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NRLW Parents Guide: How EXCEL Sports Works With Families

  • Writer: EXCEL Sports Management
    EXCEL Sports Management
  • 3 days ago
  • 5 min read
NRLW parents guide thumbnail showing EXCEL Sports female athlete and text about building the right team around your daughter.

Introduction – Why Parents Matter More Than You Think


In NRLW pathways, everyone talks about talent, trials and contracts.Almost no one talks about the one group that has the power to make or break a career:


👉 Parents.

At EXCEL Sports, we don’t just sign athletes.

We build a triangle – Player • Parent • Agent – and if all three sides aren’t strong, we won’t move forward.


This guide is for the mums, dads and guardians who want a real pathway, not just a highlights reel on social media.


1. The EXCEL Triangle: Player • Parent • Agent


Most people think it’s:

Player + Agent vs The World.

That’s not how we work.


At EXCEL Sports, the model is:


Agent + Parent → supporting the Player.


  • The agent leads: pathways, contracts, club relationships, performance standards, honesty with the athlete.

  • The parent leads: home standards, attitude, discipline, sleep, nutrition, school/work, life decisions.

  • The player brings: effort, buy-in, humility, and a willingness to be coached.


When those three align, NRLW opportunities stop being “luck” and start becoming the natural result of good decisions.


2. Why We’re Highly Selective With Athletes and Families - NRLW parents guide

You’ve heard me say it before:

“We’re for many, but we’re not suitable for everyone.”

We don’t collect players for social media numbers.We don’t sign girls and “hope for the best” later.


We ask ourselves two questions before we ever talk contracts:


  1. Do we see a genuine NRLW future here?Not just tries and big runs – we look at mindset, habits, athletic ceiling and coachability.

  2. Is the family ready to walk this journey the right way?We’ve learnt the hard way that a player can be NRLW-level, but the wrong support off the field can destroy a pathway.


If the answer to either question is no, we’d rather walk away than lie to you.


3. What We Actually Do as NRLW Agents (Beyond the Stereotypes)


There are a lot of rumours about agents:

  • “They’re all in it for the money.”

  • “They just move players around for a fee.”

  • “They don’t care about the person, only the contract.”


Here is the EXCEL difference:


  • We don’t charge management fees until a player signs an NRLW contract.That means we can spend years developing an athlete, often 5+ seasons, before a single dollar is earned.

  • We invest time in:

    • Game reviews

    • Pathway planning

    • Club meetings

    • Honest conversations when standards drop

    • Travel, camps, extra sessions


When we say we’re not about the money, we mean it.We literally put our own time and resources on the line first.


4. How We Choose the Right Club – Not Just the Biggest Logo


Parents often ask:

“What’s the best team for my daughter?”

Wrong question.

The real question is:

“Which environment will develop her right now?”

Sometimes that means:

  • A strong team with quality players around her→ perfect for halves, hookers and spine players who need structure to showcase their skill.


Other times it means:

  • A weaker team where she has to carry extra workload→ perfect for a powerful middle or back-rower who needs confidence, responsibility and more touches.


We don’t just look at the badge on the jersey.We look at:

  • Coaching staff

  • Training standards

  • Game time

  • Position fit

  • How the club communicates with us and with the family


Our job is to place your daughter where she will grow, not just where the highlights look good.


5. How Parents Can Help – and How They Can Accidentally Harm


Most parents genuinely want the best for their daughters.But good intentions can still cause damage.


💚 Parents who help


The parents who help their daughters succeed usually:

  • Keep football conversations positive at home

  • Support the standards we set around fitness, accountability and attitude

  • Ask questions, seek clarity, and stay calm when things don’t go their way

  • Let coaches coach and agents manage

  • Back their daughter publicly and speak honestly with us privately


⚠️ Parents who harm (often without meaning to)


We’ve seen careers damaged when parents:

  • Try to coach from the sideline

  • Undermine the club or coaching staff in front of their daughter

  • Jump from club to club chasing “better teams” every season

  • Use an agent just to get into a pathway, then walk away once the contract is signed

  • Spread rumours or half-truths to push their own agenda


Short term, they might “win” an argument.Long term, they shorten their daughter’s career and damage her reputation with clubs.


6. Our Process When We First Meet a Family


We don’t sign anyone over text message.

Our first step is always a proper conversation with:

  • The player

  • The parents/guardians (ideally both)

  • Sometimes a trusted mentor or family member


In that meeting we:

  1. Explain the EXCEL values – Family, Faith, YOU.

  2. Lay out exactly what we expect from the player and the household.

  3. Answer every question – even the awkward ones.

  4. Talk about the long-term plan, not just this season.

  5. Make it clear: if there is no transparency, there is no agreement.


For us, trust is everything.We’d rather lose a signing than start a relationship built on half-truths.


7. Questions Every Parent Should Ask an Agent


Whether you work with EXCEL or not, here are questions you must ask:

  1. How many NRLW players or development contracts have you actually helped create?

  2. What do you do for an athlete between now and an NRLW contract?

  3. How often will we hear from you?

  4. Do you charge any fees before my daughter signs NRLW?

  5. What happens if my daughter struggles – do you help, or do you disappear?

  6. How do you decide which club is right for her?

  7. What are your values? Can you tell me about a time you turned down a deal because it wasn’t right?


If an agent can’t answer these clearly, you have your answer.


8. Why Communication Is Our Non-Negotiable


We hear people say:

“Agents never reply. They’ve got too many players.”

We take that personally, because that’s not EXCEL.

  • We schedule regular check-ins.

  • We reply.

  • We jump on video calls when needed.

  • We tell the truth, even when it hurts.


That’s why families stay with us for multi-year extensions, bring their cousins and friends, and trust us with their daughters’ futures. hence the NRLW parents guide.

9. Final Message to Parents and Athletes


If you’re an athlete – or a parent – reading this and you want:

  • A genuine NRLW pathway

  • A team that values your daughter as a person

  • An agent who invests first and earns later

…then we’d love to talk.


We don’t promise the NRLW.We prepare you for it.


I how this NRLW parents guide Helps you


Contact us at EXCEL Sports - john@excelsports.net.au

Whatsapp - +61420363456

 
 
 

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