| Time | Activity | Details |
| 09:00am – 09:30am | Arrival & Registration | Coffee & tea available upon arrival |
| 09:30am – 09:45am | Opening Remarks & Welcome Stadium Suite | Led by Marcia Lewis An introduction to the day’s sessions from Karen, followed by a warm welcome from No1Fan.Club founder Marcia Lewis, setting the tone for an inspiring and supportive event. |
| 09:45am – 10:30am (45 minutes) | Parent Panel Stadium Suite | Led by Marlon Bromfield Parents Beth Kerr, Yinka Tomori, and Tricia Egan share honest reflections on grassroots and academy life, injury setbacks, juggling it all, and the unexpected benefits of football. |
| Morning Workshops | ||
| 10:45am-12.15pm (60mins + 30min Q&A) | Workshop option 1: Grassroots & Non-League Football Stadium Suite | Led by Kate Iorpenda A practical and honest panel session helping parents understand the grassroots and non-league football landscape. Featuring voices from recruitment, coaching, player development and the non-league pathway, the panel will explore grassroots football, how scouting, trials and academy recruitment work, and the potential next steps for young players through non-league pathways into the professional game. |
| 10:45am – 12.15pm (60mins + 30min Q&A) | Workshop option 2: The Whole Player- wellbeing and performance Players Lounge | Led by Beth Kerr This invaluable session will help parents understand where they can have the greatest impact, creating healthy habits, supporting recovery, and helping young people develop the confidence and resilience needed to navigate the challenges of football. Bringing together experts from physiotherapy, psychology, nutrition, mental health and wellbeing, the panel will provide advice on injury prevention, sleep, growth and maturation, fuelling performance, technology use, and wellbeing |
| 10:45am-12.15pm (60mins + 30min Q&A) | Workshop option 3: Player Pathways Supporters’ Club | Led by Chris Platts This workshop will draw on research tracking academy players and their journeys over a ten-year period. It will provide insights into what the data tells us about progression, what can and cannot be predicted in football, and why early success or selection does not always determine long-term outcomes. Through interactive activities, parents will explore how difficult it is to predict future outcomes in football. The workshop will also explore support through uncertainty, transition, and change. |
| 12.30pm-1.00pm | Q&A Stadium Suite | Led by Kate Iorpenda Reflection on the morning sessions |
| 1.00pm-2.00pm | Lunch Supporters’ Club | Food, drinks and networking |
| Afternoon Workshops | ||
| 2.15pm-3.45pm (60min + 30min Q&A) | Workshop option 1: Business Industry Insights Players’ Lounge | Led by Marcia Lewis This panel is designed to demystify the business side of football and help parents make informed decisions that protect their child’s long-term future. The panel will explore when representation may or may not be appropriate, how to approach conversations with agents, understanding contracts and agreements, protecting young players financially, and recognising that decisions made away from the pitch can have a significant impact on a player’s future. |
| 2.15pm-3.45pm (60min + 30min Q&A) | Workshop option 2: Academy Football Supporters’ Club | Led by Cigdem Turkan This session will help parents understand what entering the academy system really means. Rather than viewing an academy as a guaranteed pathway to a professional career, the session will encourage families to approach the journey with realistic optimism recognising both the opportunities and the challenges that lie ahead. Parents will gain a clearer understanding of how to navigate the academy experience as a family, build positive relationships with clubs, communicate effectively, and ensure their child continues to develop as a person as well as a player. |
| 2.15pm-3.45pm (60min + 30min Q&A) | Workshop option 3: The Girls’ Game Stadium Suite | Led by Tina Taylor This panel will explore the realities of the girls’ game today. The discussion will explore the unique opportunities and challenges facing girls in football, including talent identification and scouting, academy pathways, balancing education and family life alongside football, safeguarding, social media, representation and the importance of helping young players develop as confident young women as well as talented footballers. |
| 4.00pm – 5.00pm | On the Sofa with Les Rowe, Marcia Lewis & Kate Iorpenda Stadium Suite | With Les Rowe, Marcia Lewis & Kate Iorpenda The day will end with a candid conversation with Les, Marcia and Kate about supporting sons through grassroots to elite football, sharing the highs, heartbreaks, and lessons learned with space for audience questions. |
| 5.00pm-6.30pm | Closing, Networking and Refreshments Heaven | Led by Marcia Lewis We’ll wrap the day with reflections, prize giveaways and an opportunity for networking. |
Speakers & Panellists
Marcia Lewis, Founder No1Fan.club
Marcia Lewis founded No1Fan.club, an organisation that builds a supportive community for families navigating youth football. Drawing from her personal journey as a parent with a son playing football professionally, she creates resources and connections to help others make informed decisions about their children’s football careers. Marcia’s mission is to empower parents with knowledge and a network, ensuring young talents receive the best possible support on their football development journey.
More about Marcia and No1Fan.club here
Les Rowe, Speaker
Les is a lifelong football fan and his passion for the sport runs deep. As the father of Premier League player Emile Smith-Rowe, he has first-hand knowledge of the unique challenges and opportunities within the football environment. This personal experience fuels Les’s commitment to supporting young athletes and ensuring they have the guidance and support necessary to navigate their careers successfully.
Connect with Les here
Alejandra Sarmiento, Parent Panel Speaker
Alejandra Sarmiento has supported her two sons through over a decade in a top Premier League academy and into life as professional players. Her eldest son now plays in the MLS and her youngest recently “retired” due to injury and is thriving in San Francisco’s finance world. A psychotherapist with a specialism in trauma, and a former mental health columnist, Alejandra brings sharp insight, humour and lived experience to every conversation about parenting, pressure, and life beyond football.
