This episode dives into the nagging anxiety every parent-coach secretly carries: Am I actually doing a good job? Should I be doing more? Ben and Mike relive a chaotic comeback win featuring a spectacular warm-up wipe-out and a pre-match team talk that fell apart faster than a cheap pop-up goal.

But beneath the muddy knees and over-enthusiastic touchline gesticulations lies something far more important: real progress. Raph and Alf bounce back from a crisis of confidence with maturity, Ollie finds his spark again, Parker turns into a match-winner and the whole team strings together passages of passing football that make the dads briefly consider applying for the Premier League.

Off the pitch, the dads confront the emotional weight of the job — the constant questioning, the comparisons with other teams, the fear they’re not giving enough time, guidance or balance. Through honest reflection and small, satisfying breakthroughs, they realise coaching isn’t about perfection; it’s about effort, patience and letting the kids grow at their own pace.

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In this episode, Ben and Mike relive a turbulent fortnight in their grassroots coaching journey — from a humiliating 7–1 collapse to an emotionally charged comeback win built on grit and passing football.

What starts as a defensive nightmare spirals into soul-searching: confidence crises for both boys, sideline meltdowns, overthinking, burnout and the heavy emotional load that parent-coaches quietly carry.

But woven through the chaos are powerful moments of connection: an unexpected message from Noni Madueke that lifts Alfie from rock bottom, a North London Derby that wipes away a painful morning and two boys showing maturity beyond their years as they confront their weaknesses head-on.

On the pitch, the team rebounds with discipline, teamwork and resilience — and off it, Ben and Mike learn to manage their own expectations, rein in catastrophising, and let their kids simply be who they are.

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: itsonlykidsfootballpodcast@gmail.com

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In this episode, former Southend and Dagenham & Redbridge winger Damien Scannell sits down with Ben and Mike for an honest, vulnerable and often hilarious conversation about fatherhood, identity and the emotional minefield of kids’ football.

Damien reflects on his own childhood — growing up without parents on the touchline, finding freedom in grassroots football and watching his brother go through the academy system far earlier than he did. He explains why that contrast shaped his views on pressure, character and the true purpose of youth sport.

The trio dig into the hardest parts of being a modern dad: the guilt of losing your cool, the car-ride regret, the internal battle between wanting tough kids and emotionally intelligent ones, and how old-school masculinity often clashes with today’s expectations.

Damian shares how working on himself transformed his parenting, why dads project their insecurities onto their kids, and how to build habits, discipline and resilience without breaking their spirit. He also opens up about coaching his own boys, resisting academy FOMO, spotting when pressure becomes toxic, and why the journey matters more than the dream.

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: itsonlykidsfootballpodcast@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.