Justin Lipman

Regular readers of my stuff know my favorite phrase is: It's no good coming up with a great solution - to the WRONG PROBLEM. I admit I stole this from the best sports leader in the business - Craig Tiley - Head of Tennis Australia / Australian Open - but I've found it to be the most important lesson I've ever learnt. In these days of Ai, Google, Social Media, Online gurus - finding SOLUTIONS is pretty easy. The solutions are not what's holding you back: it's not knowing what your real problems are. Problem solving is not the skill it used to be: you gotta be great at Problem Finding!!! Example: CHALLENGE: We need to grow our participation base. Typical solution: Build more facilities - i.e. if we build it, they will come. But what if the actual problems include..... Coaching standards are poor; Club administration is disorganized and poorly delivered; The competition structure is outdated and poorly delivered; Volatile personality and political conflicts make the environment challenging and awkward for new participants. If these are the REAL problems, then building a solid gold stadium, with diamond encrusted seats, overlooking an air-conditioned field - will not solve anything. CEOS - Senior Executives - Managers - Sports Leaders - become PROBLEM FINDERS - then I promise you - the solutions will always present themselves. #waynegoldsmith #wgcoaching #sportsindustry

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🏉Why Local Clubs Should Choose Winsher Footballs** Are you looking for high-quality AFL footballs for your club? Look no further than Winsher Footballs🌟Here’s why your local club should choose Winsher: 🇦🇺Premium Quality Winsher Footballs are hand-stitched using premium leather, ensuring precision and durability. These footballs are crafted to match specifications, providing the same quality used by professional players on the field. 🇦🇺Community Support Winsher Sports is a proudly Australian family-owned and operated company. They have made a significant impact in the AFL industry by supporting numerous organizations. By providing free footballs, Winsher ensures that everyone, regardless of their background, gets a chance to play AFL. 🇦🇺Partnerships and Commitment Winsher Sports has established strong partnerships with clubs, community groups, charities, and foundations. They are committed to the long-term success of their partners, making them a reliable choice for your club’s needs. 🇦🇺Affordable Options Winsher offers a range of footballs to suit different needs and budgets. Whether you need match footballs, training footballs, or junior league footballs, Winsher has you covered. 🇦🇺Thank You for Being a Change Maker We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the change makers who support AFL footballs for kids. By choosing Winsher Footballs, you are contributing to the growth and development of the sport, ensuring that future generations have the opportunity to enjoy and excel in AFL. 🇦🇺Choose Winsher Footballs and be a part of the positive change in the AFL community. Together, we can make a difference and support the next generation of AFL stars! 🌟💛♥️🏉

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The Australian Open (AO) tennis starts today. Richard L. Vaughan (GAICD MBA OLY) and I have some recommendations for how the International Tennis Federation and the World Anti-Doping Agency can restore trust following both 2024 #1 players being caught up in inadvertent doping cases. We argue that systemic reforms are urgently needed, including: + stronger accountability for support personnel implicated in positive tests (especially involving minors) + means-tested funding to support athletes seeking to identify the source of minuscule amounts of detected substances (including legal advice) + better education for athletes and their entourages to understand their shared responsibility WADA’s Taskforce on Unintentional Doping is also looking at evidence-based research to support athletes caught up in these cases. We are keen to hear your thoughts on how these reforms could be funded under the current financial crisis if the US Government continues to withhold its contribution to #WADA Paul Horvath Paul Greene Tim Fuller Australian + New Zealand Sports Law Association (ANZSLA) Sports Lawyers Association Michele Verroken Women's Tennis Blog WTA ATP Tour Australian Open Tennis Australia USADA Sport Integrity Australia The Conversation Australia + NZ Jannik Sinner Merch #tennis #antidoping #AusOpen2025 #inadvertent #appeal

