Can My Child Attend Extra Soccer Training While Playing for a Grassroots Club?

Yes—in most cases, children can attend additional soccer coaching while continuing to play for their grassroots club.

Many young players in Blackwood and the surrounding Caerphilly area attend weekly soccer coaching alongside their regular grassroots training and matches.

The two types of soccer 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 soccer rather than replace it.

What Is Additional Soccer Training?

Additional soccer 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 soccer training
• Goalkeeper-specific coaching
• School-holiday soccer camps
• Girls-only soccer 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 program, 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 programs.

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 Soccer 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 soccer.

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 Soccer

For many children, the biggest benefit is straightforward: they enjoy playing soccer 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 soccer has become another source of pressure.

Does My Child Need to Be an Advanced Player?

No.

Additional soccer 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 soccer

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 Soccer?

Extra training can be beneficial, but more soccer 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 soccer rather than feeling forced to participate.

How Do I Choose the Right Additional Soccer Coaching?

Not every soccer coaching program 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 soccer should operate within appropriate safeguarding requirements. The Football Association of Wales states that individuals involved in junior soccer must complete the relevant DBS process before taking part in junior soccer 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 programs that guarantee academy contracts or professional opportunities.

No coach can promise where a child’s soccer journey will lead. A responsible program should focus on improving the player, supporting their enjoyment and helping them reach the next appropriate stage.

How We Make Footballers Works Alongside Grassroots Soccer

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 soccer 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 soccer 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 soccer 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 Soccer Taster Session in Blackwood

Additional coaching can give your child more touches of the ball, greater confidence and another opportunity to enjoy soccer—without replacing their grassroots team.

We Make Footballers Blackwood provides weekly soccer coaching for children at Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni.

Children can attend alongside their current grassroots commitments, while beginners are also welcome to start their soccer journey with us.

Book your child’s Blackwood taster session:

https://www.wemakefootballers.com/blackwood