You could hear him before you saw him.

It’s the turn of the year, 2013. Sydney is in the middle of another scorching summer, where it seems you can almost see the heat rising out of the ground like steam trying to escape a well-boiled kettle of water. I was hopping out of my cramped car at Northbridge Oval on Sydney’s North Shore when I heard this voice. First thoughts? “Another foreigner. Great.” As I drew closer to the clubhouse, where I would lace up my kit before heading down for training, I started to wonder who this guy was. I started to make out the accent with my first guess being English. Red vans, cream shorts, an iconic Kobe Bryant jersey, a flaming red snapback and a bag on his back. I still remember it like it was yesterday. “Hey pal, Lee, nice to meet ya” He had this aura of confidence about him, like he’d been at the club for years, when really it had been about ten minutes. As time progressed I got to know him past the guy who could be heard throwing banter around from the next postcode and boy does he have a story to tell.

Born October 1989, to Terry and Tracey, Terrence Lee Jones (known as Lee) was welcomed to the world and his small town of Flint, located in the north of Wales on the banks of the River Dee. As a boy, Lee really only knew two things. Liverpool Football Club and a ball. “Since day one or as early as I can remember, my dad was the real driving force. I fell in love with the game straight away. You couldn’t get me away from a pitch.” As early as the age of three, Lee’s parents came to see how talented their boy was with a ball at his feet. It was here that it was decided that Lee, with the help of his dad, Terry would go and sign up for local side Flint & Bagillt FC. As a four-year-old Lee began to develop rapidly to the point where at the young age of 6, he was invited for a trial with English giants Everton FC. Despite his embedded love for the red half of Merseyside, Lee, after a successful trial, signed with Everton where he would spend the next six years playing in an academy that featured the likes of current Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney.

As Lee continued to develop, It was decided that it would be best if he moved onto League One side (at the time), Wrexham FC in Northern-Wales. Here, Lee spent six years playing however, as it so often happens in football, Wrexham were relegated when Lee was eighteen, which led to him being let go. “For me, this was the turning point. I wanted to try something different. I spent a few years playing within Wales most notably at a club called Rhyl FC where I was offered a part teacher part coach role. I never fell out of love for the game. I wanted to keep playing but I discovered a passion for coaching and to help make a difference.” During this time for Lee, he went out and earned his coaching badges, most notably receiving his UEFA B Licence. Along the way, he became close friends with a man by the name of Anthony Kosta who, based out of Sydney, played at Rhyl with Lee as well living with him as his family took him in for the duration of his trip. Upon returning home, Anthony made it clear that if Lee wanted to come to Sydney, that he would return the favour and put Lee up. “I made the decision there and then that I was going to go to Australia and change my life.”

 

Paixao: “Did you have any idea about football in Australia? The leagues? The setup? Or how you were going to support yourself?

Lee: “Not a clue.”

“When I first arrived, Me and a good mate of mine from Wales, Sean Eardley went down to trial for APIA Leichardt Tigers. All we knew is that they were a club in the top Semi-Professional league there in Sydney. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out due to Visa issues and that’s when Northbridge FC came into the picture and looking back now it was the best club I could have played for.” After the unsuccessful period with APIA, Lee received a call from Northbridge (Who at the time were playing in the third tier of football here in Sydney), who had heard about his situation. Lee was asked if he wanted to come down and help out as a coach for the first-team who were established as one of the best teams in the league. “Yeah, I loved the whole set up from the get go. I met all the boys there like Ricky Woodward, Michael Cole and many more. They're all English lads and have experience playing at a high level back home and It made me want to be apart of it almost instantly.” After his first day, Ricky mentioned that with Northbridge, there was no such Visa rule and if he wanted to play for the club they’d love to have him as well as his good friend Sean. They both signed up on the spot, however it was going to be the first time in a long time where Lee wouldn’t be able to earn money, playing football. “That year, we went on to win the league and I earned multiple individual awards. It was the best year of football I ever played and I didn’t earn a single cent. It grounded me and showed me what was really important which is football.” It was the 2013 season, that I came across Lee for the first time and to be honest, I was taken away by his talent with a ball as well as the below average banter that he dished out on a regular basis.

For the first one and half to two years of his time here in Australia, Lee coached multiple teams within the Northbridge setup as a way of making a living. It wasn't until the end of his second year at the club, that Lee was introduced to idea of one on one coaching. Lee saw it as an opportunity to earn a bit more money on the side and to help develop the faults within his players so they could become better footballers. “I enjoyed it, but at first it didn't seem like something I was going to devote a whole heap of my time to. It wasn't until the last school holidays of the year that literally out of nowhere, I had ten or so inquiries from parents wanting me to coach their child within the one on one setup.” He didn't know it at the time, but Joner1on1 was in its baby steps. After devoting a day purely to one on one coaching, it was Lee's now Fiancé, Carolina that suggested he start his own business. “At first I wasn't interested at all. However, after really thinking it through with Carolina, I realised I may have stumbled across something that had the potential to be quite extraordinary. Ever since my coaching job back at Rhyl FC, I've wanted to make a difference. It wasn't about the money, and to this day I get more of a kick out of seeing one of my players grow as a footballer than a pay-check and I can't see that changing.”