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To share or not to share the achievements of 2024? The achievements are because of our wonderful little team at Basketball Vic in the Leagues & Comps team, each with a passion for their area of responsibility, but more importantly their committed support for each other. Without the staff and volunteers of the associations and their clubs though, plus the love of the game from our participants, none of it exists. They’re the reason our great sport expands and I thank them all for their support of our team in 2024. It’s for those reasons I share and reflect some highlights: - Basketball Victoria’s NBL1 South solidified itself as the strongest conference in the nation. Not even a discussion. - Big V had record numbers in all areas for streaming, attendance etc. - Big V Championship Final night saw more than 4x the attendance of just 2 years ago. A big stage for local players! - U18 State Championship boys & girls games shown live on Kayo playing on a Saturday night. The big stage for our next generation of superstars. - we took the Junior Country Champs to Mildura for the first time - our school competitions expanded their numbers and purpose FIBA3x3 in Victoria changed forever. We saw 200% growth in the juniors 3XCup format, reaching all corners of the state. - 46% of the registered 3x3 players in Australia are from Victoria - 48% of all FIBA 3x3 games played in Australia in 2024 were hosted by Basketball Victoria or one of our affiliated associations - held our first 3x3 with wheelchair, men’s, women’s & juniors all in one event. Initiatives for 2025: - the re-formatted VJBL U20’s has record numbers! - introduction of Victoria’s 3x3 tour for junior players - VJBL pilot ‘regional league’ for metro. Plans for a country equivalent means more opportunities for players across the state.

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Hey Friends, Here is a sneak peek of tomorrow's AFL Elite Tips for High Performance Coaches & Footballers podcast episode with Matt Whitaker. A great listen for sports scientists looking to work in elite sport! ▶️ Watch on YouTube:

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Another Loss at the Hands of the Aussies: Where is Women’s Cricket Heading? Yet again, we’ve faced a loss against Australia, and it’s hard not to reflect on the state of women’s cricket. What’s surprising is the seeming decline, despite significant progress in recent years: World-class infrastructure Experienced coaching staff Higher payouts for players The platform and exposure of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) With all these resources in place, why is the gap widening? And what’s even more alarming is the lack of dialogue around this issue. Are we failing to nurture the next generation of players? Is grassroots cricket getting the attention it deserves? Or are we overlooking critical aspects of long-term development? The silence is concerning. Women’s cricket deserves better—both on and off the field. It’s time for action, conversations, and a collective push to regain momentum. We need to rethink how we are building pathways for players, ensuring better competition at every level, and prioritizing mental and physical development for athletes. Stakeholders across the ecosystem—from boards to sponsors, coaches to fans—must come together to ensure the growth of women’s cricket isn’t just a fleeting dream but a sustained reality. But for some reason, no one seem to care. #WomensCricket #CricketForAll #SportsDevelopment #WPL

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With rep cricket in full swing across Cricket Victoria’s Premier Cricket, VSDCA, VMCU, and VCCL competitions, it’s a great time to reflect on what truly drives long-term success in young people interested in sport. Recently, Graham Manou shared a fantastic video where Wayne Goldsmith explored the critical balance of Talent vs. Commitment. His message is clear: while talent may provide an initial edge, it’s commitment, hard work, and perseverance that define success in the long run. For underage players, the focus shouldn’t be on elite outcomes or high-pressure performances but instead on: ✅ Building strong foundational skills ✅ Developing a love for the game ✅ Encouraging consistency and effort Wayne’s insights serve as an important reminder that early overemphasis on results can lead to burnout. As administrators, coaches, and parents, we must create environments where young players can grow, enjoy the game, and develop resilience. Thank you, Graham Manou, for sharing, and Wayne Goldsmith, for creating such impactful content and helping us all rethink what success looks like for young athletes - https://lnkd.in/gh-6RJhu. #WayneGoldsmith #YouthDevelopment #GrowthMindset #CricketVictoria #PremierCricket #VSDCA #VMCU #VCCL #CommunityCricket #MCA

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An old one but a good one. Great chance to reflect on how you coach with great questioning from The Great Coaches Podcast team. #cricketcoaching #leadership #coachinglife #coachdevelopment

