Mum wants grassroots football to be more inclusive

A parent and GP is pushing for grassroots football to be more inclusive after her son, who has dyspraxia, felt forced out of his club for being a "weaker player".

Millie has said her eight-year-old son Arthur's condition affects his balance, co-ordination and processing, and he was given less game time than his peers until he stopped playing.

She said she would like all children to be able to "go and play at their local team, play alongside their friends, and for it to be genuinely inclusive".

Derbyshire County Football Association's (DCFA) Luke Wilkinson said Arthur's story had "raised awareness of the gaps in provision" and invited Millie to join the body's neurodiversity working group.

Wilkinson took on the role of football development officer at DCFA four months ago, working across female football, disability and inclusion.

He said listening to Arthur's story was "a big learning curve" and was keen to bring Millie's "passion and GP expertise" on to their neurodiversity working group.

"If you're going through that same experience, don't hide it. Come and talk to us and let's see how can we help you and your child, or children, keep playing the sport," he said.

Wilkinson explained that the association offered a range of disability specific provision, including Comets, a pan-disability football programme for five to 11 year olds.

However, he said bringing those Comets players into mainstream grassroots football was an area for the FA to work on, but felt confident this could be achieved as part of 2040 FA strategy.

He also said he was looking to develop a bespoke Derbyshire neurodiversity module for mainstream coaches to "learn and make their club more inclusive".

Derby County fan, Arthur, started playing football from age four and was excited to sign up to his first Under 7s side.

"I love having a kick about with my friends, keeping myself moving, I enjoy the sport and I like socialising with my team," Arthur said.

But after being part of the club for a year and a half, Arthur found he was getting "significantly less" playing time than the other children.

"I was getting subbed loads and loads of times. I was only coming on to the pitch for like 15 or 20 minutes and I just started to feel less valued," he said.

"He lost his confidence, he'd lost the love of the game, he started to say he didn't really want to go and he wasn't enjoying it," said his mum, Millie.

She raised the issue with the coaches but was told her son was a "weaker player" and the team needed to "focus on winning".

"We were told that if he didn't improve, he would be removed from the team," said Millie, who requested not to name the team, because she was confident this was a wider issue across grassroots clubs, having spoken with other affected families.

One of those was a football coach and dad of three, who said his middle child had been given less playing time than his peers.

"It's honestly unfair. They come home upset. Boys being boys, they taunt each other and take the mickey, that makes them more upset and parents have to deal with it," said the dad, who asked to remain anonymous.

He said he kept a record of the playing time of each his players and gives each child equal playing time and opportunities to play in all positions.

"For us as coaches, we don't always need to take it so seriously and remember why we're doing it - to allow them to play football, for the fun of it, and that's something the children can take into later life," he added.

Millie has looked at other football opportunities for Arthur but said trials for "mid to high level players" were stopping her son from accessing the sport.

Arthur said: "I've been to a lot of clubs and autistic, ADHD, dyspraxia children, like myself, aren't getting included as much because of their disabilities. People take it the wrong way and say they can't be in the club."

His mum added: "If their lasting experience, as a child aged eight, is being told they weren't good enough, they might be put off football for life."

Vicci Wells OBE is the assistant director of children and young people for the charity Youth Sport Trust.

Having heard Arthur's story, she said "children develop at different rates and in different ways".

"To help them succeed means we need coaches who are curious about what helps that individual child, rather than expecting every child to learn and perform in exactly the same way," she added.

"Inclusion is about much more than giving a child the opportunity to join a team.

"It is about creating an environment where they feel they belong, valued and able to participate in a way that meaningfully works for them."

Sophia Prout, business manager at Neurodiverse Sport, has investigated neuroinclusion in community sport.

She said there was "little to no resources available focusing on neurodiversity".

"Neurodivergence was more visible than ever, yet coaches and community leaders were largely learning on the job," she said.

The organisation has worked together with the charity, StreetGames, to provide a free online course to help coaches, or those working at community sports organisations, learn more about the needs of neurodivergent athletes and participants.

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