This week, Ben and Mike are joined by renowned neuroscientist and best-selling author, Dr Dean Burnett, to explore what’s really going on inside young players’ minds and why even the calmest parents can turn into full-blown lunatics on the touchline.

From daydreaming and memory lapses to executive function and emotional regulation, Dean unpacks the science behind how children develop and why grassroots football is a uniquely chaotic learning environment for players and parents alike.

They also dig into the long-term impact of sideline behaviour, the real risks of head injuries and how sport shapes social and cognitive growth.

Where to find Dean: https://www.deanburnett.com/

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This week, Ben and Mike sit down with Josh Paul, the inspiring coach behind Fit4Football, to explore the power of the “three-second rule” to the simple, game-changing strategies that keep kids engaged.

Josh shares his no-nonsense wisdom on getting players to listen, talk and move with purpose. They unpack the realities of grassroots football—losing players, managing teams and dealing with social media trolls and dive into how to help kids build awareness, develop leadership on the pitch and bounce back from setbacks.

Josh also opens up about his own journey, from growing up playing in his local park to becoming one of the most relatable voices in youth coaching. This episode is packed with practical tools for parents and coaches who want to raise confident, self-motivated kids, both on and off the field.

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This week, Ben and Mike are joined by Danny Welch - Ben’s dad - for a brutally honest, funny and nostalgic deep-dive into youth football, fatherhood and tough love.

Danny reflects on his old-school approach to parenting, his sideline shouting and why he believed being hard on Ben was the only way to build resilience. They swap stories of freezing rain, tough tackles and touchline scraps, painting a vivid picture of what kids' football looked like in the ‘90s and just how much it’s changed today.

There’s laughter over managers who didn’t know what tactics were and touching memories of how football became the glue in their relationship. They tackle what it means to push your child, when to step back and how those muddy pitches shaped who they both are today.

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This week on It’s Only Kids Football, Ben and Mike are crawling out of the wreckage of presentation night to relive the laughter, logistics and tears of their team’s end-of-season awards.

The duo break down who won what, how the kids performed throughout the season and why every player went home feeling like a star. From picking walkout music for each player and the response to some questionable jokes to Alfie’s mindset breakthrough and Alby's inspirational turnaround, this episode takes you inside the team's special night.

They also look back on a lively 7–4 win against BKS, praising standout performances from Dexter, Ollie and the ever-clinical Freddie. New signing Parker gets a special shout-out for his relentless effort and a crunching tackle that had the coaches grinning on the sideline.

Also featuring: matching hats, lost car keys, ruined social lives and a very drunk brunch by the sea.

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This week, Ben and Mike are joined by Mike's wife and Raph's mum... Estelle Clark, for a refreshingly honest conversation about what it’s like when your family signs up for grassroots football… and it takes over your life.

Estelle opens up about the good, the stressful and the downright ridiculous: from losing weekends to social plans ruined by tournaments. She talks parenting guilt, football obsession and learning what “lock on” means.

She explains how she flopped as kit manager, how Mike’s role as assistant coach brought him closer to Raph and how he’s grown as both a dad and a coach.

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This week, Ben and Mike are joined by Gemma Davies, proud mum of Alby, the goalkeeper who went from pirouettes and daydreaming to a fearless shot-stopper.

It’s a funny and deeply honest look at what it’s like to watch your child struggle in youth football — from Alby’s unpredictable early days outfield to the surprising moment he found his calling in goal.

Gemma gets real about the challenges of watching on the sidelines, the guilt that follows tough car journeys home and the emotional weight parents carry when things go wrong.

They laugh through the toenail complaints and cartwheels, dig into the raw parental emotions behind the game and explore how stepping back as adults can help our kids step up. There’s guilt, growth and a Prosecco or two along the way.

It’s a story about backing your kid when it’s hard, learning when to shut up and the transformation that happens when they finally find where they belong.

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This week, Ben and Mike dive into a tournament day full of sunshine, thrilling football and a semi-final face-off that left everyone in shock. But this one’s not just about the results, it’s about the messy, beautiful business of raising kids through football.

There’s Alfie’s meltdown that triggered a total rethink on parenting and coaching, a mindset coach who helped turn it around and Mike has his own wobble after snapping at Raph mid-game and reflects on the challenge of keeping calm when your kid freezes under pressure.

Freddie makes a pass worthy of the Louvre, Ollie channels his inner Cantona and a scout changes the mood with one well-timed conversation. This episode is about how we show up when our kids fall apart and why that’s when the real learning begins.

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In this episode, Ben and Mike sit down with Dave and Billy, father and son, coach and player, for a raw and emotional look back at their 10-year grassroots football story. What started as a simple volunteer gig turned into a decade of highs, heartbreaks and sideline memories that shaped them both.

As Dave steps away from coaching, he reflects on the emotional weight of managing young players, the tough choices that come with being “Dad” and “Gaffer,” and why he wouldn’t trade it for anything. Billy shares what it was like growing up under his father’s management and why, despite the car ride silences and sideline shouts, he’d do it all over again.

This episode is about the bonds we build when we show up week after week, even when it's hard.

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