My youth football management career

After six years of managing a junior football team at Berkhamsted Raiders CFC, from U8 to U14 next season, I thought it was about time I started a blog about football for kids. I blog for my business (see the Health Tourism Blog), so why not do it for my part time unpaid job as well?

I’ve worked my way up the promotional ladder of youth football, holding the following positions on the way:

• Dad on the touchline
• Dad who will help put the goals up
• Dad who will run the line.
• Dad who will ref the game
• Assistant Manager
• Manager
• Age Group Coordinator
• Club Committee Member – Communications and Webmaster
• And currently the dizzy heights of Chairman!

As you can see there’s a clearly defined promotional structure to youth football clubs! You may recognise your own position on the ladder....It's been an enjoyable "career" and one that I don't regret.

In this "Chairman's Blog", I'll give you an insight into running a youth football club, some of the things that we've done at Raiders that other clubs might learn from and some of my thoughts on how youth football and football development should be run (then we might have a chance of winning a World Cup....).