Pros In the Arena

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language.But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together?Our Pro in this Episode is Rachel Hoover, a Global Product Manager for Football Accessories at adidasIn this conversation, shares with us her contribution in bringing a product from idea to the final whistle - describing the massive amount of collaboration involved as "product creation is a team sport". She details her experience in the product creation process with two of her proudest projects: the introduction of balaclava training gear for cold protection and the development football maternity training wearTune in to learn more about how your favorite sportwear choice is made and what it is like to work at the brand with the 3 stripes.

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language.But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together?Our Pro in this Episode is Maksims Raspopovs, a Venue Director for UEFAMaks is a seasoned football professional: he has over 15+ years’ experience in the Latvian Football Federation, he is an entrepreneur as a co-founder of a football matchday fans experience company, and a Match Director for the highest profile competitions, including in the UEFA Champions League for Bayer Leverkusen at the Bayarena. Maks shares with us the crucial skills needed for high-pressure matches, his entrepreneurial endeavor of MatchDay Pass, and his passion for building a legacy for football in his home country as a Project Lead for the upcoming 2026 UEFA Futsal Euros in Latvia.

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language.But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together?Our Pro in this Episode is Patrick Mai, the Biomechanics Lab Manager at the Norwegian School of Sports SciencesIn this conversation, Patrick shares with us the balancing act between managing a high-tech university lab and instructing students who are interacting with such tech for the first time, his engaging research with industrial partners, and the experience of working and living in Norway.Patrick also shares with us how his career in the space has unfolded, always following the idea of taking the next step - however small!

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language.But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together?Our Pro in this Episode is Jesse Easdon, the Football Technology Manager for the FIFA World Cup 2026In this conversation, we talk about some of the most exciting and impactful innovations to come for the next World Cup and Jesse shares his unique philosophy of integrating core elements from traditional theater to impact audience engagement at live sporting events.Tune in for an awesome journey into the intersection between Innovation, Football, and Competition!

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language.But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together?Our Pro in this Episode is Esther Huijsmans, a Sports & Events Expert + Leadership Coach with 20+ years of experience on the world's biggest stages (FIFA World Cups, UEFA Euros, Tomorrowland, and more!).In this conversation, we dive into the journey of a true leader in the Sporting Events space. Esther is a very inspiring person - through her awesome and colorful anecdotes she gives us wisdom into building your own personal brand, leveraging the power of networking, and developing a growth mindset. Whether you're an aspiring leader or a seasoned professional, Esther's insights will give you a fresh perspective on what it means to lead with empathy, intuition, and confidence.

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language. But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together? Our Pro in this episode is John Bailey (or JB), a Director / Producer in Sporting Events and Competitions. He has worked in a variety of sports - including Cricket, Football, Gymnastics, and “his baby” Aquatics. JB has an impressive track record of 10+ years directing and producing for some of the highest profile sporting competitions on the planet: Premier League Football, several World Gymnastics Championships, and the London 2012 and Tokyo 2021 Olympics.In this conversation, we go behind the scenes of JB’s journey, hearing some awesome anecdotes about the high stakes and many hats involved in producing and directing live sporting events, his experience in revolutionizing the broadcasting of gymnastics competitions at the 2015 World Gymnastics Championships, and his current focus of impacting his beloved sport of Swimming at the global level with his work for the World Aquatics Federation.

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language. But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together? Our Pro in this episode is Henry Hanson, a Senior Manager in Mechanical Engineering in the Innovation Team at adidas. Henry is a brilliant engineer and has worked on very unique projects at the exciting intersection of Sports and Technology, including the "Made to be Remade" shoe and the design and manufacturing of FIFA World Cup official match ballsIn this conversation, we go behind the scenes of sports engineering - how do these two disciplines go together? What kind of interesting challenges arise from bringing innovation to some of the most popular sports products in the world? What is it like to work at the brand with the three stripes?Additionally, we learn about Henry's twisting journey in becoming a sports engineer and his deep fascination with all things engineering related - including having designed and created 2 cubic musical instruments!

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language. But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together? Our Pro in this episode is Dr. Sina David, an Assistant Professor in biomechanics at the Vrije University of Amsterdam. Sina is a motivated researcher with a very diverse and interesting scope of sports science research (including in running, tennis, and even swimming) and a truly dedicated Professor.In this conversation, we go behind the scenes of sports science, hearing about Sina's implementation of Artificial Intelligence in human locomotion research, her highly collaborative minded approach to combining academia and sports science, and her focus on impacting students' lives as a professor.