moment that united the country 43:50 "Shut up, suit up, show up": Thomas's mantra for consistency 45:39 Stoppage Time: A-League predictions for the upcoming season 52:50 The best players they've ever played against 55:27 Their advice for young players: back yourself, be yourself 🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Enjoy your football journey!

From First Touch to First Team is the podcast for young football players parents and coaches. Every episode, host Jan Schmidt sits down with professional players, coaches, and people building lives around football, and unpacks the real journeys behind the game. The goal is simple: to give young players and their parents the education, the honest stories, and the perspective they need to navigate the pathway to professional football. In this episode, Jan calls London to sit down with Kealey Adamson, a right back who grew up on Sydney's North Shore, never played in an A-League Academy, and worked his way from Northern Tigers NPL 2 first grade to winning the Australia Cup with Sydney FC, his first A-League contract with MacArthur Bulls, and now Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship. Kealey talks about growing up at Linfield FC, the coaches who shaped him (including Adam Griffiths, now head coach at Perth Glory), and getting the Sydney FC email through his TD's connection with Kelly Cross. He is candid about the "delusional confidence" that convinced him he'd play for Sydney FC before there was ever a real chance, and the tibia fracture that ended his first season three games in. He opens up about winning the Australia Cup while being released simultaneously, the MacArthur Bulls offer that came through his agent while he was in a kebab shop, and how the QPR offer came in through an unexpected email. He also talks about representing Australia at the Olyroos in China, Qatar, and South Korea, and the reality of moving to London alone as a young Australian. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this is essential listening for anyone who has ever wondered what the pathway from grassroots Australian football to the European game really looks like. Jan and the Eleade Fussball coaches help young Australian players bridge the gap between team training and individual development, so they can reach the highest level possible. Individual and group sessions with a cognitive focus, game analysis, and performance testing, all built around the individual player. Through this podcast, we share the real journeys of players who have reached the top, so young footballers can see just how different every path can look. Find Eleade on https://www.instagram.com/firsttouchtofirstteam/ or at http://www.eleadefussball.com CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:53 Welcome and meet Kealey Adamson 04:15 Growing up on Sydney's North Shore and starting at Linfield FC 06:39 From Linfield to Northern Tigers and playing NPL 2 first grade at 18 09:02 The Colombian carer, Adam Griffiths, and the two-touch drill 11:45 The neighbour who inspired him to do the extras 14:17 Playing two games a weekend and jumping age groups at Tigers 17:02 First grade at Northern Tigers and the Sydney FC email through Kelly Cross 19:52 The delusional confidence that got him into Sydney FC 22:17 Why he wishes he'd said "I want to be a pro" louder as a young player 24:43 First year at Sydney FC: tibia fracture and learning off the pitch 33:32 The MacArthur Bulls offer that came in a kebab shop 36:13 Coaching kids on the North Shore between A-League matches 38:28 What coaching kids taught him about his own game 42:11 How the QPR offer came in through an email 47:31 Playing for the Olyroos in China, Qatar, and South Korea 52:08 The reality of moving to London and playing in the Championship 1:00:19 Stoppage Time Questions 1:04:39 Kealey's advice for young players chasing the dream 🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Enjoy your football journey!

