The UKSCA Football Conference returns this September, bringing together coaches and practitioners working across professional football and performance sport for a day focused on the practical realities of developing football athletes.
Taking place on Friday 11 September as part of the UKSCA Annual Conference weekend, the Football Conference combines presentations, discussion and practical coaching sessions, with an emphasis on ideas that coaches can take back into their own environments.
Whether you work full-time in football or support footballers within a wider S&C role, the day provides an opportunity to learn from experienced practitioners, see coaching in action and connect with others working across the game.
The Football Conference brings together practitioners from across the professional game for a full day of presentations, practical sessions and discussion.
Alongside the main programme, delegates will have a choice of sessions at several points during the day, allowing you to shape the programme around the areas most relevant to your role and interests.
Opening the conference, Glen will draw on his extensive experience in elite football to explore the realities of preparing players for the demands of the modern game.
Francis Bunce
Join Francis for a focused session exploring applied strength and conditioning within the football environment.
OR
Claire Tracey
Claire brings a different perspective to the programme, sharing practical insight and experience from her work within the game.
Stephanie Cantelo-Poppe
Stephanie will explore key considerations for practitioners working with footballers, combining applied experience with practical takeaways for coaches.
OR
Sam Pullen
Sam will share his approach to performance preparation and the coaching decisions that underpin effective practice in football.
WSL Roundtable
A chance to hear directly from practitioners working within the women's professional game.
This interactive roundtable will explore the challenges, opportunities and evolving demands of strength and conditioning within the WSL, with time for discussion and questions from delegates.
OR
Jared Deacon
How do we develop speed that transfers to the demands of football?
In this practical session, Jared will explore the coaching decisions, progressions and individualisation behind effective speed development, giving delegates the opportunity to see those principles applied in a live coaching environment.
Academy Roundtable
Developing young players presents a different set of challenges from working with senior professionals.
This roundtable brings together experience from the academy environment to discuss physical development, long-term progression, managing competing demands and the role of S&C within the wider player-development programme.
OR
Tommy Munday
Tommy will share practical insight from his work in football, with a focus on the methods and coaching decisions that can make a meaningful difference to player preparation and performance.
Jan-Philip closes the Football Conference with a session drawing together applied practice, performance thinking and lessons from working within high-performance football.
The Football Conference has been designed to create opportunities to learn with and from other practitioners, rather than simply sit and listen.
Across the day there will be opportunities to:
And once the formal programme finishes, delegates can continue the conversations as the wider UKSCA Annual Conference gets underway.
The UKSCA Football Conference takes place on Friday 11 September 2026 at the East Midlands Conference Centre and David Ross Sports Village, Nottingham.
BOOK FOOTBALL CONFERENCE TICKETS
The Football Conference forms part of the UKSCA Annual Conference 2026, 11–13 September, so delegates can also choose to extend their visit across the full conference weekend.
