Football Founders

12/05/2026

There is a person in football who knows more than their job title suggests.

They have read the research. Watched the sessions. Spent evenings studying coaches they will probably never meet, taking notes in the margins of things they cannot yet say out loud.

They are not new to ideas. They are new to the room.

And the room has very particular ways of reminding them of that.

Their suggestion gets ignored in the meeting.

Ten minutes later someone senior says the same thing. The room nods. Nobody looks across.

They are told they are enthusiastic. They want to be taken seriously. Those are not the same compliment and they know it.

They stay up past midnight watching coaching content, then run a session the next morning for someone who has never once questioned their own practice. They know the evidence on early specialisation. On enjoyment as the single biggest predictor of whether a young player stays in the game. On what good actually looks like. They watch almost none of it filter through to the environment they are working in.

So they stay quiet. Because the cost of speaking is higher than the reward. Because experience is currency in this industry and they have not accumulated enough of it yet to spend freely. Because they have been told, in so many ways, to wait their turn.

They still show up though.

Still change the session plan at 7am because last week something did not work and they cannot stop thinking about it. Still care more than they are paid to. Still believe the game can be better and that they have something to do with that.

The coaching culture that told them to wait is the same one wondering why it cannot attract and keep good people.

This is who Grow the Game is written for.

If this is where you are right now, follow along.

The ideas are not the problem.

The room will catch up.

15/11/2025

02/10/2025

Why football coaches are built to dominate business (and most don't even know it)

Think about the last time you watched a coach turn around a struggling team mid-season. Now ask yourself: what Fortune 500 CEO wouldn't pay six figures for that skill?

The gap between the touchline and the boardroom? It's smaller than you think.

Here's what the data actually shows:
Leadership that moves the needle
You're already managing egos, resolving conflicts, and uniting 20+ people toward one goal every single week. Companies with highly engaged leadership teams outperform competitors by 147% in earnings per share (Gallup, 2023).

You're not just coaching players—you're running a high-performance organisation.

Strategic adaptation under fire
Remember adjusting your formation at halftime after going down 2-0? That's the same rapid decision-making that separates failing startups from unicorns. Research from McKinsey shows businesses that can pivot strategy quickly are 2.7x more likely to outperform peers during market disruption.

Pressure? You live there. When parents are shouting, players are doubting, and you've got 10 minutes to salvage a season—you find answers. That mental toughness is gold. Studies show 75% of start-ups fail due to founder burnout (CB Insights), but coaches have already built the psychological armour most entrepreneurs desperately need.

You're a learning machine Between coaching courses, tactical YouTube deep-dives, and studying opposition at 11pm—you never switch off. The University of Pennsylvania found that entrepreneurs with "learning agility" are 3.2x more likely to build sustainable businesses. You're already doing this.

Community is your secret weapon, Grassroots coaches especially: you've built trust with parents, inspired loyalty in players, created volunteer networks from nothing. That's not coaching—that's brand building. Customer retention increases by 5% can boost profits by 25-95% (Harvard Business Review). You've been mastering this for years.

The uncomfortable truth: Most coaches don't see themselves as entrepreneurs. Coaching naturally builds the exact same skillset that successful entrepreneurs rely on every day: leadership, resilience, adaptability, and community-building.

The skills transfer 1:1. The question isn't if you could succeed in business—it's when you'll realise that you actually already have everything you need.

So here's my challenge to you: What's one skill you use in coaching that could solve a real problem outside football? Drop it below—I'm genuinely interested in what you come up with.

Because I guarantee someone will pay for what you think is just "normal coaching stuff." 👇
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22/09/2025

Stop just slapping logos on shirts. Here's what actually works...

I see this all the time with grassroots football clubs. They walk into a business and say "Hey, want to put your logo on our shirts?"

That's not sponsorship - that is just fancy and expensive advertising space.

Here's what I've learned actually gets businesses excited: they want to see real results, not just their name on a football shirt (Although it does look cool, right?).

So what should you offer instead?
Get them involved in the community buzz - mentions during matches, local newspaper coverage, inviting them to present trophies at your end-of-season do. People love seeing businesses that actually care about local football.

Use your social media properly. Create content that features them - match day graphics with their branding, player spotlights mentioning the sponsor, "business of the week" posts. It's content they can share with their own customers.

Give them experiences they can't get elsewhere. VIP treatment on match days, hospitality for their clients, chance to hand out awards. Make them feel like they're part of the club family.

Show them the bigger picture - supporting your club means supporting local kids, families, the whole community. That's powerful stuff for their reputation.

Help them get actual customers. Discount codes for club members, prize giveaways, cross-promotions. Make it so they can actually track new business coming from the partnership.

Think long-term. Don't just sell them one season - paint a picture of how you'll grow together over the next few years.

The bottom line? When you show businesses exactly how you'll help them grow their brand and bring in customers, suddenly you're not asking for charity anymore. You're offering them a proper business opportunity.

What's the most creative sponsorship deal your club has ever put together?

https://pyramidfootball.com/