A love of sport influenced Aidan Brown to complete a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science/Bachelor of Sports Management degree at the University of Canberra. The double degree he describes as 'complementing each other perfectly' and giving him the experience to be an all-rounder in his chosen field.

Currently working at the Program Manager of the Football Federation Australia (FFA) Centre of Excellence at the AIS, Aidan's career has gone from one successful stride to another.

"Looking at my journey so far, it's easy to see a direct link between the experience I gained as a UC graduate and the pathway my career has taken…in the sporting industry it's invaluable to have a diverse skill set. The more you can add value to a team, the better placed you are for success."

While studying at UC, Aidan was able to partake in an internship with the AIS Men's Football Program (now FFA CoE program). The skills and knowledge he developed at UC prepared him to excel in the role, with the FFA offering him continuing casual employment upon completion of the internship. Aidan now works with the UC Discipline of Sport and Exercise Science to bring on interns for the FFA CoE program, and appreciates the opportunities UC provides.

"I have the comfort of knowing that UC students are well equipped with the skills required to excel in the internships that our program offers."

By the time he graduated from UC he was well placed to take up a full-time role with Swimming Australia as a High Performance Operations Coordinator, a position he likens to being 'thrown in the deep-end'. Here he performed duties including organising and managing various National team camps and tours, while providing administrative support to the High Performance Unit.

"As a sport, swimming was unknown territory. It was good to get out of my comfort zone and work within the administration of a sport with a strong Olympic focus."

After working for Swimming Australia for 12 months, Aidan was approached by the Football Federation Australia for his current position as Program Manager. Based at the AIS, Aidan oversees the scholarship program for the National U17 Team (Joeys), managing the administration and logistics of the program.

"In a nutshell…I act as a facilitator to our coaching staff and the AIS Sport Science and Sport's Medicine personnel to support the daily performance environment for the players."

His role has now evolved to include Team Management of the National U16 and U17 teams. Aidan is responsible for the overall organisation and administrative matters for these teams in areas such as team operations, project management, logistical planning, uniforming and budget forecasting. He has also had the opportunity to work as the Assistant Team Manager for the Senior Men's National Team (Socceroos). A major career highlight however for Aidan, was managing the Joeys at the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup.

"It was an incredible experience to be a part of. Watching the players on the world-stage and being pitch-side for those big moments, those are the times when I really count myself lucky."