Former Reggae Girl Marlo Sweatman has wrapped up her latest visit to Jamaica—this time not as a player, but as a scholar and aspiring football executive. The midfielder-turned-administrator was on the island as part of the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) Master’s programme in International Sports Management and was stationed at Mount Pleasant Football Academy in St Ann for a period of practical immersion.
Sweatman, who began the two-year programme in January 2025, is one of GIS’s Elite Athlete Scholars—a distinction awarded to former professionals transitioning into sports leadership roles. During her stint at Mount Pleasant, she focused on media and fan engagement, analyzing the club’s current strategies while offering insights drawn from her academic training.
“I’m helping in the section of media and fan engagement—looking at what they have in place now and, from our studies, how we can help,” she said during her stay. “At the same time, we’re learning from them too, so it’s really a two-way street.”
Best known for her role in midfield during Jamaica's historic qualification for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Sweatman said the experience allowed her to view the sport through a completely new lens.
“I’m normally on the player side,” she said. “So to step off the field and look at football—especially in Jamaica—from the business side like administration, social media, and fan engagement… it’s been really eye-opening and enjoyable.”
She also praised the professional atmosphere and welcoming environment at Mount Pleasant.
“Just being on the premises, the respect is there. Everyone’s very well-behaved, and we’ve been welcomed with open arms by the staff and the community. It’s been great,” she said. “Since I’ve only just finished playing, everything off the field is kind of new to me, so I’ve been learning a lot.”
Her return to Jamaica aligned with her broader ambition to contribute to football development—ideally in her home country, though she remains open to opportunities elsewhere.
“My goal is to develop football in any way I can and make a positive impact. The best would be for Jamaica, but you never know where your path can take you,” she noted.
Sweatman’s off-the-pitch journey has also included earning her UEFA Scouting Licence in 2024, signalling her continued growth in football’s technical and administrative spheres.
“The objective of this course is to learn more about the opportunities off the field. I want to figure out where I can make the most impact—whether that’s in scouting, media, administration… I don’t know yet. But that’s the beauty of this course—I get to see a little bit of everything and figure out where the path leads.”
Though her time in Jamaica has now come to an end, Sweatman’s evolving journey in sport continues. And with her blend of on-field experience and academic ambition, she’s well-positioned to leave a lasting impact wherever the next chapter unfolds.
NB: Sweatman left the island on Wednesday, March 26, 2025