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Structure & FLOW of programming Programming is an ART & SCIENCE 🔬🧬 This means application of sport science principals into a practical sense for RESULTS 🥳 Programming is one area that coaches that I mentor want to better their knowledge on for results 👊 The issue I see all the time are programs that have zero flow, structure, progression and in 95% of cases to much stupid volumes 🤦‍♂️ We need to STOP looking at training as a way to beat athletes down and start looking at training as a way to build them up! I always ask coaches who learn under myself “are you making your athletes tired or better?” It’s not hard to make athletes tired but to make them better that takes knowledge & application (ie high level coaching) The younger coach has a more is better approach whereas the older & experienced coach has a reductionist approach 👑 If I can’t tell you WHY I am programming it, I will get rid of it 💯 Every exercise should have PURPOSE to help towards your athletes goals & I want to spend the least amount of time I can doing this so the athlete can focus on their sport & other more important areas (minimal effective dose) My programming is all about flow & complimenting the next quality I want to develop. Programming starts; High neural > fast velocity to metabolic > slow velocity Most important > least important High task complexity > low task complexity As you can see for athletes that have a strength base/movement competent, focus should shift towards high/fast velocity KPI”s while maintaining max force! Strength is important still BUT for team sport athletes sprints, jumps & COD will transfer more (rate of force not peak force is the MOST important attribute other than the sporting skill = 1) that traditional strength exercises that are great Building the bank (max force) but once a level is achieved improving this becomes to hard & reward is low in terms of enhancing critical KPI”s which need a more advanced & specific training approach 💪 The last focus is switching from SNS (sympathetic nervous system > flight or fight) to PNS (parasympathetic nervous system > rest & digest > this is how the body adapts #changingthegame

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How coaches can navigate through our player database when searching for men’s or women’s players for the upcoming season. After our players success this season, we have a high volume of players looking to make the move to Australia for the 2025 season. We have already added a number of new players to our database with many more to come over the coming weeks and months. How can coaches access our player database? 1. Head to our player database https://lnkd.in/gvVufWsA 2. Scroll down on the page and make sure to change the filter to F for female players only or M for male players only 3. Use our pitch icon to filter by position. For example click on the GK symbol to look at GKs only. Click on ST to look at strikers only. 4. View players info and click on the highlight tab to watch footage 5. Express interest in a player by clicking enquire or by sending us an email. ⚽️✍️🇦🇺

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The Professional Footballers Australia's recent report highlights key opportunities and challenges for Australian football, especially the need to prioritise fans and player welfare. ⚽️ At St Prex Consulting, we provide the tools and expertise to help A-League clubs implement best practices and drive sustainable growth. Australian football clubs - let’s work together to unlock your full potential and put fans at the heart of every decision. #FootballLeadership #FanEngagement #StPrexConsulting

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I will likely write longer thoughts on this book but having just finished it… 1. Should be compulsory reading for anyone coming into sport. Money and sport are intrinsically interlinked and how they interact is core to future critical thinking 2. Cost of capital…people intrinsically know money has a cost to it but rarely understand it in practice 3. Story telling is part of life and it is when raising money too… I often have to advise people that they need to change the story as their target audience want to know some actual facts and numbers…provide proper analysis! 4. It’s not all doom and gloom…as his final line says there are plenty of future opportunities. 5. If I were to add anything it’s a little more on hybrid finance and the rise of preferred equity… many in sports will misunderstand this - as it can be perhaps more suitable my termed as debt dressed as equity. I thoroughly enjoyed the read. Roger Mitchell has genuinely made some very boring and hard topics easy to digest and relevant to his specific audience. I cannot stress how hard that is to do! It will also hopefully open up some minds to second order thinking… when you see a central bank announcement you might just want to sit up and think… If you need to know how much the market has changed and why this book is importnat to read consider this: Barcelona raised over €600m of debt at 1.9% (free money effectively) Chelsea have (at top co level) raised £1.2bn only a few years later but at a cost that is c12% ) The world has changed! Giles Morgan Luis Vicente Andy Marston Pedro Iriondo Mark Pannes Grant Williams Andrew Petcash Charlie Beall #finance #sportsbiz #innovation John Nagle Kabir Nagpal

