2025 Online Sports Professional Development Program
About the Program
The 2025 Online Sports Professional Development Program offers a unique opportunity to engage with and learn from leaders in the USA sports industry, with valuable insights from top coaches and administrators across elite high schools, colleges and professional sporting organisations.
Designed as a flexible, immersive online experience, this program is ideal for professionals who are eager to connect and learn more from leading American based sports programs, and develop both personally and professionally through specialised, industry-focused streams.
- 6 Program Streams
- 10 Sessions Per Stream
- Running from Jan - Oct 2025
Program Streams
USA High School Sport & Collegiate Athletic Pathways
The USA High School Sport & Collegiate Athletic Pathways stream features experts from top American high schools and universities. Attendees will explore academic and athletic programming, student development, parent expectations, scholarships, admissions, athlete wellbeing, and non-athlete sports pathways.
Elite Coaching & Leadership
The Elite Coaching and Leadership stream features esteemed coaches, players, and consultants from leading organisations and teams who specialise in building and leading exceptional programs. Renowned leaders in this field will provide insights into program design, effective communication, managing expectations, and fostering excellence.
Advanced Sports Administration & Operations
The Advanced Sport Administration and Operations stream features experts from top collegiate and professional programs, offering insights into high-level administration and operations. Attendees will explore topics like program planning, operational strategies, stakeholder management, community engagement, logistics, talent scouting, performance analytics, and team operations.
High Performance in Elite Sport
The High Performance in Elite Sport stream features experts from leading organizations, sharing insights on strength and conditioning, sport psychology, sport science, performance nutrition, high-performance strategies and more. Participants will explore both physical preparation and holistic approaches, including the creation of optimal training environments to enhance athlete wellbeing and maintain long-term health.
Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement
The Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement stream features experts from leading organizations, focusing on holistic athlete support and development. Attendees will explore career development, community engagement, life skills, mental performance, and player engagement. Key topics include supporting transitions, fostering resilience, and creating pathways for long-term growth in sport and life.
Talent ID, Scouting & List Management
The Talent ID, Scouting, and List Management stream features experts from elite sports organizations, sharing insights on talent identification, development, and management. Topics include scouting strategies, analytics, recruiting top talent locally and internationally, and roster management. Speakers will also address building strong foundations for sustainable program success and future talent growth.
Inclusions
Ten Sessions
10 monthly online sessions per stream
Live & Recorded
All sessions are produced live, with recordings made available
Certificate
Each attendee will receive a Certificate of Participation
Calendar
Sessions are held once per month from January – October 2025. Schedule released in December 2024
Group Rates
Group rates available for five (5) or more participants. Email [email protected] for details
Program Presenters
Stream 6: USA High School Sport & Collegiate Athletic Pathways
Matt Doyle
Senior Associate Athletics Director, Football Operations Stanford University
Matt Doyle is in his 25th season with the Stanford football program in 2024.
He was promoted to senior associate athletics director and director of football operations and player development prior to the 2015 season. Previously, he served as associate athletics director and director of football operations (2013-2015). From 2007-2013, Doyle was the assistant athletic director and director of football operations. Prior to 2007, Doyle worked in a dual role within recruiting and football operations.
In his current role, Doyle oversees the day-to-day operations of the football program while also serving as the Director of Player Development.
His broad range of responsibilities includes the overall management of the football budget, team travel, bowl game coordination, and the Stanford Football Camps and Clinics. He also plays a key role in fundraising and outreach for the program as he coordinates football alumni communications and fundraising. Doyle’s other duties include game day management, community outreach, the coordination and planning of team events related to the football program, including NFL pro timing day, the annual team awards banquet and special projects, including the coordination of Stanford ‘s trip “Down Under” to play Rice University in Sydney, Australia in 2017.
Doyle serves as an adjunct professor in both the University of San Francisco Sport Management program and the Stanford Continuing Studies program, teaching a graduate course titled Sports Management and Leadership: how crisis and conflict impact college athletics.
Prior to coming to Stanford, Doyle taught world history, U.S. government and journalism at his alma mater, Saint Francis High School, in Mountain View, California. Doyle earned his bachelor’s degree in history from UC Davis in 1998, where he played outfield on the baseball team. Doyle has a master’s degree in sport management from the University of San Francisco.
Jay Larson
Deputy Athletics Director & Football Sport Administrator Cal Berkeley
Jay Larson began his tenure with Cal Athletics in January 2015. He serves as the sport administrator for the Football, Women’s Water Polo, and Men’s Tennis programs and oversees the Compliance & Student Services department. Larson serves as the athletic department’s liaison to the NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference for legislative and interpretive issues, and the liaison to the UC Berkeley admissions and financial aid offices. Prior to coming to Cal, Larson spent seven years as an athletics administrator at San Diego State University and three years at the University of Minnesota.