The professional playing career is only one path in football. This episode marks the start of a new angle on From First Touch to First Team, where we show young players and parents that the game offers far more opportunity than just becoming a player, and that a full-time life in football is possible in many different forms. Claudio Fabiano is the perfect example. Host Jan Schmidt sits down with him to trace a career that started at Sydney NPL club Pagewood Botany FC, took him to Hoffenheim in Germany at 16 and Accrington Stanley in England at 19, and pivoted after two serious injuries ended his pro playing hopes. What he built next is a full-time career in football media, most recently presenting the FIFA World Cup for SBS in front of millions of Australian viewers. Claudio is honest about the hip labrum tear at 19 and the ACL rupture at 20, the two years away from the game that followed, and how a barbershop interview with Alex Brosque turned into a full-time media career. From simulated FIFA broadcasts during COVID, to BeIn Sports, to becoming the face of Optus Sport. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this is essential listening for anyone wondering what a life in football can look like beyond the pro contract. IN THIS EPISODE ▸ Growing up in an Italian migrant family and joining Pagewood Botany FC ▸ Captain of Sydney Olympic and called into Steve Corica's Sydney FC youth team ▸ The Hoffenheim trial at 16 and the Accrington Stanley trial at 19 ▸ The hip labrum tear and ACL rupture that ended his pro dream at 20 ▸ From a barbershop interview to becoming the face of Optus Sport ▸ Presenting the FIFA World Cup for SBS ▸ Why the NPL is one of the best semi-pro leagues in the world CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 02:02 Welcome and presenting the World Cup on SBS 05:00 Growing up in an Italian family and joining Pagewood Botany FC 08:03 The juggling story: from 12 to 1,000 in a Christmas break 10:39 Captain of Sydney Olympic and getting called into Sydney FC 13:54 Missing the Joeys and getting a Hoffenheim trial through his uncle 19:41 Inside the Hoffenheim football school at 16 26:23 Why he watched what defenders did off the ball 28:02 Hip surgery, Accrington Stanley trial, and the ACL rupture 40:16 From denied at Optus to becoming the face of Optus Sport 52:44 Joao Pedro, Kevin Prince Boateng, and the human side of pros 54:49 Why the love for football should never die 56:42 The UNSW culture that took them from NPL 4 to NPL 2 1:05:07 Why the NPL is one of the best semi-pro leagues in the world 1:10:28 Stoppage Time Questions 1:12:31 His best advice for young players chasing the dream 🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Leave a comment or send us a text on https://www.instagram.com/firsttouchtofirstteam/ if you have a question. And remember: enjoy your football journey.

Lloyd Owusu takes us through his professional football journey while constantly shifting perspective between how it was for him as a player and how it looks now watching his own son go through it. His story becomes a live case study for every young player and parent at any age and career stage. In this episode of From First Touch to First Team, host Jan Schmidt sits down with Lloyd to build one of the most useful conversations we have done on this show. The format is unique. At every stage of Lloyd's career, we pause to look at the same stage through his son Ty's journey, showing what has changed, what has stayed the same, and what today's players and parents should focus on right now. We begin with Lloyd at 10 years old, joining his first team in Slough through his best mate Gary Byrne, and put that next to Ty starting football at 6. We move to Lloyd trialing at Crystal Palace at 15 and scoring four goals on his Slough Town debut at 18, and reflect on what parents should look for in their kids at those same ages today. We work through his rise to a first professional contract with Brentford at 21, the agent who nearly cost him the deal, and the mentor Danny Bailey who stepped in to save it, then look at Ty's move to Sparta Rotterdam in Holland at 14 and what it takes for a young Australian player to get to Europe today. Lloyd talks about the Brentford Division Three title-winning season in 1999, the years at Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Yeovil, and Luton, and what real professional culture looked like inside those change rooms. He closes with the extra 1% that separates young players who make it from those who don't, the change room culture Australia is missing, and his best advice for every young player chasing the dream. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this conversation walks you through every stage of a football career from both sides at once. IN THIS EPISODE ▸ Lloyd at 10 in Slough and how Ty started at 6 in Sydney ▸ Crystal Palace trials at 15 and what parents should watch for at that age ▸ Four goals on his Slough Town debut at 18 and the mentality that got him there ▸ The Danny Bailey mentor call that saved his Brentford contract ▸ Turning pro at 21 with Brentford and winning the Division Three title ▸ Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Yeovil, and Luton ▸ His A-League move to Adelaide United and playing in China ▸ Ty's move to Sparta Rotterdam and why the European pathway matters ▸ The extra 1% that separates young players today ▸ Why Australian football is missing a real change room culture ▸ His best advice for every young player chasing the dream CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:35 Welcome and meet Lloyd Owusu 06:50 Crystal Palace trials at 15 and 4 goals on his Slough Town debut 12:39 Scouts coming weekly and turning pro at 21 with Brentford 18:07 Multiple sports, Ty's development, and building an athlete 23:21 The agent who almost cost him his Brentford contract 28:54 The extra 1% that separates young players today 36:35 Ty at Sparta Rotterdam and why he backs the European pathway 44:42 Why coaches need to be honest and open with their players 50:49 The change room culture Australia is missing 56:37 What it really means to be a professional footballer 1:01:54 Stoppage Time Questions 1:04:24 His best advice for young players chasing the dream 🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Leave a comment or send us a text on https://www.instagram.com/firsttouchtofirstteam/ if you have a question. And remember: enjoy your football journey.

