I may not be a coach however I still attend every game cheering on every child as if they were my own. I may not be a coach however I attend every training session arriving before and leaving way after collecting subs, taking messages and helping sort kits etc.

I spend hours watching other peoples children play football when my own are not even playing. I have lost count on the amount of times that our family life has come second – late night calls, rushed dinners as my partner has to leave to go to league meetings, attending parent evenings on my own as it clashes with training. 

I stand and listen to the moaning of the other parents, “Why is coach playing him in the wrong position, coach is too loud, coach is too quiet” – the same parents who sit in their warm cars whilst training is on and want a lift for their child in the morning as they have enjoyed a night out. I bite my tongue so hard and walk away before I say something I would regret.

I console my child when he hears the moaning of the other parents about his Dad/Mum and when he feels he has to work twice as hard to prove hes not playing just because his parent is coach. I am there when my other children run late for their extra activities as we had to give a child a lift as my partners car was full.

But I am not a Coach. I am a Grassroots Coaches partner and a parent. I do all this to support my Husband/Wife doing something they love and watch one of my children play and learn a sport they love. I love supporting each child and watching them grow, bond and have fun.

Anon