Shouting From The Sidelines

• #53 4 Tips to Help You Survive Your First Season as a Grassroots Coach

  Just taken over a grassroots football team?In this episode, we break down 4 practical tips that’ll save you stress, help you connect with your players, and make your first season a success.From managing parents to keeping sessions fun and simple, this is your survival guide for grassroots football coaching.Whether you’ve volunteered to coach your child’s team or are just starting your grassroots football journey, this episode will make your life easier, create sessions kids love, and hopefully help you enjoy the ride!Also, check out our NEW grassroots coaches website - https://onlinefootballcourses.com/This is a brand new resource for coaches where we'll be providing sessions plans and info which is simple to use and tried and tested by our coaching team.Our first ebook, The Simple Guide To Coaching Scanning, is available now.Let us know what you think.

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• #52 Resilience in Young Children: How Parents Can Help Kids Bounce Back from Setbacks

  Football isn’t just about skills and goals — it’s about how kids handle the tough moments.In this episode, we dive into how parents can help their children build resilience when they face setbacks like rejection, injury, or just having a tough game.We’ll cover:Why resilience matters for kids in sport and in lifeCommon challenges young players face (injuries, rejection, mistakes)Practical things parents can do to support their child’s growthSimple strategies to help children develop long-term resilienceResilience is like a muscle — it grows with practice. The more our kids experience little setbacks (with our support), the stronger and more confident they become both on and off the pitch.If you’re a parent or coach who wants your child to enjoy football, stick with sport long-term, and learn life lessons along the way, this episode is for you.Don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe if you found this helpful. Share your own stories about resilience in the comments — we'd love to hear them.

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• #51 From Academy Coach to Academy Dad

  What’s it really like being on both sides of academy football — as a coach and as a parent?In this episode we sit down with Leroy McIntosh, a former professional academy coach turned academy dad. Leroy’s journey started at Huddersfield Town before moving into a senior role at Barnsley FC, giving him a front-row seat to the realities of youth development in English football.Now, he’s living it from the other side of the pitch as a football parent.His son has spent time at Leeds United, Manchester United, and Manchester City, before signing for Man City Academy U9s.Leroy joins us to share his unique perspective: the lessons he’s carried over from coaching into parenting, the challenges of academy football, and the advice he’d give to other mums and dads supporting their kids in the system as well as grassroots football in general.In this episode we discuss:What Leroy would change about the academy systemThe key lessons he learnt as a coach that now help him as a football parentPractical tips for mums and dads navigating academy and grassroots footballHow to support your child without adding pressureIf you’re a football parent, grassroots coach, or just curious about life inside the academy system, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

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• #50 Football Fitness For Kids: Everything You Need To Know

  Are you still making kids run laps and do bleep tests to “get fit” for football?There's a better (and more enjoyable way).In this video, we break down:​What football fitness actually means for kids​Why long runs and isolated drills don’t work​The science behind children's recovery, VO2 max, and strength development​What coaches and parents should do instead​How to build football-specific fitness through play, games, and decision-makingWhether you're a grassroots football coach or a football parent, this episode will hopefully help you think differently about football for fitness for kids.No more outdated methods.Let's create enjoyable, effective football training that actually helps kids develop.Research papers/further reading:Manna, I. (2014)Growth, Development and Maturity in Children and Adolescent: Relation to Sports and Physical Activity. Marta, C. et al. (2013)Determinants of Physical Fitness in Prepubescent Children and Its Training Effects.Armstrong, N., & Welsman, J. (2020)The Development of Aerobic and Anaerobic Fitness with Reference to Youth Athletes.Bailey, R. et al. (2012)Participant Development in Sport and Physical Activity: The Impact of Biological Maturation.Baxter-Jones, A.D.G. et al. (2005)Controlling for Maturation in Pediatric Exercise Science.Sannicandro, I. et al. (2024)Developing Physical Performance in Youth Soccer: Dynamic–Ecological vs. Traditional Training.Viru, A. et al. (1999)Critical Periods in the Development of Performance Capacity in Childhood.Prasad, N. (1996)The Relationship Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise Capacities in Prepubertal Children.Granacher, U. et al. (2016)Effects of Resistance Training on Muscular Fitness and Athletic Performance in Youth.Seifert, L. & Davids, K. (2016)Ecological Dynamics: A Theoretical Framework for Understanding Sport Performance.

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• #49 The Power of Play - The Missing Piece in Kids Football?

  Is play the missing piece in your child’s football development and overall well-being?In this episode, we explore why unstructured, free play is crucial for kids—not just for becoming better footballers, but for developing confidence, resilience, creativity, and social skills.From research-backed insights to real coaching experience in Leeds schools and sessions with toddlers to teen. We cover:⏱️ What’s inside:00:00 – Intro: Why play is overlooked in football01:30 – What unstructured play actually means03:50 – Football skill benefits backed by research07:10 – The rise in screen time + decline in movement10:00 – Tips for coaches: how to build play into sessions13:00 – Tips for parents: how to encourage play at home17:00 – Final thoughts: blending play with purposeIf you're a parent or coach who wants their child to fall in love with football, improve their skills naturally, and grow as a human—not just a player—this episode is a must.Study Credits:-Sustainability Journal (2023) on play vs. structureNybakken & Falco (2022) on skill acquisitionLEGO Foundation on the 6 Cs of developmentPlay-Based Learning as a Tool in Enhancing Physical Skill Development of Children: Hafees Tosin Sulyman1,*, Jawad Olayemi Olosunde1, Akeem Opeyemi Raheem2The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Develoment in Young Children: Michael Yogman, MD, FAAP, Andrew Garner, MD, PhD, FAAP, Jeffrey Hutchinson, MD, FAAP, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD,d Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, PhD,e

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