Can My Child Attend Extra Football Training While Playing for a Grassroots Club?
Yes—in most cases, children can attend additional football coaching while continuing to play for their grassroots club.
WMF Coaching Team
7 min read
Yes—in most cases, children can attend additional football coaching while continuing to play for their grassroots club.
Many young players in Blackwood and the surrounding Caerphilly area attend weekly football coaching alongside their regular grassroots training and matches.
The two types of football can work together. A grassroots club gives children the opportunity to represent a team, play matches and develop relationships with teammates. Additional coaching can provide more time on the ball and greater focus on individual development.
At We Make Footballers Blackwood, our weekly sessions are designed to complement grassroots football rather than replace it.
What Is Additional Football Training?
Additional football training is any coaching a child attends outside their usual grassroots team schedule.
This could include:
- Weekly group coaching
- Technical development sessions
- One-to-one football training
- Goalkeeper-specific coaching
- School-holiday football camps
- Girls-only football sessions
The purpose of additional training should not be to overload a child or create pressure. It should give them another enjoyable opportunity to practise, learn and build confidence.
Will Extra Training Affect My Child’s Grassroots Club?
Attending a weekly coaching session will not normally prevent a child from continuing to play for their grassroots team.
We Make Footballers Blackwood is a coaching programme, not a traditional grassroots club. Children can attend our sessions while continuing to train and play matches for their existing team.
Our sessions do not require players to leave their current club.
Parents should still check whether their club, development centre or academy has introduced any specific policies regarding outside coaching. This is particularly important for players registered with professional or licensed academy programmes.
Communication is always helpful. A good additional coach should respect the work being done by the child’s grassroots team and avoid placing the player between two conflicting approaches.
What Are the Benefits of Extra Football Training?
Grassroots coaches often work with full squads and have limited training time each week. They must prepare the whole team while managing different positions, abilities and development needs.
Additional coaching can give players more opportunities to work on their individual game.
More Touches of the Ball
Young players improve by spending time with the football.
Smaller groups and carefully designed practices can give children more repeated opportunities to dribble, pass, receive, turn and finish.
The aim is not simply to keep children busy. Each activity should encourage them to make decisions and use the ball under realistic pressure.
Improved Confidence
Some children become quieter during team training, particularly when joining a new group or playing alongside more confident teammates.
An additional coaching environment can give them the freedom to try things without worrying about making mistakes.
As their technique improves, children often become more willing to receive the ball, take on opponents and express themselves during matches.
Greater Individual Development
A team session must focus on the needs of the whole group. Additional training can spend more time developing individual skills such as:
- Ball mastery
- First touch
- Dribbling
- Passing and receiving
- Turning away from pressure
- One-versus-one attacking
- One-versus-one defending
- Shooting and finishing
- Decision-making
These are skills children can take back into their grassroots training and matches.
A Different Coaching Voice
Children sometimes benefit from hearing an idea explained in a different way.
This does not mean one coach is right and another is wrong. Different coaches use different activities, language and demonstrations. Exposure to another positive coaching environment can help a player understand the game from a new perspective.
More Time to Enjoy Football
For many children, the biggest benefit is straightforward: they enjoy playing football and want to do more of it.
Additional sessions should help protect that enjoyment. Children should leave feeling enthusiastic about returning rather than feeling that football has become another source of pressure.
Does My Child Need to Be an Advanced Player?
No.
Additional football training is not only for academy players or children considered the strongest in their team.
It can help:
- Beginners learning the fundamentals
- Children who want to build confidence
- Grassroots players looking for extra practice
- Players preparing to move into a new age group
- Children who simply want to play more football
At We Make Footballers Blackwood, children are supported according to their current stage of development. The objective is to help each player improve rather than compare them constantly with others.
Could My Child Be Doing Too Much Football?
Extra training can be beneficial, but more football is not automatically better.
The right amount depends on the child’s age, enthusiasm, physical development and existing schedule.
Parents should consider:
- How many times the child already trains
- Their weekend match schedule
- Whether they play other sports
- Their school commitments
- Whether they are getting enough rest
- How they feel before and after sessions
Signs that a child may need more recovery include persistent tiredness, recurring aches, irritability and a noticeable loss of enthusiasm.