Connect with Alejandra here
Beth Kerr, Workshop Facilitator
Beth is a mum to 3 children and has been supporting her twins to navigate the youth football industry Both signed for academies at U9, her daughter was released 2 years later, and her son remains in the system, currently in the U12’s. She is a passionate educator, researcher, public speaker, inspector and an experienced media commentator on the health and wellbeing of young people. Her particular interest is in the impact of technology on our relationships and the ability to focus and learn.
To book a 1-to-1 Support Call with Beth click here
Connect with Beth here
Dr Chris Platts, Workshop Facilitator
Dr Chris Platts is a career coach working in professional football. He has a PhD that examines the lives of 303 young players and is the author of the largest independent study into the trajectories of professional football careers. Using the insights from this data, he helps young players and their families predict the future, take ownership of their career planning and reduce the negative stress that impacts life and performance.
Connect with Chris here
Karen McLaren, Host
Karen is a dynamic leader in Operations and Executive Support, known for her exceptional ability to deliver with precision, professionalism, and heart.
With over 20 years of experience in the financial sector, Karen built a distinguished career supporting C-suite leaders across global investment banks. Her expertise spans high-level diary management, international travel coordination, executive reporting, and event delivery making her a trusted partner at the most senior levels.
In 2022, Karen transitioned from the corporate world to launch her own business, offering Virtual Executive Support services. She now empowers clients to navigate excellence, streamline operations, and optimise both time and performance bringing the same elite-level service to a wider network of entrepreneurs and organisations.
Karen’s passion for meaningful impact led her to join No1 Fan. Club in May 2025. Her commitment to community, operational excellence, and creating unforgettable experiences makes her an invaluable asset to the team.
She previously served as Program Manager for JPMorgan’s Code for Good hackathon initiative an innovative program bridging the gap between academia and industry and promoting STEM careers across EMEA.
Connect with Karen here
Eve Emaru, Workshop Co-facilitator
Eve is the founder of VitaledgePT, blending her passion for well-being with over 2 decades of experience in sports and physiotherapy. A former professional basketball player for Great Britain, her methodology integrates sports science and physiotherapy knowledge. Whether coaching athletes or the general population, Eve’s goal is to empower people with a personalized approach for lasting lifestyle changes.
Connect with Eve here
Kate Iorpenda, Parent Panel Host / Workshop Facilitator
Kate is mum to two boys – one a first team player at Huddersfield Town, currently on loan at Notts County and the another a young pro who has just joined Huddersfield Town from Ipswich. Both boys spent 8 years at Brighton and Hove Albion and we released at 16. Having gone through the release process twice Kate realised how much she had to share with other parents and families facing similar situations and began working with No1 Fan club last year to deliver workshops
To book a 1-to-1 Support Call with Kate click here
Connect with Kate here
Leanne Batt, Parent Panel Speaker
As a Mum of a 15-year-old daughter currently part of the Arsenal Girls Academy and England Talent Pathway, Leanne has experienced the progression of the female football system and the huge demands faced by parents in supporting a young player. During her daughter’s journey, she has had to guide her through obstacles such as resource and gender gaps, difficult decisions, whilst managing the emotional and financial challenges that navigating the process presents.
Connect with Leanne here
Marlon Bromfield, Parent Panel Speaker
Marlon is a married father of three boys who have played grassroots to academy football at Category 1, 2, and 3 clubs. One of his sons has represented both England and Germany at youth international level and is currently playing in Germany for a Bundesliga club. Marlon is a a FIFA-licensed football agent and a qualified Personal Trainer with first hand experience of how challenging it can be both physically and mentally for young players trying to make their way in such a competitive environment.
To book a 1-to-1 Support Call with Marlon click here
Connect with Marlon here
Nathan Chambers, Workshop Co-facilitator
Nathan is an associate in the commercial team at Onside Law, advising across commercial, employment, and regulatory matters. He’s supported agents with the FIFA Football Agent Exam and assisted at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. With experience in a US law firm and film & TV finance, he brings a broad legal lens to sport. Nathan also runs a successful Instagram page helping parents navigate the contractual and commercial side of football. He is lifelong Arsenal fan and King of FIFA.
Connect with Nathan here
Stephanie Ijoma, Workshop Co-facilitator
Stephanie Ijoma is the CEO & founder of NNESAGA, a multi-award-winning gaming, sports & media community first agency. With a mission of championing diversity, inclusion, representation & equity Stephanie is a gaming who passionate about driving positive change, providing opportunities for marginalised communities, and creating impact.
Connect with Stephanie here
Tobi Sho-Silva, Workshop Co-facilitator
Tobi Sho-Silva is a professional footballer who has recently signed for Kidderminster Harriers. Tobi came through the academy at Charlton Athletic and did his apprenticeship there whilst studying Business Management and Maths A-Levels alongside a BTEC in sport.
While on loan at non-league club Welling United, he studied a Business Management degree while also dealing with a snapped Achilles which took him out of the game for seven months. Tobi joined Sutton United in 2020 and was part of the team that won the National League and gained promotion to the Football League for the first time in the club’s history. Throughout his career, Tobi has recognised the importance of having a focus outside of football and has studied a counselling course so that he can use his experiences to help mentor younger players.
Connect with Tobi here
