Many adults spend a lot of time thinking about football, particularly if you’re one of the incredible 5,000 volunteers that give up their time to our grassroots game in Kent.

But do our young players think about it differently?

We worked with Tankerton Football Club and Kings Hill Football Club to get an understanding of how their young players think about the game. Speaking to over 30 players, youth council members and young coaches, we listened to what they have to say to adults. 

While we acknowledge that the vast majority of adults will already appreciate what our young people tell us in this short film, our game is still affected negatively by the sort of comments that open the video. 

Luke Baker, Football Development Officer said: “Creating the right environment is essential to ensuring we make a player centred environment that children can love. We will only do that if we listen to young people and respond to their needs. As adults, we must work tirelessly to ensure that regardless of ability, gender, race, disability or religion, our beautiful game should be able to be enjoyed by all.”

This is the third in our series of Let Us Play videos, and the message remains the same. Young people repeatedly tell us that they enjoy our game most when coaching is stripped back and kept positive. 

You can pledge your commitment to being a positive supporter of our young people by visiting www.pledge.thefa.com and signing the Pledge of Positivity.

Between 28 February 2020 and 16 March 2020 you can screenshot your pledge and share on our social media posts below to enter our exclusive competition to win a pair of England tickets when they face Denmark at Wembley on 31 March.

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