Sports Leadership Management
Sports Leadership Management

About Sports Leadership Management

Sports Leadership Management (SLM) has the necessary first-hand experience, knowledge, qualifications and support network to provide you with comprehensive solutions to the many challenges of managing a sports organization.

We consider ourselves to be sports management physicians.  We want to first ensure that your organization is in good health and that it continues in that way. But if there is an issue, we are here to help take the pain away and prescribe a road to recovery and well-being.

Our background is in sports leadership & management and through our journey we have found ourselves managing and leading organizations of various sizes towards success.  Whether this is a small local club to a national platform the challenges may be different, but the solutions are often the same.

SLM delivers an analysis of your organizations needs and then provides a structured plan and process to address these issues that is led by the host program, so you own and manage your solution.

SLM Team

Our goal is to provide you with support and direction in developing your own personal leadership, tools and resources to manage a high performing sporting organization, masterminding innovation and change and understanding sport governance and best practices for success.

John Barata
SLM Executive Coach

John Barata

John is a graduate of Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts and he has a wealth of experience in the soccer industry, with over 20 years in various executive positions across the region. 

These roles include:

  • Executive Director of Soccer Extreme (Waterbury, CT)
  • Director of Coach and Player Development of Easton Youth Soccer (Easton, MA)
  • Chief Executive Officer of Legacy Soccer Club (Hanson, MA)

John has also worked and consulted with soccer industry leaders, including:

  • The Boston Rams - USL PDL Franchise of the Year 2014 (Quincy, MA)
  • Beautiful Game Soccer Academy (Wolfeboro, NH) as the Director of Soccer. 
  • New England Futbol Club (MA) as the Regional Director.

For the last 15 years he has dedicated his time to coach the Oliver Ames High School (Easton, MA) boys soccer team and successfully helped the program earn 18 Championships, including 10 league titles, 5 sectional titles and 3 state titles. Additionally, John has worked as the Executive Director for the MAPLE soccer league and Northeast Soccer League in the New England region and most recently with the Club Champions League - New England Conference.

John has also spoken regularly at regional, national and international conferences and forums on topics ranging from management and executive leadership to handling COVID implications and developing your club program. 

John holds the USSF “A” coaching license, a United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma and also the Master Coach and Soccer Leader Diploma.  In addition, John has his US Soccer Instructor License and is able to provide US Soccer Grass Roots, D and C License educational opportunities.

SLM Executive Coach

Nick Dunbar

Nick is a graduate of Northumbria University, England with a Bachelor of Arts (HONS) in Sports Studies with a concentration in Sport Sociology.

After graduating from Northumbria he then went onto achieve a Post Graduate Certificate of Education in Physical Education and is a qualified teacher for grades 8 though 12.

Nick has a wealth of experience in the soccer industry having almost 30 years in various executive positions across the region.  These roles include:

  • General Manager of Everton America FC (Norwalk, CT),
  • Academy Director and Director of Human Capital for Global Premier Soccer (Waltham, MA)
  • President of Major League Soccer Camps (Groton, CT).

Nick has also worked and consulted with such soccer industry leaders as:

  • Seacoast United Sports Club (Hampton, NH)
  • National Center of Excellence (Fairfield, CT) as the Director of Business and Organizational Development.

For the last 8 years he has also enjoyed the chance to travel the world and visit with international sports groups and enjoy incredible sporting events as the Vice President of Sales and Business Development for XL Sports Tours (Orlando, FL).

In addition to this Nick has worked in the Technical Director role for such leagues as MAPLE and Northeast Soccer League in the New England Region and most recently with the New England Conference of The Club Champions League.

Nick is a respected thought leader in youth soccer matters, and has spoken regularly at regional, national and international conferences and forums on topics ranging from coaching, coach and player development, and curriculum design and rollout.  He is also an accomplished coach in his own right, holding an FA Coaching Certificate, a USSF “A” coaching license, and a United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma and also the Master Coach and Soccer Leader Diploma.

Nick also has his US Soccer Instructor License and along with US Soccer Grass Roots and D Licenses can provide United Soccer Coaching Regional Diploma.  Nick is currently completing a Masters in Sports Directorship at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK and will graduate in 2021.