Vic Jokovic - Football Coach

Eagles Nest -10th Anniversary Magazine is now available for pre-order.

This special edition celebrates 10 years of Ultra Football Academy: the players, families, coaches, tours, tournaments, friendships, memories, and the journey that has shaped academy story. This is more than a magazine. It is a piece of our legacy, commitment to youth development and passion for the game.

Pre-orders close: July 30
Order here: https://square.link/u/VIELNjLZ

(digital version will be available after October 25)

Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey. Ten years of football, development, memories, and standards and care for young people.

If you are teaching, mentoring, or coaching young people, do it with genuine care, because people are trusting you with something very important. Your words, standards, energy, and guidance can shape confidence, discipline, belief, and character.

The impact you can make on a young person is enormous, so treat that as a privilege.

Vic Jokovic - Football Coach

True talent is not always the biggest player on the field.

Between the ages of 13 and 18, players grow and mature at different speeds. Some develop early, become stronger, faster and more dominant, while others need more time for their body to catch up. The mistake many clubs make is saying, “It’s not about results,” while still selecting bigger, stronger early developers because they can win games now. These players often bring short-term success, but when the game becomes faster, smarter and more technical at senior level, physical dominance alone is no longer enough.

Youth football should not reward only who is strongest today. It should identify who has the tools to succeed tomorrow. A 2025 study on biological maturation and football career trajectories found that only 5.6% of early developers reached professional football, compared with 30.8% of late developers.

That is a powerful reminder: early physical advantage does not guarantee long-term success. That is why top football nations like Spain and the Netherlands look deeper than size and strength. They value ability on the ball/technique, understanding of space, timing, movement and football intelligence. Physical power can help win youth games. But technique, intelligence and decision-making build real footballers. Physical power can help win youth games, especially when players rely heavily on early physical dominance rather than technical ability. But this is exactly where many talent systems get it wrong. Two players may be the same age on paper, but their biological development can be separated by almost two to three years. One may already have strength, speed and power, while the other is still developing physically. The real question is what happens when those physical differences start to level out. In serious football environments, the data is clear: early physical dominance does not guarantee long-term success.

Every time I selected players at trials, it was based on ability, intelligence and attitude.

Real footballers are built through technique, intelligence, creativity, decision-making and the ability to understand the game. I am forever grateful to have been coached, to keep learning from European football environments, and to continue expanding my coaching education and professional development through Dutch development principles, including Ajax youth academy programs.
Long-term player development must look beyond early physical advantage.

Authenticity, dedication, and passion are what separate us from the rest.

Over the last 10 years, Ultra Football Academy has worked to build something with real meaning, real standards, and real substance. Eagles Nest has become part of that legacy, an annual magazine that captures our journey, our people, our values, and the story we continue to write year after year.
We are proud to share that Special Edition No. 7 of Eagles Nest will be available from late September, both online and in print.
This issue reflects not only where we are today, but also the work, relationships, and belief that have shaped the academy across a decade of player development and proven results.
A sincere thank you to everyone who has supported this edition of the magazine. We are now 90% complete, and we look forward to sharing it with you soon.

10 years. One story. One legacy.

At Ultra Football Academy, our end-of-season ceremony has never been just about awards.

From the very beginning, we wanted our players to feel special, supported, recognised, and inspired. We believe young people need more than training sessions: they need role models, powerful experiences, and the right environment to help them stay committed to their goals.

Football teaches discipline, resilience, teamwork, confidence, and a healthy lifestyle. Most importantly, it keeps young players connected to the sport they love.

Over the years, Ultra Football Academy has built a trusted international network through authentic professional relationships, friendships, and a genuine passion for the world game. The fact that we have welcomed international guests, former professional players, national team coaches, and respected football people says a lot about the learning environment we have created and the trust and reputation Ultra Football Academy continues to build.

This year, we were proud to welcome Simon Francek from Borussia Dortmund. Simon shared his football journey, practical advice, and valuable insights into what is required to become the elite of the elite. His message was simple but powerful: talent matters, but discipline, attitude, standards, and daily habits separate the best from the rest.

As a gesture of appreciation, Simon also received official ULTRA coaching gear, and we look forward to meeting again soon in Germany.

This is what Ultra Football Academy is about: inspiration, opportunity, standards, and helping young players believe that everything is possible.

At our end-of-season 2025/26 ceremony, we were honoured to welcome Simon Francek from Borussia Dortmund, who officially presented Vic Jokovic as part of the BVB Academy Sydney coaching staff.

BVB Academy Sydney was looking for a coach with the right football education, passion, professionalism, and high standards for youth development, values that strongly align with what Vic has built through Ultra Football Academy over many years. This moment is a recognition of commitment, standards, and the relentless pursuit of developing young footballers the right way.

COMING SOON | ULTRA FOOTBALL ACADEMY ANNUAL MAGAZINE

They say great things take time, and throughout our journey we have learned that meaningful work is never built overnight. It is built through vision, consistency, passion and a genuine commitment to people.
Our upcoming Ultra Football Academy Annual Magazine is currently in production and will provide a unique insight into the stories, projects, achievements and experiences that have shaped our journey over the last 10 years. It will feature talented players, exclusive interviews, international projects, football development initiatives and many of the people who have helped contribute to academy continued growth.
More importantly, this publication will reflect something much greater than football itself. It will showcase that when work is driven by authenticity, passion and a genuine desire to positively impact people, extraordinary opportunities and outcomes can follow. Many people choose to run academies, but not everyone begins with the right purpose. Too often the focus becomes business before people, image before substance and results before development. We always wanted to be different.

Over the years we have always believed in doing things differently, placing people first, creating meaningful experiences and building an environment where players can grow both on and off the field. The support, relationships and progress that continue to emerge reflect that vision.

Never underestimate the impact that passion, energy and a positive attitude can have on the people around you. Great environments create great people and great people create lasting legacies.

Vic Jokovic

Most youth football environments develop participation.
Very few develop real players.

Nine years ago, I founded Ultra Football Academy with one clear purpose to help young players (U6–U21) close the gap between Australian and European football development.
The vision was simple, but bold:
Build a high-performance environment centred around technical excellence, futsal, small-sided games, individual detail, and genuine care for every player.
Not to compete with clubs, but to enhance and elevate youth development standards.
Since then, we have invested countless hours on and off the pitch.
We’ve developed players now competing across NPL levels, supported pathways into overseas opportunities, and delivered elite football experiences through tournaments and international tours across Australia and Europe.
This September, our longest-serving group, now U16 will travel through Holland, Belgium, Germany, and Serbia for another elite European football experience.
Because development is not theory, it’s exposure, repetition, and standards.

For me, coaching has never been about numbers.
It has always been about quality, detail, standards, and relationships.
Knowing every player. Understanding their strengths. Pushing their limits. Developing not just footballers, but people.
To coach is a privilege.
To lead young players is a responsibility and it must be done with intent, honesty, and care.
To build something that lasts, that’s the real reward.
I am grateful to every player, parent, coach, and professional who has supported this journey, both locally and internationally.
Being nominated for Australian of the Year (2022 & 2023) for contribution to the Sydney community is a reminder that impact goes far beyond the pitch.
This October, Ultra Football Academy begins its 10th season, a decade defined by high standards, technical development, consistency, and genuine care for young footballers.
Never underestimate the impact you can have.
Building a lifetime legacy is what truly defines your work.

Vic Jokovic