Nicholas Olsen takes us through one of the most well-travelled careers in Australian football, from starting at Sutherland Sharks at 13 to playing professionally across Kuwait, the A-League, Vietnam, and the Maldives, and returning home as NPL NSW Player of the Year. In this episode of From First Touch to First Team, host Jan Schmidt sits down with Nicholas to trace a career that took him well beyond the standard Australian football pathway. Nicholas talks about starting his football at Sutherland Sharks in the under-13s, moving to the Western Sydney Wanderers academy in 2012 where he trained under Tony Popovic, and being released in 2015 without an A-League appearance. We move through the NPL NSW years that followed at APIA Leichhardt, Sydney United 58, and back to Sutherland Sharks, and the decision to sign for Al-Jahra SC in Kuwait rather than wait around for an A-League opportunity that might never come. Nicholas is candid about what daily life looked like as a professional in Kuwait, moving between Al-Jahra and Khaitan SC, and the honest comparison between the Kuwait Premier League and the A-League. He talks about finally landing that A-League contract with Brisbane Roar in 2021, and the move to Vietnam that followed. Signing a professional contract in a torrential downpour with Saigon FC, the wage dispute that ended it, and moving between SHB Đà Nẵng and Becamex Bình Dương in the V.League 1. He also opens up about his AFC Challenge League year in the Maldives with Maziya S&RC, and the misconception that going overseas somehow doesn't count as making it. We close with his return to NPL NSW and a career-best 2025 season at Wollongong Wolves that earned him NPL NSW Player of the Year, his return to Sutherland Sharks for 2026, and why he now believes the NPL is closer to the A-League than most people realise. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this is essential listening for anyone questioning what making it really means. IN THIS EPISODE ▸ Starting his football at Sutherland Sharks as an under-13 ▸ Joining the Wanderers academy and training under Tony Popovic ▸ Being released without an A-League appearance and rebuilding through NPL NSW ▸ Signing for Al-Jahra SC in Kuwait and moving to Khaitan SC ▸ Playing Kuwait Premier League and AFC Cup football ▸ The A-League contract with Brisbane Roar ▸ Signing for Saigon FC in a torrential downpour in Vietnam ▸ Moving between SHB Đà Nẵng and Becamex Bình Dương in the V.League 1 ▸ AFC Challenge League football in the Maldives with Maziya S&RC ▸ Winning NPL NSW Player of the Year with Wollongong Wolves in 2025 ▸ Returning to Sutherland Sharks and the coaching path ▸ Why the NPL is closer to the A-League than most people think 🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Leave a comment or send us a text on https://www.instagram.com/firsttouchtofirstteam/ if you have a question. And remember: enjoy your football journey.

Zac Sapsford takes us through his journey from an NPL 2 kid at Hakoah in Sydney to signing his first professional contract with Western Sydney Wanderers, and now scoring goals for Dundee United in Scotland's top division. In this episode of From First Touch to First Team, host Jan Schmidt sits down with Zac to trace one of the most relatable pathways in Australian football. Zac talks about growing up playing grassroots football at Maccabi, spending his youth years at Hakoah without ever being in an A-League academy, and the trial at Huddersfield at 16 where he came face-to-face with Liverpool and Man City academy players and realised how far the gap was. We move through the years that followed. Zac is candid about his time at Chester FC in England during COVID, being unable to play for a full year, and coming back to Australia so disillusioned that he asked Hakoah for a spot in the under 20s. He talks about the breakthrough that followed, the move to Sydney FC and then his first professional contract at Western Sydney Wanderers, and the derby goal against Sydney FC that helped land him on Dundee United's radar. He is honest about the reality of moving to Scotland alone, the mental approach that keeps him relaxed under pressure ("I don't even think about the game until I walk out"), why picking up golf changed how he handles bad games, and what it feels like to walk out at Celtic Park and Ibrox for the first time. He closes with his advice for young players still chasing the dream, and a reminder that a coach not believing in you doesn't have to be the end of your journey. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this conversation is essential listening for anyone in the Australian NPL system. IN THIS EPISODE ▸ Growing up playing grassroots football at Maccabi in Sydney ▸ Trialing at Huddersfield at 16 and versing Liverpool and Man City academies ▸ A year at Chester where he wasn't allowed to play ▸ Coming back from COVID and breaking into Hakoah first grade ▸ The move to Sydney FC and playing NPL 1 against the best in NSW ▸ Signing his first pro contract with Western Sydney Wanderers ▸ The Dundee United offer he couldn't turn down ▸ Walking out at Celtic Park and Ibrox for the first time ▸ Why he doesn't think about the game until he walks out ▸ Life away from home and picking up golf as a mental reset ▸ His advice for young NPL players still chasing the dream CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:37 Welcome and meet Zac Sapsford 03:24 First touches with dad and joining Maccabi in Sydney 05:51 Trialing at Huddersfield and versing Liverpool and Man City academies 10:07 Coming back from Chester and breaking into Hakoah first grade 13:13 From Hakoah to Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers 16:35 Signing his first pro contract with Western Sydney Wanderers 18:28 The Dundee United offer he couldn't turn down 21:09 Walking out at Celtic Park and Ibrox for the first time 23:15 Why he doesn't think about the game until he walks out 25:04 Life away from home and picking up golf 26:46 What "professional football" really means beyond the top leagues 31:36 What comes next for him at Dundee United 35:49 Stoppage Time Questions 40:41 His advice for young players chasing the dream 🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Leave a comment or send us a text on Instagram if you have a question. https://www.instagram.com/firsttouchtofirstteam/ And remember: enjoy your football journey.

