Stories and lessons from my career in sport, business and life.
I add new articles regularly. They're all free to read and share.
October 2026 · 2 minute read
Cal Newport's book put words to habits I'd built over many years. These are the ideas I use, and how I use them.
December 2024 · 5 minute read
Australian sport is brilliant on the field and fragmented off it. Why I believe a unified voice will deliver a stronger industry.
Speech, late 2024 · 7 minute read
My speech to close the first NSC Sports Investment Summit in Sydney: what the industry heard, what it needs, and why it has to start speaking as one.
November 2022 · 4 minute read
From index cards at the first Hopman Cup to the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup: the customer experience has always been the point. Here's how the right CRM makes it possible today.
18 September 2021 · 13 minute read
People often ask me how I got into the sports industry. The honest answer is one step after another, plus a few lessons I learned the hard way.
5 March 2021 · 7 minute read
Seven questions I was asked about leadership, and my honest answers: hard decisions, how I structure my week, the book I return to most, and the night a World Cup qualifier ended in a fight on court.
Interview, September 2020 · 2 minute read
In 2020, with stadiums empty, Ministry of Sport asked me how technology would change sport. Here's what I told them, and most of it still holds.
June 2016 · 2 minute read
Why I started Athlete's Game Plan: what I learned watching talented athletes leave sport with no plan for what came next.
June 2016 · 1 minute read
One of the best answers I've read about success came from Justine Musk. Here's what it means for athletes planning life after sport.
2013 · 4 minute read
Why your sports organisation needs a clear why, a real point of difference and a brand people can't get anywhere else.
2013 · 4 minute read
The world has changed, and most of the changes are working in sport's favour. Seven reasons to be optimistic, and one simple tool to make the most of them.
If an article helped you, or there's something you'd like me to write about, let me know. I read my own email and reply as quickly as possible, generally within 24 hours.
NED COTEN
Chair, director and executive leader in commercial, data and global sport.
Copyright © 2026 Ned Coten Melbourne, Australia