So You Want to Coach Kids’ Football?

These blog posts are way too easy to write, it turns out I have a lot to say.

When I took over coaching my son’s U11 team, I assumed it would be a case of turning up with cones and a whistle. Not quite. There’s a whole list of things you need to do before you're allowed to even coach at grassroots level:

  • ✅ Create an FA account to get your FAN (your official FA number)

  • ✅ Complete a DBS check

  • ✅ Finish an online first aid course

  • ✅ Complete an FA safeguarding in football course

  • ✅ Take the Playmaker course, an intro to football coaching

I’m 99.9% sure none of my coaches growing up did any of this. But I’m glad the world has changed. These steps, while a bit admin-heavy, were genuinely helpful. I was doing my executive coaching diploma at the same time, so I got into the groove: watch a video, take some notes, get the certificate, pretend to feel ready.

Coaching Credentials Are Just the Start

Here are a few things I wish every new grassroots coach knew:

1. You carry a big responsibility.
Kids absorb everything. If you shout, scream, or argue like you’ve just seen on Match of the Day, they’ll think that’s what football is. Set the tone.

2. No course can fully prepare you.
You just have to get out there, run a session, and learn by doing. Oh, and talk to the parents. A lot. (I feel like I whatsapp the football chat more than some of my friends…)

My First Session

I remember it clearly. I’d spent six months watching from the sidelines, occasionally muttering critiques to one or two other parents. Then I found myself running my first session, alone, as the assistant coach was unwell.

I planned it carefully using drills from the free courses, got there early, laid out the cones. Out of 12 players… 6 showed up. The team had been struggling. Morale and numbers were dropping. But we got stuck in, some ball control, a bit of shooting, and a lot of encouragement.

Looking back, if I could give myself feedback from that first session, it’d be:

  • 1 thing I did well: I showed up with a plan and gave the kids my best. (ok that’s two).

  • 1 thing I could’ve done more of: Focused on making it fun and getting the parents onboard early.

That feedback framework: one thing I did well, one thing I could do more of, comes from my coaching diploma, and I use it all the time now. With the kids, with parents, with myself.

What’s Next?

There are loads of further qualifications available on the FA website. Just like in the professional world, you can find mentors, attend courses, or visit other clubs to learn new ways of working. I’ve completed the “Level 1” so far, it cost me £100 and gave me some useful tools.

Someday, I’d love to take the UEFA C Licence. But that’s a story for another day.

For now, I’ve got the basics. I’m learning. I’m coaching. And I’m loving it. Most of the time… !

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‘Why don’t you get the cones out and show us?’

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Am I shouting too much?