The Football Mental Health Alliance

Do your players sometimes struggle to understand their neurodiverse teammate's needs? Creating an environment where neurotypical players comprehend and support neurodiversity within the team is essential for building genuine inclusion, empathy and compassion throughout the squad.

If you ask a doctor or read a medical book, it will define ADHD as a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by traits of impulsivity, forgetfulness, and disorganisation.

Coaching all young players in grassroots football requires patience, adaptability and an understanding of how different children learn and respond to instructions.

I might not seem autistic, but that doesn’t mean it affects me any less. On the outside, I might look like everybody else, but inside my own head, it's a completely different story.

Living with ADHD feels like life is on hard mode. It's as if my brain is ruled by a never-ending pursuit of dopamine - always chasing that next hit of excitement, stimulation, or novelty.

Mistakes are inevitable in football. Whether it's a misplaced pass, a missed tackle or a squandered scoring opportunity, how players respond to these moments can define their performance.

As a grassroots football coach, I've seen how Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) can significantly impact players with ADHD.

This story was found on Reddit and highlights how the suppression of authentic emotional expression in neurodivergent youth doesn't simply fade away - it evolves into profound communication barriers in adulthood. When children, particularly those with autism, are consistently taught that their natural expressions of joy or excitement are "too much," they develop sophisticated masking techniques that eventually become involuntary prison cells.

In this episode, Danny sits down with Jennie Smith, Director of Safeguarding Today to explore the crucial role of safeguarding in football, from grassroots to the professional game. Jennie shares insights from her extensive experience, including her background as a criminal barrister and prosecutor, and her work leading safeguarding education for the English Football League (EFL).

Key discussion points include:

• The importance of safeguarding in grassroots football and how it differs from the professional game.
• The role of mental health first aid and why every club should have at least one trained individual.
• Best practices for coaches and clubs when handling safeguarding concerns and mental health disclosures.
• The impact of safeguarding education in football and how it has evolved in response to past failures.
• How to challenge outdated views on safeguarding and mental health while creating a safe and supportive football culture.
• The role of parents, coaches, and club officials in creating a positive football environment for young players.

Jennie also shares her thoughts on handling disclosures, dealing with difficult safeguarding scenarios, and the need for football to catch up with wider societal changes in areas like mental health and inclusion.

This is a must-listen for coaches, parents, and club officials who want to create a safer, more supportive footballing environment for young players.

This episode draws on the expertise of our comprehensive training course designed for coaches, players, referees, parents/carers, and volunteers - Understanding Neurodiversity in Grassroots Football.

In this episode, we delve into what neurodiversity means – the different ways the brain can work and interpret information, highlighting that people think differently and have varied interests and motivations and importantly, that it is not a mental health condition.

We emphasise the importance of accepting that everyone's brain works differently.

This episode equips listeners with foundational knowledge and practical insights to better support neurodiverse individuals in the grassroots football community.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Grassroots Mental Health Vault