There should also be opportunities for unstructured play, family time and other interests. A balanced schedule is more sustainable than trying to fill every available evening with organised training.
Most importantly, ask the child how they feel. They should be excited to attend additional football rather than feeling forced to participate.
How Do I Choose the Right Additional Football Coaching?
Not every football coaching programme will be right for every child.
Before booking, parents should look at the quality of the environment as well as the drills being advertised.
Qualified and Safely Recruited Coaches
Parents should feel comfortable asking about coaching qualifications, experience and safeguarding procedures.
Anyone working with children in junior football should operate within appropriate safeguarding requirements. The Football Association of Wales states that individuals involved in junior football must complete the relevant DBS process before taking part in junior football activity.
Age-Appropriate Sessions
A session for a four-year-old should look very different from one designed for an eleven-year-old.
Younger children need engaging activities, simple instructions and opportunities to explore movement and the ball. Older players may be ready for more tactical detail, position-specific work and realistic game scenarios.
Plenty of Ball Contact
Children should not spend most of the session standing in queues or listening to lengthy explanations.
Look for sessions that keep players involved and provide regular touches of the ball.
A Positive Environment
Good coaching should challenge players without making them afraid to make mistakes.
Listen to how coaches communicate. Children should be encouraged, supported and given clear feedback.
Realistic Promises
Be cautious of programmes that guarantee academy contracts or professional opportunities.
No coach can promise where a child’s football journey will lead. A responsible programme should focus on improving the player, supporting their enjoyment and helping them reach the next appropriate stage.
How We Make Footballers Works Alongside Grassroots Football
Our Blackwood coaching sessions are designed to support the work children are already doing with their grassroots teams.
We focus on developing technically confident and creative players through:
- Ball mastery
- One-versus-one practices
- Passing and receiving
- Finishing
- Small-sided games
- Decision-making under pressure
Children do not need to leave their grassroots club to train with us.
Players from across Blackwood, Pontllanfraith, Oakdale, Newbridge, Ystrad Mynach and the wider Caerphilly area can attend additional coaching while continuing to represent their existing teams.
We also welcome beginners who have not yet joined a grassroots club.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my child attend We Make Footballers and play for another team?
Yes. Children can attend our weekly coaching sessions while continuing to train and play for their grassroots club.
Will you ask my child to leave their grassroots team?
No. Our weekly Blackwood sessions are designed to provide additional coaching and do not require children to leave their existing club.
Is extra football training only for advanced players?
No. Additional coaching can support complete beginners, grassroots players and more experienced children. Sessions should challenge each child at an appropriate level.
How many football sessions should my child attend each week?
There is no single answer that applies to every child. Consider their age, current schedule, recovery and enthusiasm. The child should still have time to rest, enjoy other activities and play football informally.
What happens during a We Make Footballers Blackwood session?
Sessions include technical practices, one-versus-one activities, passing, finishing and small-sided games. The emphasis is on giving children plenty of contact with the ball in a positive environment.
Book a Football Taster Session in Blackwood
Additional coaching can give your child more touches of the ball, greater confidence and another opportunity to enjoy football—without replacing their grassroots team.
We Make Footballers Blackwood provides weekly football coaching for children at Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni.
Children can attend alongside their current grassroots commitments, while beginners are also welcome to start their football journey with us.
Book your child’s Blackwood taster session:
Related Articles
Competitive Football Teams and Player Development in Ebbw Vale | We Make Footballers
Discover the competitive football pathway available through We Make Footballers Ebbw Vale and WMF Gwent, helping young players improve their technical ability, confidence and competitive match experience.
Football Classes for 4-Year-Olds in Blackwood | Parent’s Guide
Looking for football classes for a 4-year-old in Blackwood? Discover what to expect, whether your child needs experience and how We Make Footballers helps young players get started.
Competitive Football Teams and Player Development in Brynmawr | We Make Footballers
Discover the competitive football pathway available through We Make Footballers Brynmawr and WMF Gwent, helping young players develop their technical ability, confidence and match experience.