Introduction
“Still going, starting at U7 and now U16 with a happy bunch of currently 18 kids. Hoping to see it through to U18. And we have included kids who did not get to play much at other clubs and kids who no other club would take.” — Stephen Kavanagh, FCA Member
Nine years. Same team. Eighteen players who still love the game.
This testimonial from our community captures something rare in grassroots football. Most coaches leave after a few seasons. Most players quit before reaching their teenage years. But some coaches commit to the long game.
What Nine Years Actually Looks Like
The first few years are often the hardest. Results rarely match effort. Parents question decisions. Progress feels invisible.
But coaches who stay through those years see something different emerge.
“It is not a quick process but it is worthwhile when you see what you practice begin to emerge on a game day. I believe that it is one of the most satisfying things ever.” — Steve Miles, FCA Member
The foundation work starts showing. Players who struggled begin thriving. By year six, teams that lost constantly start competing. By year eight, winning regularly.
The Philosophy That Makes Longevity Possible
Inclusion matters more than selection at the grassroots level.
“We have included kids who did not get to play much at other clubs and kids who no other club would take.”
That philosophy keeps players in the game. Some become the team’s best players. Some do not. But all of them belong.
Building a team worth staying on matters more than building a winning team. Winning comes eventually when players stay long enough to develop. But they only stay if they feel they belong.
What Short-Term Thinking Costs
Short-term thinking destroys grassroots football. Clubs chase the best players, win some trophies, then wonder why half their team quits at U14.
Youth football has a retention crisis. The majority of players quit before reaching their teenage years.
Perhaps the solution is not better drills. Perhaps it is environments worth staying in.
“Taking a team from U9s all the way through to U18 and finishing with a squad of 19 players who all still enjoyed their football.” — Anthony Kelly, FCA Member
That is what long-term commitment creates. Players who stay. Players who still enjoy it at the end.
The Ripple Effect
“Players still calling me ‘gaffer’ whenever they see me, years after managing them when you bump into them outside of football. Still really close to a lot of my ex players.” — Jamie Birch, FCA Member
Some of these kids will become coaches. Some will become parents of players. They will remember what this felt like. And they will try to recreate it.
Trophies collect dust. But the impact of creating somewhere kids feel they belong? That echoes forward.
What Longevity Teaches
I think differently about commitment now.
I stopped thinking in seasons and started thinking in years. What would I do differently if I knew I would be with my team for a decade?
I became more patient with struggling players. More focused on environment than results. More invested in relationships than rankings.
Not everyone will coach for nine years. But everyone can coach like they are planning to.
Eighteen players went home happy, connected, and still in love with football.
Nine years from now, most of them will probably still be playing.
That is what longevity creates.
Want to build something that lasts?
The Football Coaching Academy is a community of coaches thinking long-term. Join 1,600+ coaches building environments worth staying in. $1/month to start.