A diligent worker, Lee wanted to do it and do it properly. He went out and took all the necessary business steps so that he could legally call Joner1on1 his own. From there it was only matter of time before Lee’s high quality one on one sessions took off. By simply putting together a Facebook and Instagram page along with developing a website from scratch, Lee began to film parts of his sessions highlighting the quality of them and what he was able to offer footballers. This sparked some interest, and Joner1on1 started to get multiple inquiries on a daily basis. “Yeah, things were going quite well, but it wasn't until one day after one of my sessions, that I set up my camera and filmed myself completing what I called '25 mastery ball skills.' At the time I didn't think much of it and uploaded it online. Almost overnight the video went viral and it has now currently reached over two million individual Facebooks. It's something I still try to wrap my head around.” From here Joner1on1 really started to attract some attention. Within weeks, Lee’s business went from being small in stature, to one where there simply wasn't enough hours in the day. Lee couldn't believe it himself and after receiving that many inquiries that he had to create a waiting list, he knew even though it was early on, he had to decide if wanted to ‘sink or swim.’ In steps Chris Deblaere. 

“I knew of Chris cause he played at Northbridge. He was fresh out of school and wanted to start his career in coaching. I believed he had great potential, so I approached him.” For Chris, it was a no brainer. “I was quite new to coaching and when Lee approached me to be apart of Joner1on1, I immediately wanted to be apart of it. I believed it would be a great opportunity and experience for me and since day one it’s been nothing but that.” From here for Joner1on1, it was full steam ahead. With his first understudy, Lee was able to take in more clients and help grow the Joner1on1 vision. As the business began to grow, naturally the workload increased. Nights ended a lot later than usual and the days started to begin at a horrid time. For Lee however, he could feel he was building something special. He didn’t need to look outside himself for motivation and that’s something that can only be driven by passion. “I think when I realised how much potential the business could have, I could feel it really starting to take over me. I was and still am driven to make Joner1on1 better each day. I wake up each day and ask myself, how can I make this better? If I weren’t passionate about this, it would have fallen apart many moons ago. That passion, I can feel it. It makes those late nights and five o’clock wake ups a whole lot easier to get through.”

Flash forward to today. All those sleepless nights and early mornings have paid off. With roughly 40,000 people following Joner1on1 across all social platforms, Lee and his once small coaching business is starting to make waves across the country and probably the globe. He went from a guy who started with four balls and ten cones to signing equipment deals and being approached by professional footballers. He has acquired two more coaches in the form of Hakoah FC midfielder Deklan Gilmartin and Sydney United 58 goalkeeper Thomas Manos, who featured in one of Paixao’s earlier pieces. As recent as yesterday, Lee also went into a partnership with Brandon Jones, (who is the owner of his own cross-fit gym on Manly’s Northern-Beaches) where they have created a ‘total footballer’ program that will be individually tailored to the athlete to help develop all areas of their game. He is by far one the most talked about coaches going around Australia. Funnily enough, Lee believes it isn’t the social media side of Joner1on1 that has allowed him to be a coach who so many people want as a means of becoming a better footballer. In Lee’s words, “I know for a fact it is the quality of the sessions that me and my three coaches deliver that have our clients coming back again and again as well as spreading the word about what we do and how we do it.

 

For Lee, he is fully aware he wouldn’t be where he is today without the help of multiple people in his life. When he started this journey he feels there have been a handful of people that have been there since day dot. The ones who understand his vision and have offered their help in the hopes that Joner1on1 can continue to grow. “Wow, where do I begin? There are definitely three main people. When I first left home my parents really struggled. They missed me terribly but when I started all of this they were there for me, backing me all the way and still to this day continue to push me to reach my potential. Along with my parents it’s Carolina. She was the one who inspired me to start this. I run everything through her. Every video, every session good or bad I want to tell her about it and here what she has to say. She supports me 110% and she is one of the sole reasons why I am where I am currently. Her family as well who includes Ligia, Fatima and Fabio. Along with that, three of my mates Michael Cole, Chris Lindsay and Phil Lloyd were the first ones who let me run an elite session with them and didn’t expect anything financial in return. My sister Emma. My Aunty Jo and my uncle Sush.  My brother in law Brandon, who has been huge for me since I started and my good friend Bradley Walker, who on a social media level has been a major help. Last but not least my three coaches Chris, Deklan and Tom. The ones who make Joner1on1 what it is.

Well what a story it’s been so far. When little Lee Jones from the paltry town of Flint, in Northern-Wales set out on his football journey all those years ago at Flint and Bagillt FC, I’m sure he couldn’t have imagined himself being where he is now. Lee on a personal front I have been lucky enough to share the pitch with you and watch your vision grow. Looking back from now to then it’s inspiring for myself to see how much can be achieved by believing in your dreams and working at them every day. I know for a fact that all of those around you, your clients and those who sit at home watching you online are inspired knowing that ‘If Lee can do it, why can’t I?’ I don’t think you yourself fully understand how many people you inspire daily and just how much of difference you make in other people’s lives. It is a rare talent that shouldn’t be underestimated and let it be known you are a credit to your family, friends but most importantly yourself.

For those of you that have battled to the end of this longer than normal piece, and have been inspired by this mans story regardless of your age I’ll leave you with this. The man you just read about took himself and the bag on his back and turned it into something wonderful. There is no doubt in my mind that Lee will reach coaching heights unheard of here in Australia and regardless of your own aspirations, if Lee can turn four balls and ten cones into what it is today, then you too can reach those heights in your own life. You just have to start!

His name is Lee Jones,

He is Joner1on1.

He has come to change football for the better.

Try ignore him if you can.