Larson earned a bachelor’s degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he participated on the basketball team. He earned a juris doctor degree from the University of Minnesota Law School, where he served as a managing editor of the Minnesota Law Review.
Larson is a member of the Minnesota State Bar and has served on various committees within the National Association for Athletic Compliance.
Hannah Huesman
Mental Performance Consultant
Hannah Huesman is a former collegiate athlete turned performance coach and entrepreneur. With a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology and Motor Behaviour, Hannah trains professional athletes, business professionals, and first responders on how their mind can work for them instead of against them.
Hannah Huesman is a former collegiate athlete turned mental performance coach and entrepreneur.
She has spent the past seven years working in Major League Baseball as a Mental Performance Coach, including the last two seasons with the World Series Champions, the Texas Rangers and is currently the Mental Performance Consultant for the NHL team, the Colorado Avalanche. She recently launched her private practice, Mental Sweat, where she offers individual coaching, group consulting, and travels the world for speaking engagements. Hannah is passionate about helping all types of performers. Her straightforward, tangible strategies are something that you can start to implement today, to impact your tomorrow.
Jason Negro
Head Football Coach St John Bosco High School
Jason Negro currently serves as the Head Coach of St. John Bosco High School Football in Bellflower, California.
In his 15 years leading the Braves in what is arguably one of the toughest leagues in the nation, Coach Negro has led the program to six Trinity league Championships, four California Interscholastic Federation and four State Championship titles in 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2022. The Braves also captured National Championship Titles in 2013, 2019 and 2022.
In 2013, Coach Negro was an assistant coach to the US Army All-American Bowl Game in San Antonio, TX. Coach Negro earned the prestigious honor of being named the 2013 National High School Coach of the Year by Max Preps as well as the American Football Monthly Magazine Coach of the Year, presented by Rawlings Football. In addition, he received the 2013 Xenith/Bill Yoast National Coach of the Year award presented by the US Army All-American Bowl. Coach Negro was selected as the Head Coach for Team West in the prestigious All American Bowl Game, played in San Antonio, Texas in 2022 where he also received National Coach of the Year honors.
Locally, he has been named the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s Dream Team Coach of the Year and received top honors as the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Coach of the year. Additional California State Coach of the Year honors include the CIF Southern Section Division 1, California Coaches Association, and the USA Today.
Coach Negro received Cal Hi Sports Coach of the Year and Decade honors in 2022, as well as recognition from Max Preps as both the National Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Decade.
In addition to his coaching duties, Coach Negro serves as a member of the CIF Southern Section Football Coaches Advisory Committee, is a member of the Sideline Power Advisory Board, and an annual participant of the Nike High School Elite Coaches Summit. He has traveled the country speaking on leadership and football related topics at such universities as UCLA, The University of Washington and Notre Dame. Coach Negro holds a Masters Degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University, Irvine and was named the 2023 recipient of Concordia’s Alumni Award of Excellence and the 2024 Professional Achievement Award.
Ashley Sloper
Associate Director of Sport Management University of San Francisco
Dr. Ashley Sloper is the Associate Director for the University of San Francisco MS in Sport Management program. In her role, Ashley is responsible for the administration of the program in the greater Los Angeles area, focusing on enrollment, industry partnerships and career opportunities in the sport industry. By fostering relationships with professional organizations, universities, leading executives, and alumni actively working in the US and internationally, Ashley supports sports students professional and career development.
Prior to her role at the University of San Francisco, Ashley spent over 10 years working in Division I college athletics at schools like UCLA and San Diego State, where she served as an academic advisor and compliance coordinator, specializing in NCAA eligibility and student-athlete development. At SDSU, Ashley was responsible for the development of the Aztecs Going Pro program which focused on personal growth, career exploration, and life after athletics for student-athletes.
Ashley herself is an alumna of the USF Sport Management Master’s program and earned her doctoral degree from San Diego State University in Educational Leadership.
Justin Ferdinand
Director of Athletics Junipero Serra High School
Prior to becoming the Director of Athletics at Junipero Serra High School in 2018, Justin Ferdinand was the Athletic Director at Half Moon Bay High School from 2012 to 2018, where he also coached boys’ and girls’ water polo.
His career in education began in 2002, when he started teaching special education and coaching Water Polo at Mission Viejo High School and Aliso Niguel High School. Justin Ferdinand coached girls’ water polo at Mission Viejo High School from 2002 to 2012 and boys’ water polo at Aliso Niguel High School from 2005 to 2012.
