Bloomsbury Football: Game Changers

This episode comes with a Trigger Warning for mentions of suicide.

For this month's Stories from the Sidelines and beyond at Bloomsbury Football, we are tackling poor mental health in football and learning how open conversations and friendships can create a supportive community, on and off the pitch. Stories from the Sidelines is our monthly project that focuses on specific theme or topic and tells the related stories from our community in a creative and accessible way.

In this episode, Lucas, Head Coach of our U15 Boys Academy team, leads a conversation with Josh, Cam, Max and our CEO, Charlie, that tackles friendships at Bloomsbury Football, mental health and coaching. This is an honest and important conversation that we hope will create more space to confront the stigma around men's mental health in football, and ensure that no one feels alone when faced with poor mental health.

Welcome to Bloomcast, sharing stories, insight and experiences from youth football. In the final episode of our first series of podcasts, Foundation Manager, Marcus, talks to our host, James, about our different programmes, how they run, and how we're looking to grow each one.

Welcome to Bloomcast, sharing stories, insight and experiences from youth football. In episode 8 we introduce our Academy Coordinator, Josh Arnold, who gives insight into the difference between the foundation phase and youth development phase programmes at Bloomsbury FA, and how we strive to create a development driven environment for all of our players.

Welcome to Bloomcast, sharing stories, insight and experiences from youth football. In episode 7 student-coach Max Llanwarne talks to our host, James Rogers-Oben, about his inspirations to become a coach, and how to get involved in football through the coaching pathway.

Welcome to Bloomcast, sharing stories, insight and experiences from youth football. In episode 6, our host James Rogers-Oben talks to our Marketing and School Partnerships manager, Lewis Mayhew, about social media's involvement and influence in modern football.

Welcome to Bloomcast, sharing stories, insight and experiences from youth football. In episode 5, our host James Rogers-Oben talks to Bloomsbury lead coach Thomas Murgatroyd about the relative age effect, what it is, how it affects development, and how we as modern coaches can combat it.

Welcome to Bloomcast, sharing stories, insight and experiences from youth football. In episode 4, our host James Rogers-Oben talks to our Student-Coach Joe Hussey about the importance of building bonds with young players, and the positive effect these bonds can have on performance.

Welcome to Bloomcast, sharing stories, insight and experiences from youth football. In Episode 3 our host, James Rogers-Oben, dives into the journey from grassroots football to the professional game, with Coach George sharing his own unique experiences that have brought him to the UK and Bloomsbury Football.

Welcome to Bloomcast, sharing stories, insight and experiences from youth football. In episode 2, our host, James Rogers-Oben, talks to our CEO, Charlie Hyman, about the benefits of Futsal for football.

Welcome to Bloomcast, the first in a series of episodes sharing stories, insight and experiences from youth football. In episode 1, our host, James Rogers-Oben, talks to our Academy Manager, Nick Bearham, about Silent Sidelines in football.