It's Only Kids Football

Are we expecting too much from grassroots coaches?

In this episode Ben and Mike get honest about the pressure, obsession, and guilt that come with volunteer coaching. After taking their U11s to play Ipswich Town’s Categor

5 lessons we learned playing a Premier League academy

What actually happens when a grassroots team takes on a Premier League Academy? In this episode, Ben and Mike break down their recent clash against Ipswich Town Under-10s

⁠Are our substitutions costing us games?

Ben and Mike break down a bittersweet weekend on the touchline. The main talking point revolves around the Under-11s’ gutting 3-1 derby opening-day loss to their local ri

The coaching superpower that outperforms every drill

In the final episode of this six-part series, Ben and Mike join child development early childhood learning specialist Laura Mellor-Bachman to reveal how grassroots footba

Stop telling your kid what they did wrong! Ask this instead...

Ben and Mike relive the Ballers Elite showcase game at Tottenham's training ground, where Ben's frustration watching his son turns into one of his proudest parenting mome

How to handle angry football parents

In part five of their coaching masterclass with Little Kickers, Ben and Mike sit down again with early childhood learning specialist Laura Mellor-Bachman to tackle grassr

The words I regret saying to my own son

Ben and Mike are back with a double dose of grassroots chaos: tournament tales, a brand new format, and a lot of soul-searching. Their Barking FC tournament run swings fr

How to handle a meltdown without losing control

In part four of our six-week masterclass with Little Kickers, Ben and Mike sit down with early childhood learning specialist Laura Mellor-Bachman to tackle one of the tou

How AI is about to transform grassroots coaching forever

In this episode, Ben and Mike travel to Copenhagen to meet Henrik Teisbæk, co-founder of Veo, the AI-powered sports camera used by over 50,000 grassroots football clubs w

How to give feedback kids will actually listen to

Giving feedback to young footballers after a game is one of the trickiest balancing acts in grassroots football. Whether you are dealing with a silent ride home, defensiv

A warning to all grassroots coaches

In this episode, Ben and Mike stagger back from their holidays to face the glorious, chaotic mess of youth football pre-season. First up, Mike delivers a classic dad-guil

The secret to getting children to listen

Why do some coaches instantly capture a group's attention while others spend an entire session repeating themselves? In this episode, hosts Ben and Mike are joined by Lau

Ex-Premier League striker: Why grassroots means more than my pro career

From scoring the winning goal on his Premier League debut for boyhood club West Ham to coaching his own children on a Sunday morning, Freddie Sears has experienced almost

How a young footballer's brain works

Why do young players ignore instructions, forget skills they've mastered in training or simply want to play instead of listening? In this episode, hosts Ben and Mike, are

Help your child score more goals this season

What does it really take to help a young footballer become a better goalscorer? In this episode, Ben and Mike are joined by former Football League striker and specialist

The secret to raising a mentality monster

What separates the young footballers who keep improving from those who stand still? According to ex-professionals and Complete Football Academy coaches Kudus Oyenuga and

Is 3v3 REALLY better for young footballers?

In this webinar, hosts Ben and Mike host an expert panel, featuring the FA’s head of grassroots coach, John Folwell, elite academy coach Michael Fox, professional goalkee

Will playing a year up make your child better?

Ben and Mike dive into one of grassroots football's biggest debates: will playing a year up actually make your child a better footballer? Using their own team's pre-seaso

Why some young goalkeepers stop loving football

Why do some young goalkeepers thrive under pressure while others lose confidence after a single mistake? In this episode, hosts Ben and Mike are joined by former professi

Why your kid needs to get stronger

In this episode, Ben speaks to youth athlete development expert Dr Ben Pullen, to smash the biggest myths holding young players back. He completely dismantles the classic