Justin holds a B.A., Business Administration from Chaminade University, Hawaii and an M.A., Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University, Irvine. He’s also a Certified Athletic Administrator.
Marcus Schroeder
Head Boys Basketball Coach & Assistant Athletics Director De La Salle High School
Charlisse Leger-Walker
UCLA Bruins & NZ Tall Ferns Women’s Basketball Player
Charlisse Leger-Walker is a New Zealand college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins. She previously played for the Washington State Cougars. As a freshman at Washington State, she averaged 18.8 points per game, was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and made the all-conference team. In her sophomore season, she repeated as an All Pac-12 selection, averaging 16.1 points per game. On 11 December 2022, she scored 40 points in a game vs. the University of Washington. She led Number 7 seed Washington State to the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament title, the first in program history, and was named Most Outstanding Player. She finished her junior season averaging 17.7 points per game and earned All Pac-12 honors. As a senior, she was named All Pac-12 for a fourth time and averaged 13.2 points per game.
Leger-Walker then transferred to UCLA for a fifth year of eligibility, granted due to Covid-19.
Regarding her national career, Leger-Walker is the youngest player to ever lace up for the New Zealand women’s national basketball team, having joined the Tall Ferns at just 16 years old. She played for New Zealand at the 2021 FIBA Women’s Basketball Asia Cup, alongside her sister and fellow WSU Coug, Krystal. She was the youngest player at the FIBA Women’s Basketball Asia Cup, and finished second on the Tall Ferns in points (11.0 ppg) and assists (3.0 asp) at the Asia Cup. In 2018, she helped her homeland win bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. More recently, she played for New Zealand at the 2019 Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Asia-Oceania Tournament in Auckland, New Zealand. The guard scored eight points and dished out seven assists in a win over the Philippines and helped the Tall Ferns post a 2-1 record in the tournament. In June of 2019, Leger-Walker was named to the World All-Star 3 team after leading New Zealand to a silver-medal finish at the U18 3×3 World Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It marked the first time any female team from New Zealand has won a medal at a FIBA-sanctioned World tournament.
Charlisse is the daughter of Eliu and Leanne. Her mother was a member of the Tall Ferns and played in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. She has two sisters, Krystal who played for Washington State women’s basketball team from 2019-2021, and Tannika. Charlisse played netball and touch rugby at St. Peter’s Cambridge, and won a National Championship in netball during her senior season.
Sophie Ward
Cal Berkeley Women’s Rowing Athlete
As an Australian currently living in California, Sophie is a dedicated student-athlete at the University of California, Berkeley, where she competes on the Women’s Rowing team. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts with a Double Major in Psychology and Media Studies. Honing key skills like exceptional time management, organization and problem-solving, Ward balances over 20 hours of weekly training and 30 hours of academic course load. Her academic and athletic experiences have fueled her passion for media, marketing, branding, communications, health & wellness, and design. She is a driven, curious, and independent individual, eager to apply these skills and qualities to future professional opportunities.
During her Freshman and Sophomore year at UC Berkeley, Ward competed in the 2V8+ throughout the entirety of the season, including the Pac-12 Championships and the NCAA Championships. In the 2024 season during her Junior year, she rowed in the 2V8+ that finished third, helping the team finish second overall, its highest finish since 2018.
Internationally, Ward rowed for the Australian National Team in 2021. She also competed for Australia in the U23 World Championships in St. Catherines, Canada.
Prior to her college career, Ward attended Geelong Grammar School in Geelong, Victoria. She rowed in the High School Varsity Eight boat from 2018-2020, and helped lead her boat to a gold at the NSW State Championships in 2020. Additionally, she captured silver at the Australian National Championships for Melbourne University Boat Club. A multi-sport athlete, Ward also participated in swimming, water polo, netball and tennis in high school.
Sophie is the daughter of Chris and Susie Ward, and has two siblings, a sister named Anna and a brother named Tom.
Dr Rosie Sese
Assistant Athletic Director – Admissions, University of Southern California
Rosie Sese joined Student-Athlete Academic Services as a Learning Specialist in Spring 2016. In her current role as Athletics Admissions Coordinator, she manages all facets of the athletic admissions process in collaboration with the USC Office of Undergraduate Admission.
Prior to joining SAAS, she spent several years as an instructor and consultant at Lindamood-Bell, an organization best known for their robust and effective literacy programs.
She received her Master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she studied issues in special education, curriculum design, and literacy instruction.
During her time at Harvard, she also served as a contributing writer for an educational consulting group based in Boston. In that role, she analyzed psychoeducational evaluations and created recommendations to maximize student learning.
She briefly worked as a Special Education teacher at a charter high school in New Orleans.
Rosie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Educational Leadership at USC’s Rossier School of Education.