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ICYMI: Football Queensland aiming for six-figure participants by 2026: Football Queensland (FQ) have remained busy on the tools in building the framework required to materialize their aspirations, all through the implementation of The 2024-2026 Game Development Strategy. Acknowledging the popularity of the world's game within the state, CEO Robert Cavallucci disclosed that the development strategy plan is to make football “the game of choice” amongst Queenslanders. In correlation with the strategic referee plan released earlier in the month, the Development Strategy plan highlights women’s football, 50/50 parity amongst male and female participants FQ wishes to achieve 128,000 registered football club participants. The monumental hype that surrounded Australia’s maiden tenure as World Cup hosts has culminated in football governing bodies looking to transcend the sport within their respective states to unprecedented heights. It is common knowledge that the success and appreciation for the Matilda’s throughout their 2023 Women’s World Cup campaign leaves in its wake a tangible interest within football amongst potential female participants. FQ are also seeking to achieve 200,000 social participants, while vying to achieve further diversity amongst its existing participants. But how are FQ going climb the steep mountain? Pillar One: Recruitment and Opportunity In order to have a significant percentage increase within the number of official and social participants across the board involves a proactive approach. The fundamental aspect of achieving parity between genders is to amplify the dedicated focus upon fostering inclusivity. Through events crafted towards a vast variety of varying demographical and geographical communities, the programs created in order to showcase the sport of football, while attempting to attract new participants. In order to break the barriers FQ will investigate and identify strategic growth areas by conducting a geographical and demographical review. Upon this, the establishment and implementation of a strategy where football within schools becomes more inclusive will be exercised. Pillar Two: Delivery and Experience The pursuit of excellence spearheads the secondary pillar featured within the strategic plan. The experience of every participant is paramount. Underscored by a pledge to deliver 10/10 experiences enabling its participants in the development of existing skills while garnering new ones. In order for participants increase and remain active, FQ has dedicated attention towards a coach’s development through upskilling initiatives and creation of a coach's community. Regular coaching workshops creating opportunities for professional development of community club coaches, a feedback loop for participants, a reward and recognition program and imperative quality assurance are the aspects in which FQ will… #Football #Soccer #FootballNews

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Watching Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii last weekend got me thinking. As a player who played 1st team rugby at 14, played his first NRL game at 17 and on Saturday, played his first test match for Australia without having played a professional rugby union game, he’s clearly a massive talent……. What’s different though? What allowed him to be so good he got Player of the Match? Aside from skill. Perhaps the way he approached the game. Cognitive diversity within a pitch where everyone else thought differently? Diversity is mentioned everywhere we look at the moment and rightly so. But I think for the most part we think of gender, race and sexuality as creating a more diverse community. Athletes can bring a HUGE amount of cognitive diversity and add a massive amount to the perspective and thought processes you use with your workplace to solve issues. FutureProof Pro believes wholeheartedly that business can leverage the different approaches that athletes may come approach delivering outcomes. So many businesses engage in sport commercially and through sponsorship. It would be incredibly interesting to understand if the same businesses had thought beyond ‘the norm’, the way normal commercial partnerships are created, to explore the depth to which they could create even more value across sport and their businesses. Very few have. I’d love to help those businesses understand the depths their partnerships could take…… Fortune favours the brave. #business #diversity #sport #sports #sportbusiness James Hitchman Michael Preston Paul Ioannou Manu Chhokra Quilter Financial Planning

