What should you do if your daughter is showing some talent and wants to try to progress in football?In this episode Sam Cobbinah and Jade Bradley from One XI, a football consultancy that bridges the gap between grassroots football and Academies, help navigate the confusing pathway from grassroots up to elite levels in the game. We also coverHow much football is too much - training load, recovery and rest Talent versus mindset — why ability alone isn’t enoughWhat coaches should do when they have a genuinely talented player — including why holding onto your best player might not actually be doing her any favours.How parents can support without piling on the pressure What girls’ football should avoid copying from the men’s gameYou can find out about pathway consultancy with One XI or one-to one coaching with Sam and Jade on Instagram. Check out:OneXI - https://www.instagram.com/onexiofficial/Sam - https://www.instagram.com/samcobbinah/Jade - https://www.instagram.com/jbperformancecoach/For more clips and insights on the girls' game, follow us on  @kickitherway ​

Should a football manager set standards that extend way beyond football?

Craig Carter thinks so. He’s coached the same mixed team for eight years and flies a Pride flag at every match as a simple way of showing that everyone is welcome.

It started as a personal show of support for his gay brother, then became even more meaningful when one of his players began transitioning.

And while his team’s parents have embraced his actions, not everyone has been quite so accepting.

Also in this episode:

A masterclass in making sure the manager, the parents and the players are all in agreement for a smooth season

What happened when opposition players deliberately targeted the Pride flag with muddy footballs

The time when Craig got totally trolled online after posting a photo supporting Football v homophobia.

Why the job of a grassroots football coach is about developing decent human beings as well as decent footballers.

Want to know more about Craig and his football coaching? You can find him here: https://www.facebook.com/p/Craig-Carter-Football-Coaching-100086598272962/ or fllow @kickitherway for more clips and insights.

What was it like to be a girl who loved football when girls didn’t really play football?

This week's guest, Jenny Hopping ,was lucky enough to find out.

She played with the boys at primary school, became the first girl to play for the school team and later played for the first Chelsea Ladies side.

These days she’s a teacher who has spent more than 20 years working with teenage girls - and she’s still playing football herself.

I expected Jenny to tell me how different life is for girls growing up now.

She didn't.

We also discuss...

How much more opportunity girls have now

Are parents putting too much pressure on their children?

Why pointing out every mistake from the touchline really doesn’t help

What we can do to stop girls dropping out of football when they hit year 9.

Follow @kickitherway for more clips and insights.

Is grassroots football asking too much of volunteers?

They’re managing on the sidelines, they’re running clubs, they’re making leagues happen. 

Yes, it’s always been the case, but in an era where people’s expectations are higher than ever is that still enough? 

In this episode, I talk to Coral John, Chair of the Berkshire County Girls Football League, about the reality of running a league for more than 5,000 players – largely through the work of volunteers

Also listen out for:

Academies are selling the dream (but are they delivering?)  12:06

Winning versus equal game time (and I admit I can’t really get my head round it!) — 8:14

The surprising way the BCGL discovered clubs playing ineligible players -  7:05

And how even in 2026, girls are still getting the leftovers.  - 21:03

If you'd like to find out what made the Berkshire County Girls League stand out as the League of the Season? Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixby9MSSpRo

Follow @kickitherway for more clips and insights.

Do girls actually need professional coaching to get better at football or can parent coaches give them everything they need?

I quizzed Max Fouracre, owner of Platform Sports Coaching and Women’s Academy Coach at Chelsea, on what pros do differently and the things that volunteers could learn from them. 

He shares the one thing that matters most in every training session - whoever is taking it (and it may not be what you expect).

Then, in the second half, we move further up the football pathway and talk about what separates elite girls from the grassroots and why you may want to have a rethink if you’re paying for your ‘Academy’.

We also cover:

How the way people their daughter’s football team has change (09:00)

The well-meaning thing parents are doing that may cause their kids to fall out of love with football (15:11)

Whether some parents are being exploited by football that promises too much (20:40)

Where the new generation of female coaches are plying their trade (36:35)

If you want to know more about Max or how Platform can help to develop your daughter, check out https://platformsportscoaching.co.uk/ or follow them on Instagram.

Follow @kickitherway for more clips and insights.

Imagine volunteering to manage your daughter’s football team and finding you spend Tuesday to Sunday feeling sick with nerves about that week’s match….

Or being told it looks like you’re doing the job with stabilisers on…

In this episode of The Thing Is… Girls ‘Grassroots Football, Charlotte Crinnion gives her real-life insights into the things that no one tells you about managing a girls football team.

We also chat about:

The time she and her girls were totally disrespected by a boy’s team. (05:18)

Whether the mums or dads were the biggest critics (10:02)

How a post-match ‘Three Cheers’ sent me into a depressive spiral. (10:54)

And why, despite all of the above, seeing what football can give a girl makes it all worthwhile. (12:48)

Then I reveal the one time I showed off the chip on my shoulder when I got mansplained on the side of a football pitch (18:19)

Follow @kickitherway for more .

Think you’ve got what it takes to manage a girls' football team?

We caught up with Eamonn Newell, a dad who couldn’t find a football club for his daughter so he started one!

10 years on the club, Twickenham Cygnets, has now expanded to more than 28 girls teams - and over 300 players each season, which means he knows what it takes to be a good girls football manager.

In this, the first ever episode we also cover why there are still so few women managing girls football teams…(11:59)

Why that might not be a bad thing for the dad and daughter dynamic…(24:38)

What the Cygnets have done to get more women involved (10:35)

And what the worst mistake he sees girls grassroots 'football managers making. (13:03)