Grassroots football should be the heart of the beautiful game, a place where kids fall in love with football and learn discipline, teamwork, and confidence. However, a darker side exists that we often ignore. This reality harms the very players we claim to support.

Many grassroots coaches are volunteers, which is commendable. However, without proper training in child development, psychology, and emotional safety, even well-meaning coaches can cause harm. 1. When winning matters more than development, kids lose. 2. Grassroots football is broken. There's abuse from the sidelines, an obsession with results, and clear favouritism, with kids caught in the middle. 3. Too often, it turns into a pressure cooker, not because of the kids, but because of the adults around them. 4. Coaches yell at referees. Parents scream at kids. Spectators argue over offside calls. Touchline abuse has become such a common part of the weekend routine that it’s often seen as "passion." Yet, it harms children's enjoyment, confidence, and emotional safety. 5. Selection bias is real. Sometimes, it depends on who the coach knows. Other times, it’s about which parent volunteers the most. Kids notice this quickly, and it erodes team morale. Talented players can be overlooked while others get promoted for reasons that have nothing to do with skill or effort. 6. When everything focuses on competition, quieter kids, late bloomers, or those just playing for fun can feel excluded. Many end up quitting — not because they don’t love football, but because the environment doesn’t accept them back. #ForTheLoveOfTheGame #FootballFamily #PlayForPassion #LoveTheGame #RespectTheGame #FootballDevelopment #GrowTheGame #GrassrootsFootball #AmateurFootball #LocalFootball #CommunityFootball #YouthFootball #NonLeague #FootballForAll #FootballCommunity #SupportLocalFootball

The game itself isn’t broken. The kids still love it. The ball still rolls. The joy is still there, waiting. But unless we change the culture, we’ll continue to push talented, passionate young players out of football for reasons unrelated to the game and everything to do with the adults involved.