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Coaching Pods at the Australian Open: My Thoughts The introduction of coaching pods at this year’s Australian Open has certainly sparked debate, and I wanted to share my take on it. Overall, I think it’s a great addition to the game and brings a much-needed new dynamic to tennis. There’s been a lot of criticism, particularly around the idea that it takes away a player’s independence or problem-solving abilities. But let’s be real – players have already been communicating with their box for years, albeit in a more subtle or covert way. The pods just formalise it. It’s important to note that this new system isn’t a guaranteed advantage. A coach may have all the tools at their disposal – real-time statistics, replays, strategy suggestions – but it’s up to the coach and player to navigate how to use that information effectively. Too much information during a match can lead to overthinking, loss of focus, and even stifling a player’s natural, instinctive style of play. With only 20 seconds between points to relay information, there’s a fine balance to strike. This change mirrors what we see in other sports like football, NFL, and boxing, where constant communication between coach and team or athlete is the norm. In my opinion, it doesn’t take away a player’s independence – it adds a layer of strategy and adaptability to the game. Players still have to execute on court. Where I feel conflicted is the potential impact on lower-ranked players. There’s already a significant disparity between the top-ranked players and the rest of the field, and this system could exacerbate that gap. Many lower-ranked players can’t afford to travel with a full coaching team. That said, I don’t think this is a reason to dismiss the idea entirely. Instead, it highlights deeper issues in the sport that need addressing: Prize money redistribution to ensure players ranked outside the top 100 can afford better resources. Increased investment in lower-tier tournaments to help players as they transition to higher levels of the game. Funding initiatives to support players breaking into the top 100 as they navigate the financial strain of higher travel and coaching costs. From a personal perspective, I’ve lived and breathed tennis since I was 7 years old. I’d play every chance I got, and when I wasn’t on court, I was watching the sport. But in recent years, I’ve found myself tuning in less and less. I don’t even watch all the Grand Slams anymore – and I’m definitely not a fan of best-of-5 sets. They’re just too long for me. Tennis, as a whole, has started to feel a bit stale. The lack of standout personalities, some unresolved controversies with failed drug tests. For me, trying something new – like these coaching pods – can’t hurt the sport. It’s a step toward evolving tennis into something more dynamic, engaging, and modern. I’d love to hear your thoughts – do you think coaching pods are a step forward, or do they risk taking away something essential from the game?

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NEW PODCAST EPISODE ALERT In high performance sport the number of coaches and specialists continue to grow especially in clubs and organisations who have the resources to invest. The more people involved the more complex it can become. This is the topic of conversation, Dr Edward Hall and I touch on as we discuss collaborative coaching and how coaches can work more effectively together in the latest Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast. Enjoy hearing Edward’s fantastic insights! https://lnkd.in/eNgWJmqy #mentaltoughness #resilience #sportpsychology #sportspsychology #performancepsychology #coachdevelopment #communicationskills 

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ICYMI: Establishment of Australia’s Physical Literacy Coalition Building physical literacy—encompassing the ability to move, think, feel, and connect—is essential for Australians to enjoy lifelong participation in sport. The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) has launched the Physical Literacy Coalition, bringing together industry leaders to champion the development of a comprehensive Physical Literacy Action Plan. This initiative aims to embed physical literacy principles across the sector. The action plan, to be developed in consultation with key stakeholders and overseen by the Advisory Group, will provide a clear roadmap to enhance the sporting experiences of Australians. Learn more - https://lnkd.in/gQDNfW2Y

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Here's my favorite LTAD / Pathway story.... Tennis Australia was doing a detailed, national, sport review to try and figure out why their participation levels were falling. They commissioned one of the big management groups to do the review - and it was exhaustive, detailed and took the best part of a year. I was asked to contribute as an industry "expert". I met two of the researchers towards the end of their review process - and they were NOT sports industry professionals - just very experienced, independent researchers - and I asked them "What do you think the problem is?" One of them said, "The PATHWAY model". I asked why he said that. He replied - and this is GOLD for ALL sports: "We think the Pathway model is killing the sport because when we do interviews, focus groups and surveys, it's clear that players, coaches, parents and everyone else all believe that as soon as they pick up a racket, every kid is on the pathway to being Roger Federer". He continued. "It just doesn't make sense. It's like making every kindergarten child hold a crayon in a very specific way and making them draw straight lines so that WHEN they become a brain surgeon they've developed the right skills to hold a scalpel". And then - his final comment....."We don't understand - to extend the analogy - why you don't just let kids hold the crayon anyway they want to and let them draw anything they choose like rainbows and horses and bunnies. Then the ones who decide they love drawing will keep doing it and those who don't wont". My friends - that story is pretty much where we are. When they love what they do, they will do what they love. It's time for a different approach to sport. https://lnkd.in/gm_zUM45 #waynegoldsmith #wgcoaching #thepathway #ltad #juniorsport #sportsparticipation

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