Be careful what you wish for
When passion meets purpose, magic happens. But sometimes, that magic comes with its fair share of challenges. Just ask Nat, our director at Epic Learning, whose love for football runs deeper than the roots of a mighty kauri.
Growing up, Nat and her sister Alana transformed their family’s living room into a Trans-Tasman battleground during every major football tournament. with fierce Australia vs New Zealand rivalries. Their competitive spirit? Legendary. This childhood passion bloomed into real-world achievements: Nat scored a role helping with the 2023 Women’s World Cup, while Alana countered by becoming the NZ under 17’s women’s coach.
Nat fondly recalls her brief stint as Alana’s manager: “I managed Alana when she coached Mainland Pride and Coastal Spirit women. We clinched the Kate Shepherd Cup in my first year – the most prestigious trophy in NZ women’s football. But my managerial career was short-lived. I got the boot because one of Alana’s players admitted she was okay being benched as it was ‘really fun’ chatting with me on the bench. Still, I maintain a 100% success rate as a manager!”
So when Epic Learning won the contract to digitise the New Zealand Football (NZF) curriculum for coaches and referees, it was like scoring a hat-trick for Nat. Two of her greatest passions – football and learning & development – were about to collide in the most epic way possible.
But as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for...
The goal was clear: make training more accessible. No more travelling to specific locations at set times. NZF Learn would allow students to access training anytime, anywhere. Sounds perfect, right? Well, not everyone was convinced.
We found ourselves in a high-stakes match, with the clock ticking and stakeholders watching from the sidelines. The pressure was on, and we needed to deliver a game-changing solution.
Our team at Epic Learning huddled up and devised a strategy. We created a workflow that required sign-off from all federations before progressing. It was like playing extra time – slowing things down initially, but ultimately leading to a much more universally accepted result.
The outcome? NZF Learn has been nothing short of a champion.
Within just three months of launch, it attracted 4,000 users - matching the entire year's in-person education numbers from 2023.
A quarter of users completed at least half of their courses, proving that accessibility truly does drive engagement.
Andy Boyens, Technical Director at New Zealand Football, summed it up perfectly: “Epic Learning’s expertise was invaluable. They transformed our extensive football knowledge into an engaging digital learning experience. The result isn’t just a platform for sharing information – it’s a system that truly embeds learning for our coaches and referees.”
Now, as we stand on the cusp of the NZATD Awards, our work with NZF Learn has made us finalists in three categories: Best Transformation Programme, Best Skills-based Learning Project, and Best Online Learning Project. It’s like being nominated for the Ballon d’Or, the Golden Boot, and the World Cup all at once!
But here’s the real victory: we’ve learned that going for your dreams often feels harder when they become a reality. The journey is filled with unexpected twists, turns, and challenges that test your resolve. Yet, it’s worth seeing through to the end. Not just for accomplishing the goal, but for what you become in the process.
So, to all you dreamers out there, we say: be careful what you wish for – because you just might get it. And when you do, embrace the challenge, learn from the journey, and remember that the real reward isn’t just in achieving your goals but in who you become along the way.
Now, who’s ready for the next match?
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