Adrian Prince

#JDEdwards developer #GrassrootsFootball #LUFC

[Grassroots @Teamgrassroots_]

Message from an exhausted coach.

I fear the next decade will see the end of the traditional view of a “grassroots coach”. After 8 years of coaching a relatively successful Surrey Youth League side, as well as a coaching stint at local district level, I’ve decided to hang up my boots.

8 years ago coaching provided me with a purpose and a love for the game that I’d all but lost when I stopped playing 10 years earlier. I loved the session planning, the interaction with the new U7 kids, the teaching and learning, and also the added bonus of getting to know all of the new parents. But also, I was good at it, and it gave me a sense of pride in knowing I was having a positive influence over the kids I was coaching. Through either pure luck or some sort of coaching ability, we still have 5 boys who started in the same school class in reception, playing in the top tier of one of the most competitive grassroots leagues in the country 8 years later.

However, with a successful side comes ever more parental pressure exerted on coaches. I honestly don’t believe there’s a way now for a grassroots volunteer coach, to coach a high achieving side. A high achieving side often comes with parental pressures. Parents have been caught in a trap of believing the more money they pay for private coaches or “academies” the more demanding they can be. As time has gone on, they forget that the person giving up all of their time at grassroots, and trying to do what’s right for their child, isn't actually paid!

Getting paid may well have meant the parents moaning on the sidelines would have been tolerable, but I doubt it. The private conversations taking place behind your back between parents hatching plans, the secret trials taking place at other clubs, the parents putting down another child because said player is affecting their child’s game time. Suffice to say you need skin like a rhino to maintain being a grassroots football coach. Not only are you a football coach, at times you’re a role model, a father figure, a psychologist, a mediator, a salesman when it comes to sponsorship, it can consume your whole life. I used to believe that when parents said “we really appreciate what you do” they truly meant it. But as time goes on that sentence becomes “we really appreciate what you do, but….”

If it was just about the kids themselves and what happens on the field, it would be the most enjoyable role any volunteer could undertake. But unfortunately it is not. As someone who once loved coaching, even I’ve been drained by everything mentioned above.

The future of coaching will be under a more professional format. We’ve all seen these local private academies set up everywhere, often charging 2 or 3 times more than grassroots subs. They have the structures in place to deal with the demands that pushy parents put on them. This will only be accelerated with the introduction of the new 3v3 format. There simply isn’t the support out there now for the traditional grassroots coach who does it for the love of the game.

[Adrian Prince @aidyprince]

@HanleyTown66 Hey lino, that's not in the corner quadrant.

[Caudwell Children @caudwellkids]

❌ Autism is NOT caused by #Paracetamol.

There is no robust, scientific information to support the claim that the use of #Tylenol in pregnancy causes #autism.

💜 Autism isn’t caused by painkillers or vaccines.
💜 It isn’t a condition that needs “curing.”

#DonaldTrump #Trump

[Caudwell Children @caudwellkids]

Sprinkle your creativity! 🧁 To celebrate our 25th Anniversary, we're inviting disabled and neurodivergent children, aged 5-16, to design their own cupcake! 💜

Entries must be sent by 30th June 2025.

Take part today 👉 https://t.co/vJVYPB2keV

#Competition #DesignCompetition

[Cheshire Football Association @Cheshire_FA]

PLAY SAFE 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ | ⚽️

Our CEO, Steve, has had a brilliant morning visiting Cheshire Blades U15 to share the #PlaySafe message and ensure they know how to share their thoughts & opinions with our commitment to the voice of the child 👏

Well done to @fc_blades 💙

#PlaySafe

[Conor Thomas Football Academy @CTAfootball]

📸 𝙄𝙉𝙎𝙄𝘿𝙀 𝘾𝙏𝘼 📸

Will grafting 🤩

#CheshireFootballCoaching | #PlayCTA | #FootballCoaching | #Football

[Adrian Prince @aidyprince]

@Coach_Temisan You could make the pitch wider. Green supporting players become CAMs. Change mini goals to gates in wider areas and have teams score by the wide players running the ball through the gates. Encourage the switch of play via the pivots.

[Adrian Prince @aidyprince]

@BarneyLUFC21 Spotted another 😂

[Conor Thomas Football Academy @CTAfootball]

📈 𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙎𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙉𝘾𝙔 📈

Consistency is key 🔐

#CheshireFootballCoaching | #PlayCTA | #FootballCoaching

[Vinnie Jones @VinnieJones65]

We've got a problem! A problem with talking about how we're feeling 🫵🗣️. ​​2 in 3 football fans have struggled with their mental health. So I've teamed up with @threeuk @chelseafc and @samaritans to encourage fans to #TalkMoreThanFootball

[Conor Thomas Football Academy @CTAfootball]

🧊 𝘾𝙊𝙊𝙇 & 𝘾𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙋 🧊

A @connor_oriordan special 💫

Executed immaculately ✨

#CheshireFootballCoaching | #PlayCTA | #FootballCoaching

[Adrian Prince @aidyprince]

@BarneyLUFC21 I thought it was this guy!

[Adrian Prince @aidyprince]

What a great weekend of football. My youngest lad captained his school team to victory on Saturday. His Sunday team won to go top of the league (temporarily) today. ⚽⚽

My eldest lad (player manager) won his university league today too. 💪🏆⚽

[Cheshire Football Association @Cheshire_FA]

LET'S TALK 🗣️❤️💙

Meet our new partners, @tough_to_talk 🤝

We are proud to announce that we have set up a strategic partnership with Tough to Talk, a men’s suicide intervention and Mental Health Charity.

Find out more about our partnership 👇

https://t.co/s8qHw9eDyC

[Conor Thomas Football Academy @CTAfootball]

💥 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀 𝙎𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙄𝙊𝙉 💥

As a thank you for your continued support, we wanted to offer you the chance to win a free session 💫

Share this post to enter 🫡

* 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘭𝘺 & 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺*

[Adrian Prince @aidyprince]

@Ash__1992__ I'm sure he's taller than 82cm

[Positive Steps Physiotherapy @StepsPositive]

It's a pleasure to sponsor a fabulous local grass roots football team! @fc_blades has an amazing ethos and fabulous coaches that help the youngsters learn and develop whilst moving more and having fun! A perfect fit with our ethos too 🙌
#grassrootsfootball #supportlocal

[Positive Steps Physiotherapy @StepsPositive]

@PGSportsUK @JomaSportUK @fc_blades It's our absolute pleasure...kit looks great too

[PG Sports @PGSportsUK]

More @JomaSportUK match kit for @fc_blades ⚔️ sponsored by @StepsPositive 🦶

[Conor Thomas Football Academy @CTAfootball]

📝 𝘼𝙏𝙏𝘼𝘾𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙍𝙀𝙋𝙎 📝

Making every rep count 🫡

#CheshireFootballCoaching | #PlayCTA | #FootballCoaching