Today we’d like to introduce you to Gerard Jones.
Hi Gerard, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Originally from England, I played for Halifax Town AFC as a youth player and started coaching as a teenager at the club’s Center of Excellence program working with U12s and U15s. Aged 19, I founded my own soccer coaching business called Gérard School of Football, which I grew into becoming a Top 100 Best Business Startup in the UK in 2010, forming a partnership with Premier League Arsenal FC to run Arsenal Soccer Schools which as the time was one of the largest soccer school programs in the world aged 21.
GSF delivered after-school clubs and holiday courses and ran Advanced Skills Centers, securing sponsorship from multi-billion pound organizations such as British Land PLC to working with British supermarket chain ASDA to run free sporting sessions for children throughout the UK during their holidays to help kids keep fit and active.
Fast forward a few years and a series of high-license accreditation and awards, I started coaching in professional soccer as an Academy Coach and. Head of Coaching and English Football League clubs Rochdale AFC and Bristol Rovers FC, which led. to becoming a Nationally Licensed Coach Educator for various federations, training, and mentoring coaches across all levels. Most recently, I have mentored and trained elite coaches through to grassroots volunteers for US Soccer, The Football Association, UEFA, CAF, Moroccan Federation, AFC. and other governing bodies, working as an Elite Coach Educator with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, where I influenced—the national playing philosophy and coaching methodology.
This led to the birth of ULEARNBLY, where I founded an ed-tech startup offering coaching education courses, mentoring, and access to exclusive content via an innovative and interactive app. ULEARNBLY.COM is currently used by 000s coaches globally, having secured grant funding from Mansfield Council and the South Yorkshire Digital Innovation Grant Programme as part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to help build and improve the use of digital technology and promote innovation. ULearnbly is also a beneficiary of the Productivity through Innovation program through the University of Derby, and Sheffield innovation program, working with several universities.
Last year, ULearnbly was inducted into the prestigious NatWest Bank Entrepreneur Accelerator 2022 program, with one of the largest banks in the UK, as part of a six-month program for entrepreneurs with high-growth businesses who are looking to scale up, and were also inducted into one of the world’s leading universities, Cambridge University in the UK, Impulse 2022 program, led by the University of Cambridge’s £26m Maxwell Centre. The Impulse program is a 12-week intensive learning program to support entrepreneurs commercializing innovative ideas in high-growth technology companies. ULearnbly has grown to work with several MLS, Premier League, and Football League professional clubs and coaches, delivered. FA Accredited Webinars and TwitterSpaces have content features in the UEFA Champions League 2022 Technical Report. I combine this role with being a Director of Coaching at MLS Sporting Kansas City. I work within the club’s youth soccer department running Sporting City North, a competitive youth soccer club owned and operated by Sporting KC.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest challenge was getting two startups. Off the ground while being away from family for several months. I am much better as ULearnbly is on course to generate around $1m in revenues. Sporting City North has already impacted 000s of families by creating positive, memorable moments through its continued success on and off the pitch.
We’ve been impressed with ULearnbly, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share about what you do and what sets you apart?
ULearnbly is a digital soccer coach education platform offering online courses and mentoring to coaches globally. What separates ULearnbly from the competition is our unique blend of technology and content, where coaches across all levels can join our global community of like-minded people committed to learning and sharing ideas while also being able to access high-quality, Premium Content from leading experts anywhere, on any device, any time without having to do long, boring modules, tick box exercises. All content is designed by leading UEFA & US Soccer Coach Educators and Skills Acquisition Researchers to make anyone interested in becoming a better coach.
Pricing:
- 4.99 / per month
- 50.00 / annually
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ulearnbly.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ulearnbly/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ulearnbly/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ulearnbly
Image Credits
Sporting KC Royal, Moroccan Football Federation
