Grassroots football is all football that is non-professional and non-elite. This includes, but is not limited to, children's football, schools and youth football, amateur football, football for disabled players, football for veterans and walking football. In short, grassroots football is football played by the masses at a level where participation and a love of the game are the driving forces. Football is more than just a game. It can bring hope and joy to people's lives." - Didier Drogba , reported by CNN .

Once you agree upon the price you and your family must pay for success, it enables you to ignore the minor hurts, the opponent’s pressure, and the temporary failures.” Think about how you can also encourage the growth of grassroots football beyond your own town, by organising football tournaments with other football teams in different areas near you. To show the importance of everyone’s contribution, and to encourage them to keep grassroots football alive, you should consider how you will reward each player. The simplest and most common way to reward players is to give out sports trophies, with 1 st 2 nd 3 rd place awards. If you browse the collection on joblot-trophies.co.uk, you’ll be able to see these awards which can be personalised for each player being awarded. They also have a whole host of other prizes and rewards, like trophy cups, medals and even fridge magnets that can be personalised and tailored to your football club with trophy engraving. However, you could also award prizes to the best players or to players who have had the best effort, with opportunities for them to develop their football skills with a one-on-one coaching session with a professional footballer. My personal coaching philosophy, my mentality? Has always been to make things as difficult as possible for the players in practice. However bad we can make them, I make them.”

Soccer Sayings for Rainy Days

In football as in watchmaking, talent and elegance mean nothing without rigour and precision." - Lionel Messi, reported by The Guardian . Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and respect for authority.”

Needs to Satisfy • Political / public support of grassroots program • An organization / structure to implement the schemes • The technical know-how in the form of enlightened parents and trained coaches On the pitch and for life generally, I keep my center by remembering that I am part of a team, and if I don’t do my part, I let down not just my team but everyone who follows it.” All of which went unpunished by the ‘home’ referee (Qualified ref by the way), who looked like he couldn’t care less. The welfare of the children was not on his radar at all. All of this in a format called ‘Festival Football’ which is supposed to be about fun, learning, development and teamwork. Football is a universal language. It brings people together, irrespective of their nationalities, cultures or beliefs." - George Weah, reported by Al Jazeera.What is Grassroots Soccer - 4 • it’s much more than just winning and losing • Encourages social integration • Creates a sense of community • Supports health education • Provides help for disadvantaged groups

Football is not a sport for the elite…… • It is available for everyone, irrespective of size, shape, color or faith. • It is a real sporting democracy, which offers educational values, health benefits, social opportunities, and sporting worth. The game is a wonderful vehicle for personal and sporting development. • At the base of the football pyramid, grassroots football benefits all levels of the game. • UEFA's mission as the parent body of European football includes helping to ensure that the sport maintains a healthy grassroots – the foundation on which the élite game can thrive. If we lose, we do it gracefully. If we win, its because we have played better football than the other team and we do that gracefully as well Remember, once you set a goal, it’s all about how hard you’re willing to work, how much you’re willing to sacrifice and how badly you truly want it.” – J.J. Watt Let me say this again: I'm not a childminder; I'm a qualified coach. Experienced too. Keen and passionately interested in helping the children fall in love with the game and reach their potential in a safe, fun-filled environment. Got that. Good. Now please let me let them play. They're children. That's what they love to do. They take play very, very seriously. 10) Bring on the dream team Success isn’t measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.” – Mike Ditka

Funny Soccer Quotes for Kids

Football is a game that is played with the brain. We have to use our heads." - Pelé, reported by The New York Times. Firstly, these words talk of dedication and passion. Secondly, they capture the heart and drive required to rise above the critics and ignore the naysayers. These are powerful qualities to instill in men, women, and children alike. It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever — the one who recognizes the challenges and does something about it.” You definitely go through a stage, most coaches do, where you see a good player and you get enamored, you really like what the player does, but then when you put him into your system, it’s not quite the same player that he was in another system. He has some strengths, but you can’t utilize all those strengths. If you try to utilize all his strengths, you end up weakening a lot of other players who are already in your system.”

UEFA Grassroots Charter • Leaders Programs • Certified Courses • (min. 60 hours) • Volunteer Courses • (min. 12 hours) • Players Programs • for children (5 12) • for youth (12 19) The children are more important than the activities in which they are engaged. The game is not the thing, the child is.” We always try to win until the very end. If we don’t, we congratulate the opponent. That’s what sport is about.” What is Grassroots Soccer - 2 • For some it is: • Recreational fun activities -- casual, friendly • School or club-based soccer -- regular training and organized match schedule • Structured development program -- • for a limited number who show outstanding potential Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will be judged by only one thing-the result.”At many a moment on many a day, I am convinced that pro football must be a game for madmen, and I must be one of them.” Football is a great deal like life in that it teaches that work, sacrifice, perseverance, competitive drive, selflessness and respect for authority is the price that each and every one of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.” The children are more important than the sport in which they are engaged. The game is not the thing, the child is…..