Erin Nayler takes us through her journey from a nine-year-old goalkeeper in New Zealand to 85 caps for the Football Ferns, Olympique Lyonnais, Bayern Munich, and ten years playing professionally across five countries. In this episode of From First Touch to First Team, host Jan Schmidt sits down with the former New Zealand international to trace one of the most well-travelled goalkeeper careers in the women's game. Erin talks about growing up as the only girl in a boys team, being cut from youth national teams for lacking confidence, and how discovering Hope Solo on YouTube changed her mindset ahead of a U20 World Cup where she was named the starting goalkeeper on the day of the opening game. We move through the ten years that followed. Erin is candid about her first professional contract at Sky Blue in the US that lasted three weeks before she was sent home, signing for Olympique Lyonnais at 21 alongside Wendie Renard and Sarah Bouhaddi, and the moves that followed to Bordeaux, Reading, Umeå IK in Sweden, and Bayern Munich. She talks openly about losing her mum while playing in France, the reality of missing weddings and birthdays as a New Zealand-based player in Europe, and how her identity became tied to being a goalkeeper. We also cover her move to Sydney and UNSW FC in the NPL, her honest assessment of Australian women's football, and https://joinyourstory.com, the pilot program she is launching in Sweden in January 2027 to support elite athletes navigating retirement. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this is a rare look at the reality of a decade in European women's football and the challenges that come after. IN THIS EPISODE ▸ Starting in goal at 9 and playing on a boys team in New Zealand ▸ Being cut from youth national teams and how Hope Solo changed her mindset ▸ Getting cut after three weeks at Sky Blue in the US ▸ Signing for Olympique Lyonnais at 21 alongside Wendie Renard and Sarah Bouhaddi ▸ Moving through Bordeaux, Reading, and Umeå IK in Sweden ▸ Losing her mum while playing in France ▸ Two World Cups, the Rio Olympics, and 85 caps for the Football Ferns ▸ Signing for Bayern Munich after almost retiring in Sweden ▸ Facing Alex Morgan, Eugénie Le Sommer, and the US national team ▸ Moving to Sydney and signing for UNSW FC in the NPL ▸ Why the Matildas' success isn't reaching the A-League Women ▸ Your Story: her program supporting athletes after retirement CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:43 Welcome and meet Erin Nayler 03:53 Starting in goal at 9 and playing with the boys 06:39 Hope Solo, mindset shift, and going to the U20 World Cup 08:51 Cut after three weeks at Sky Blue in the US 11:18 Signing for Olympique Lyonnais at 21 14:08 Bordeaux, COVID, and moving to Reading 19:06 Coping with challenges and family loss 21:34 The reality of being far from home as a professional 24:13 Playing in the snow in Sweden 30:13 The best football culture: England, Sweden, or Germany 31:12 The best players she faced, from Alex Morgan to Le Sommer 32:19 Retiring at 34 and what comes next 34:11 Moving to Sydney and signing for UNSW FC in the NPL 36:52 How NPL football actually compares to Europe 40:08 The young Australian talent she thinks can play in Europe 41:46 Why the Matildas' success isn't reaching the A-League Women 44:15 Your Story: her project supporting athletes after retirement 50:16 Stoppage Time Questions 52:57 Advice for young footballers 🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Leave a comment or send us a text on https://www.instagram.com/firsttouchtofirstteam/ if you have a question.