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MiMentor And Surf Nation Continue Successful Collaboration In 2026 Driving Coach Development At Scale

As the Surf Summit Convention (26–28 January 2026) approaches, it feels like the ideal moment to reflect on the continued growth and impact of the partnership between MiMentor and Surf Nation – a collaboration that has evolved into one of the most comprehensive coach development ecosystems in youth football. 

Established with a clear purpose, the partnership set out to create a consistent, high-quality learning experience for coaches across the Surf Nation network. At its core was a shared belief: that reflective practice, leadership development, and long-term professional growth should be embedded into everyday coaching life – not treated as one-off interventions. 

Over time, this collaboration has grown well beyond a traditional programme offering. What now exists is a scalable, insight-led coach development model, aligned to Surf Nation’s culture and values, and underpinned by meaningful engagement data, qualitative feedback, and real-world application. 

“I’m extremely proud of the way our Surf Nation community has embraced learning and leadership through this partnership.
“The engagement we’re seeing speaks to a culture that wants to grow, and we’re excited to keep building something that supports coaches and leaders across the entire network.”
Gary Curneen, Surf Nation Director of Football

Leadership Development at the Centre: The Surf Nation Football Directors Course 

A defining milestone in the partnership has been the launch of the Surf Nation Football Directors Course, powered by MiMentor in July 2025. Designed to support those leading clubs and shaping environments, the programme marked a significant step in Surf Nation’s commitment to developing leaders, not just coaches. 

The four-month course brought together 30 coaches from 22 Surf Nation clubs, each engaging in a blend of structured online learning, facilitated discussion, and three live webinars. The programme was led by Ryan Maye, Head of Coaching and Development at Aston Villa, and focused on the competencies required to lead modern football organisations. 

Key areas of focus included: 

• Vision and mission development 

• Emotional intelligence 

• Professional development planning 

• Leading people and shaping environments 

Participants were required to translate learning directly into their own club contexts, ensuring leadership development extended beyond personal insight and into organisational impact. 

Feedback from participants reflected this emphasis on relevance and application: 

“This course has been a game changer for not only myself, but for the club I am privileged to lead.” 

“I am very grateful for this course. It made me really feel like I’m part of the Surf network.” 

The success of the Football Directors Course has helped shape the next phase of the MiMentor x Surf Nation partnership, reinforcing leadership development as a central pillar of Surf Nation’s long-term strategy 

Engagement, Commitment, and a Culture of Learning 

Alongside leadership programmes, coach engagement across the wider platform has continued to grow at scale. Between May and December 2025, the Surf Nation platform on MiMentor reached 990 registered coaches, with 34.5% actively enrolled on courses – a strong indicator of organic engagement across a large national network. 

Learning activity during this period has been both broad and sustained. Coaches collectively logged: 

• 435 hours engaging with structured courses 

• 1,031 hours accessing on-demand resources 

• 1,640 resource views 

• 386 formal course submissions, highlighting a clear commitment to reflection, application, and professional accountability rather than passive content consumption 

Engagement has been driven by a blend of monthly MiMentor themes, Surf Nation bespoke learning content, and football-specific modules designed to connect philosophy to practice. The most accessed learning included Module One: Why Do I Coach?, Decision Making in Football, and Playing Out From the Back, reinforcing the importance coaches place on clarity of purpose and game understanding. 

Beyond formal courses, self-directed learning has been a notable feature of the platform. Resources focused on possession-based training, the Surf Nation Game Model, and small-sided 1v1 practices have been accessed most frequently. Coaches have continued to submit reflections and action plans beyond mandatory requirements, pointing to a wider cultural shift where learning is viewed as a professional responsibility rather than a compliance exercise. 

“The course was very helpful, giving me some ideas to implement , especially concerning getting some parents involved to help.” 

Quality, Relevance, and Insight-Led Development 

Maintaining quality and relevance has remained central to the partnership. Ongoing analysis of course ratings, completion data, recommendation levels, and qualitative feedback ensures learning continues to align with Surf Nation’s strategic priorities and the realities of the coaching environment. 

Across the platform, learning has received an average course rating of 4.6 out of 5, reinforcing the value coaches place on content that is contextualised, practical, and immediately applicable. This sentiment is echoed consistently in coach feedback: 

“It is very relevant as I navigate communicating with players that have just entered high school. It offered a great breakdown of the different methods of communication.” 

What Next?

As Surf Nation continues to grow, the partnership with MiMentor remains focused on scaling learning without losing quality, context, or connection. From coach education to leadership development, the ecosystem now in place reflects a shared commitment to developing better coaches, stronger leaders, and more effective football environments across the network. 

About MiMentor 

MiMentor is a global coach development platform designed to help individuals and organisations build sustainable learning cultures. Through a blend of digital education, mentorship, reflective practice, and applied learning, MiMentor partners with clubs, federations, schools, and sports organisations to develop coaches and leaders at scale. 

In addition to delivering standalone courses and supporting independent coaches, MiMentor works alongside organisations to design long-term development pathways aligned with their values, culture, and strategic objectives. The partnership with Surf Nation reflects this approach, combining high-level expertise, contextualised content, and data-led insight to support continuous improvement. 

Looking Ahead 

We are grateful to be part of the growing Surf community and look forward to connecting at the Surf Summit. The MiMentor and Surf Nation partnership stands as a clear example of what can be achieved when coach development is approached strategically and collaboratively. 

With nearly 1,000 coaches engaged, thousands of hours invested in learning, and clear evidence of application across the network, the foundations for long-term impact are firmly in place. 

For organisations seeking to strengthen leadership, align learning with culture, and create sustainable change through coach development, the Surf Nation journey offers a practical and scalable model for partnership-led success.