Ben and Mike deliver their most emotionally honest episode to date — a rollercoaster through three tough grassroots games, a confidence crisis for both of their sons, a sideline flashpoint and a revealing look at the hidden strain of being a parent-coach.

They talk honestly about shouting, pressure, overthinking, the pain of watching your child struggle and the moments that make you want to walk away from coaching completely. But this isn’t just about their team.

The episode widens into the bigger picture of grassroots football as they break down the results of their new nationwide survey — revealing how widespread sideline abuse, parent tension, lack of volunteer support and emotional burnout really are. From shocking anonymous stories to why coaches feel isolated, under-appreciated and overwhelmed, the survey becomes a backdrop to everything the boys experience on the pitch.

Amid the chaos comes hope: breakthrough conversations, growth in the toughest moments and a reminder that kids’ football is about building resilience, not protecting egos. This episode asks the uncomfortable question all parent-coaches face sooner or later.

Our latest research, in partnership with LoveAdmin and GoCardless, reveals a community full of passion, but stretched thin by patchy support, time, and financial pressure: Read the full report here.

New research highlights the need for calmer, more supportive sidelines in youth football - read more here.

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In this episode, Ben and Mike welcome Nick Green, Football DNA ambassador and seasoned youth coach with experience across England and Australia, for a deep dive into the emotional and tactical side of coaching young players.

Drawing from his work in academies and grassroots football, Nick shares how to create a positive environment that builds belief and resilience in kids—especially when confidence dips or results don’t go their way. From using reflection and delayed feedback to managing “car-ride emotions” as parent-coaches, the conversation explores how to keep football enjoyable while fostering growth and grit.

Nick also offers practical insights on helping smaller players thrive, developing defensive skills, handling positional challenges and creating club-wide coaching plans that align players, parents, and coaches.

Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/

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Ben and Mike are back with their most explosive episode yet — a day that should’ve been all about wonder goals and winning football turns into a masterclass in how not to behave on the sidelines.

After a brilliant first half, a confrontation between parents spills over, forcing Ben to face the uncomfortable truth: for all his talk about calm and composure, he’s just as capable of losing it when the kids are caught in the crossfire.

With the dust barely settled, the pair welcome their fiercest rival, Rhys — the larger-than-life manager everyone has an opinion on — for a brutally honest chat about passion, perception, and why every dad-coach ends up shouting at their own kid.

Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iokfootball

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In this episode, Ben and Mike welcome clinical psychologist, performance coach and author Dr Kate Lund to unpack one of the hardest balancing acts in youth sport—how to build resilience in children without turning them into emotionless robots.

Drawing from her work with young athletes and parents, Dr Lund explains why modern resilience goes beyond “toughen up and get on with it.” She shares practical strategies for coaches and parents to help kids manage frustration, recover from mistakes and thrive under pressure—from relaxation and visualisation techniques to the “daily wins” exercise that shifts focus from failure to growth.

The trio dive deep into the contrasts between old-school grit and emotionally intelligent resilience, how parental behaviour on the sidelines shapes a child’s response to setbacks and why communication and self-awareness matter as much as skill drills.

Dr Kate Lund's new book: https://www.katelundspeaks.com/book

Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/

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Ben and Mike return with one of their most honest episodes yet, tackling a feeling every parent-coach knows but few admit: the desperate, irrational need for your child to play well when someone’s watching.

What begins as a normal weekend of grassroots football — a couple of big games and the usual sideline chaos — spirals into a raw reflection on pride, pressure, and parenting. When Ben’s son Alfie picks up an injury and struggles through a match with a friend in the crowd, it triggers a wave of guilt, frustration and self-awareness that hits harder than any defeat.

Between the laughs, match analysis and familiar coaching highs, the dads ask the real question: are we pushing our kids to enjoy the game — or to protect our own egos?

Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iokfootball

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What happens when a Premier League goal scorer goes back to where it all started — the grassroots pitches that shaped him? In this heartfelt episode, Dwight Gayle opens up to Ben and Mike about his journey from being a child prodigy at Arsenal’s academy to rediscovering his passion for the game after being released at just 12 years old.

He shares powerful insights on identity, rejection, and resilience, explaining why being “Dwight Gayle the footballer” almost cost him his love of the game — and how returning to grassroots football helped him find joy again.

Now coaching his son’s under-8s team, Dwight reflects on the joys and struggles of being a football dad, from managing touchline emotions to teaching respect, teamwork and humility.

Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iokfootball

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Ben and Mike return to the touchline for an episode that captures everything maddening and magical about grassroots football. One match leaves them questioning their tactics, their tempers and even their sanity — but also delivers a reminder of why they keep coming back week after week.

In the latest instalment of their season diary, the dads relive a pair of unforgettable games — both dramatic, both wildly entertaining, but each ending in very different emotions. From the elation of everything clicking to the despair of watching it slip away, it’s grassroots football in all its unpredictable glory.

There’s also a deep dive into their time with Ballers Elite, taking on Brighton’s academy and Ipswich Town’s development squad. As Mike wrestles with frustration from the sidelines, Ben finds perspective in watching Alfie grow in confidence and begin to play with genuine freedom.

And through it all runs the toughest challenge of all — being a parent-coach. How do you build confidence and fearlessness in your child when they’re already tired of being told what to do by the same voice at home and on the pitch?

3 v 3 tournament - Aubrey’s Charity Fund Raiser: https://ballers-elite-1.classforkids.io/info/30

Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/

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In this episode, Ben and Mike sit down with Ross Clarke Brooks—UEFA A-Licensed coach at West Ham United and Football DNA content creator—to tackle one of grassroots football’s toughest challenges: coaching kids to defend.

Ross draws on over a decade of experience working with young players to share practical ways coaches can introduce defending without killing the fun. From teaching body positioning and decision-making in small-sided games to using creative analogies that kids understand, he explains how to help players see defending as just as exciting as attacking.

The discussion also dives into common coaching dilemmas: when to introduce compactness, how to avoid over-instruction, keeping training realistic and playful, and the balance between winning and development.

Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iokfootball

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Ben and Mike kick off the new season with equal parts optimism and exasperation. Pre-season friendlies brought slick football, impressive wins and a series of great goals, but also reminded the coaching duo not to get too carried away.

The first league match against Hullbridge Sports was supposed to be routine – until the boys froze on the grass, the opposition dug in and a last-gasp equaliser left everyone deflated. Off the pitch, Ben admits that old habits of snapping at his son have crept back, leading to emotional car rides, guilt, and even a heartfelt letter of apology.

From training drills with countdown shot-clocks to managing fragile confidence, the dads wrestle with whether they’re helping their kids or just piling on pressure.

Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iokfootball

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In this episode, Ben and Mike are joined by Neal Lattimore, strength and conditioning coach at Peterborough United and founder of Active Performance Gym. Drawing on this experience working with academy players, Neil breaks down one of youth football’s biggest questions—when and how kids should start physical training.

The conversation covers what to focus on at different ages, how to navigate growth spurts safely and why proper movement, balance and coordination matter more than heavy lifting. Neil shares practical tips for improving speed, shot power, coordination and common mistakes coaches and parents make when trying to get kids in shape.

From busting the myth that weights stunt growth, to explaining the benefits of bio-banding and why fun races and ladders can build coordination, this episode gives coaches and parents the confidence to support young players’ physical development.

They also discuss academy vs grassroots approaches, how to keep sessions engaging, and why patience is key when kids develop at different speeds.

Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iokfootball

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iokfootball/

X (Twitter): https://x.com/iokfootball

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iokfootball

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Itsonlykidsfootballpodcast/

Email: [email protected]

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