| Time | Activity | Details |
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Arrival & Registration | Coffee & Tea available upon arrival |
| 09:30 – 09:45 | Opening Remarks & Welcome (Marquee) | With Karen McLaren & 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. |
| 09:45 – 10:30 (45 minutes) | Parent Panel (Marquee) | Hosted by Kate Iorpenda Parents Alejandra Sarmiento, Leanne Batt, and Marlon Bromfield share honest reflections on grassroots and academy life, injury setbacks, juggling it all, and the unexpected benefits of football. |
| Morning Workshops | ||
| 10:40 – 11:50 (60mins + 10min Q&A) | Workshop 1: Industry Insights (Copa Mondial) | Led by Marcia Lewis & Nathan Chambers This lively session gives parents a peak into the football industry, from the intensity of grassroots competition to the growing influence of scouts, agents, and social media. We’ll explore how hype and pressure can distract from true development and how parents can stay grounded, ask the right questions, and support their child with confidence. Get to grips with the often-confusing world of club registrations and compensation, know your rights and make informed decisions. It’s about staying smart, cutting through the noise, and helping your child thrive in a complex game. |
| 10:40 – 11:50 (60mins + 10min Q&A) | Workshop 2: Building Digital Habits to Thrive (World Cup) | Led by Beth Kerr & Stephanie Ijoma Should we be fighting about Fortnite and FIFA? This session invites a new approach. Rather than battling over screens, we’ll explore how digital habits from gaming to social media impact performance, recovery, wellbeing, future career options and identity. You’ll leave with practical strategies to help your child build a healthy, balanced relationship with tech – benefitting their performance on the pitch, and their personal development beyond it. |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Lunch | Food, drinks and networking in the Marquee |
| Afternoon Workshops | ||
| 13:10 – 14:25 (60min + 15min Q&A) | Workshop 3: Player Pathways (Copa Mondial) | Led by Dr Chris Platts Join us on a journey through the careers of 303 players who began their footballing journey in 2012 – where are they now? What happened to them? What lessons can we learn from them? Expect fun, jelly babies, movement, questions, answers and more fun as you prepare yourself for what lies ahead for your child. You will leave this session knowing how to ensure your child thrives through their footballing journey. |
| 13:10 – 14:25 (60min + 15min Q&A) | Workshop 4: Being a No1 Fan (World Cup) | Led by Kate Iorpenda & Eve Emaru Football’s a long road, and this session is here to help you support your child through it. We’ll look at managing expectations, balancing football with school and family life, building good relationships with the club, and understanding the role of rest and recovery in injury management. Practical, honest, and focused on helping you feel more confident in your role as your child’s biggest supporter. |
| 14:40 – 15:40 | On the Sofa with Marcia Lewis & Les Rowe (Marquee) | With Marcia Lewis & Les Rowe A candid conversation about raising two sons through grassroots to elite football, sharing the highs, heartbreaks, and lessons learned with space for audience questions. |
| 15:40 – 16.30 | Closing Remarks & Networking (Marquee) | Hosted by Karen McLaren We’ll wrap the day with reflections, prize giveaways, and time to connect with fellow parents and speakers in a relaxed setting |
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
