My coaching journey began in 2011 when I travelled to the Middle East to work for Arsenal FC in their grassroots development program. I spent 8 years in the Middle East comprised of 2 years in Bahrain, 4 years in Kuwait, and then 2 years in Dubai.

I started as a Volunteer Coach in Bahrain, then worked my way up to becoming a Coach in Kuwait, and finally a Senior Coach in Dubai.

As the years went by I gained more responsibility and even organised an international tournament with Arsenal Soccer Schools in which teams from different Middle Eastern countries participated. I gained valuable experience working alongside and learning from Ex-professional players and accomplished coaches.

Through the Arsenal Programme, I was also lucky enough to meet a number of professional players and learn from that environment.

In 2016, I moved to Australia to work as Head Coach at Elite Soccer Schools and Sydney University FC's Skills Acquisition Program; also known as “SAP”.

SAP is comparable to the Talent ID program but in Australia, it is for the National Premier League (Australia's second-tier).

I have since returned to the UK and have been working with League Two club Crawley Towns Elite and the development program.

My coaching journey has been about continuous development and always seeking out the next challenge. I'm very excited to be bringing the knowledge and skill set that I have acquired through my travels and international experience and applying it in my home country.

My goal is to develop young footballers and help them on their own football journey wherever that may take them.
 
By Chris Mason, WMF Sussex Franchise Owner