World Cup Footballer Marlo Sweatman on GIS Experience So Far

World Cup footballer Marlo Sweatman is one of many ex-professional players now studying for their future careers in sport with GIS.

Playing against Brazil and Italy at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, Marlo represented Jamaica on 20 occasions, scoring three goals.

At club level, Marlo played in both Europe and North America, before retiring earlier this year and beginning her studies on the MSc International Sport Management programme at GIS as she prepares for life after football.

Speaking to us, the Reggae Girlz international said: “it’s important for athletes to step off the field and learn about the business side of sport.”

Marlo joined the university as part of our 2025 scholarship intake, having been awarded the Elite Athlete Scholarship earlier this year. Included in this is a 50% tuition fee reduction and dedicated mentorship from Jason Roberts, former Blackburn Rovers footballer and the current Director of Development at CONCACAF.

“Receiving the Elite Athlete Scholarship means so much to me,” Marlo said when enrolling.

“I truly value the mentorship aspect. I believe in the power of mentorship, and I’m excited to learn from those who have navigated similar paths. This recognition reinforces that the dedication I applied throughout my playing career can also help me succeed in my second career.”

CONCACAF is a region of the world that Marlo continues to be involved in. As part of our annual GIS Live Lab trip to Jamaica, she was one of our ten students who flew to Jamaica to spend time working with the leading Jamaican Premier League side, Mount Pleasant Football Academy.

As a management student, Marlo supported the club with its commercial and partnership activities, taking the opportunity to implement the skills she learned in the classroom. Content ranges from modules like Managing Global Strategy, Global Sports Marketing, and Digital Communications – which have contributed to the course’s inclusion in SportBusiness’ Top 40 rankings for postgraduate courses. 

“It’s a great opportunity for me to give back,” she reflected.

“I know that going out of your comfort zone and learning from different cultures can really open up the sport. It’s been eye-opening.”

As part of her GIS experience, Marlo also attended a GIS Global Summit.

This involved travelling to Miami, one of GIS’ international bases, for a residential consisting of exclusive tours of world class venues, guest speaker sessions with industry experts, and live sporting events. On the experience, Marlo simply said: “Wow, what a week!”

“I’m incredibly grateful for the experience I had at the GIS Miami Summit at Inter Miami” she continued. “Surrounded by inspiring leaders from across football, federations, and even other sports.

“As a former player, I’ve spent over a decade experiencing the game from the inside – but this summit gave me something different. It allowed me to see the sport from off the field, through a different lens.” 

“I’m leaving even more motivated to grow the game.”

Ready to follow in Marlo’s footsteps?

Explore our postgraduate degrees and discover how GIS can support your career in sport, click here to view our course offerings.

Article by Zakaria Anani