Trusted Experts

A Trusted Expert, endorsed by the Institute for Youth Sports Leaders (IYSL) is a highly regarded professional recognized for their exceptional work in supporting and guiding leaders of youth sports organizations. These experts possess extensive knowledge in areas such as leadership, administration, management, and operations, drawing from their substantial experience in executive roles within youth sports clubs.

David Newbery, Instutute for Youth Sports Leaders (IYSL)

David Newbery is the Lead Consultant for the Institute for Youth Sports Leaders (IYSL), specializing in gap assessments and best practice analysis for youth sports organizations. With over 15 years of consultancy experience in the youth sports sector, David has made significant contributions to the field, including the creation and oversight of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s Club Standards Project. This initiative evaluated the leadership, management, and operational performance of youth soccer clubs across North America, involving over 2,000 participants.

David shares the director's responsibilities for IYSL with Scott Wollaston.  He leads a dedicated team of consultants who perform organizational evaluations using a robust best practice analysis tool, comparing performance against 60 established best practices identified through years of consultancy work. IYSL offers two levels of assessment involving a consultant: the Development Gap Assessment and the Opportunity Gap Assessment, enabling clubs to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Connect on LINKEDIN.

Ian Tonks, Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)

Ian Tonks is an Expert Implementor of the Entrepreneurial Operating System™ (EOS), where he skillfully blends timeless business principles with simple, practical tools to empower entrepreneurs in achieving their business goals. Ian’s expertise enables organizations to crystallize their vision, instill discipline and accountability, and foster healthy, functional, and collaborative work teams.

Ian’s journey with EOS began in the late 1990s when he managed a 650-employee company that provided youth sports programming for prominent organizations, including Major League Soccer, the NFL, and Jack Nicklaus’ Golden Bear International. After seven successful years, he launched a business development practice in 2009, driven by his passion for helping business leaders plan strategically, grow consistently, and maximize the talent within their teams.

His pivotal moment came in early 2015 when a friend and mentor recommended Gino Wickman's book Traction. Instantly resonating with its transformative message, Ian seized the opportunity to establish his own EOS practice. Today, he is an expert EOS Implementer with over 800 sessions of real-world experience across various industries. By fusing three decades of executive and entrepreneurial experience, Ian tailors EOS’s proven system to meet each client's unique situation and needs, guiding them toward sustainable success and organizational excellence. Connect on LINKEDIN.

Paul Varian, Capitis Consulting Inc.

Paul Varian is the President of Capitis Consulting, a specialist sports management consultancy providing value-adding services and support in and around the Boardroom to dozens of amateur sport organizations at national state/provincial and community club level.

Varian is also the author of Amazon #1 Best Seller ‘Don’t Blame The Soccer Parents’ and is the author of the 2022 Canadian Amateur Sport Health Check – a research report highlighting the state of the Canadian amateur sport industry pre and post-pandemic. He also hosts soccer podcast The Regista Room, that discusses issues in amateur soccer that are off-field, in the business and administrative side of the sport.

Before opening Capitis Consulting, Varian managed one of North America's largest soccer clubs, Oakville Soccer Club, expanding its revenues by 62% and aggregate player registration base by 28% to over 19,000.
From 2007 to 2010, Varian held the role of President and CEO of Sport BC. During this important time in the build-up to and over the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympics Winter Games, he served as a strong advocate for amateur sport and also as an official VANOC ambassador to the Games. Prior to this, Varian transformed the sport of field hockey in Ireland as Chief Executive of the Irish (Field) Hockey Association, helping create the Irish Hockey League and also serving as Chair of the Organizing Committee for the 2005 Women’s European Nations Hockey Championships. Connect on LINKEDIN.

Justin Marriott, True Balance Sports Consulting

With over 30 years of experience, Justin Marriott is a seasoned leader in the sports industry, specializing in strategic growth, operational efficiency, and leadership development. As CEO of True Balance Sports Consulting Group, he provides advisory services focused on Sports Strategy, Commercial Partnerships, and Events & Operations Management. His clients include US Sports Camps/Nike Soccer Camps, PDA Soccer (NJ), Apollo, Amore Sports Management, and EDP Soccer.  Recently appointed as a Trusted Expert by the Institute for Youth Sports Leaders (IYSL), Justin supports the development of youth sports organizations and future leaders. He also serves on the Board of Directors for F.E.A.T. Network and ME Footy (UWS), contributing to the growth of women-led sports initiatives.

Previously, Justin served as VP of Youth Soccer for NJNY Gotham FC, where he expanded the club’s youth programs and partnerships. His experience spans operations roles with Vogelsinger & Nike Soccer Camps, the Chevrolet Youth Sports Tour, and USA Sports Group.  Justin holds a Bachelor of Sports Science from Liverpool John Moores University and a postgraduate degree from Loughborough University. His passion for sports and proven track record make him a key asset for developing sports organizations.  Connect on LINKEDIN

Matt Spear, Love United FC.

Current leaders, competitive culture and modern life is busy with stress as part of growth/ambition but also a common symptom of self doubt, burnout and neglected health. A mental skills coach and wellbeing advisor increases self-awareness with insights and effective tools to increase purpose and fulfillment. A life coach is an ally and positive mentor to help you thrive and flourish through self-care, stress management and resilience.
After directing start-up sports marketing ventures then an NCAA Division I college soccer program then a pro soccer club, Matt’s favorite activity now is helping individuals, teams and organizations in and out of sports to gain more awareness and control around wellbeing, mental fitness, purpose, culture, performance, and life:work alignment. One client is a group of 22 race car drivers (mainly NASCAR).
Service examples include webinars, content and 1:1 mentoring. Connect on LINKEDIN.