You’ve got a question. A challenge. A situation you don’t know how to handle.
So where do you go? Facebook groups. Thousands of them. Tens of thousands of members.
And within three replies, Dave shows up.
When you need advice, the options are limited.
There’s no ongoing support system. The one-off training you did six months ago didn’t cover this specific situation. Your club’s welfare officer is in the same boat as you.
So you turn to Facebook.
Grassroots football coaching groups. Youth football forums. Neurodiversity in sport pages. There’s clearly a need. The groups are massive. The questions are constant.
And the advice you get?
Wildly inconsistent. Sometimes helpful. Sometimes actively harmful.
Football is trying to solve its biggest challenges on Facebook. And that’s worrying.
They’re unmoderated
Or if they are moderated, it’s poorly done. Anyone can post. Anyone can respond. There’s no quality control on advice.
You ask about supporting a player with ADHD, and someone tells you, “they just need more discipline.”
You ask about sensory overwhelm, and someone says, “kids these days are too soft.”
You ask about reasonable adjustments, and someone responds, “we don’t do special treatment here.”
They’re hostile
Here’s how it usually goes:
You post a genuine question. Something you’re struggling with. You’re asking for help because you care about getting it right.
And Dave shows up.
Dave thinks neurodiversity is a fad. Mental health is “just getting on with it.” Reasonable adjustments are “making excuses.” Dave makes you feel like an idiot for even asking.
He tells you, “I don’t see an issue here, welcome to the real world.” (That’s an actual quote, by the way.)
And suddenly you’re defending yourself instead of getting help. Other members pile on. The thread can become toxic.
You log off feeling worse than when you started.
The advice is legally wrong
Here’s the dangerous bit.
People confidently giving advice have no idea what the Equality Act actually requires.
“Just treat everyone the same” – legally incorrect.
“Make them get a diagnosis before you help” – legally incorrect.
“You can’t be expected to make adjustments for every special need” – legally incorrect.
But it sounds authoritative. It sounds like common sense. So coaches believe it. And then they act on it. And then they’re non-compliant. Not because they’re trying to discriminate. Because they got bad advice from a Facebook group.
There’s no context
You describe a situation in 200 words. Someone responds based on that snapshot. They don’t know your club. Your resources. Your specific players. Your league’s policies.
So the advice is generic. Abstract. Often not applicable to your actual situation.
Not Facebook. Not guesswork. Not Dave’s opinion.
Safe spaces to ask questions
Moderated communities where hostility is shut down immediately. Where you can ask “stupid questions” without judgement. Where other coaches/welfare officers/referees/players and volunteers are dealing with the same challenges and can share what’s actually working on the pitch.
Expert guidance
From people who understand both neurodiversity and grassroots football.
Not clinical psychologists who’ve never coached. Not coaches who don’t understand ND. People who can translate evidence-based strategies into practical, pitch-ready tools.
Football-specific resources
Not generic disability awareness. Not school-based strategies that don’t translate to football. Checklists for match days. Communication templates for parents. Adjustment guides for training sessions.
Resources you can actually use on a weekend.
Ongoing CPD
One-off, tick-box, solitary e-learning that’s designed so you don’t fail, just don’t cut it.
The challenges you’re facing change week to week. New players join. Situations evolve. You need ongoing development that keeps pace with reality.
Monthly expert sessions. Updated resources. Continuous learning.
Legal grounding
What does the Equality Act actually require? What are reasonable adjustments in a grassroots football context? What documentation protects you? You need answers grounded in law, not Facebook opinions.
Volunteers in grassroots football are working in silos.
They used to learn through in-person badge courses. Weeks together. Building relationships. Swapping strategies over coffee. COVID killed that. Everything moved online. E-learning modules you complete alone at home while watching Netflix in the background.
Tick the boxes. Get the certificate. Go back to your club. Alone.
When challenges arise, there’s no network to turn to. No peer group who gets it. No support system.
So volunteers:
And clubs lose good volunteers. We get emails weekly telling us this.
All because the support infrastructure collapsed, and nothing adequate replaced it.
A fiercely moderated peer community where coaches can share challenges and learn from each other.
Expert-led CPD sessions covering neurodiversity, mental health, safeguarding, legal compliance, and practical coaching strategies.
Football-specific resources that solve real problems – updated monthly as new challenges emerge.
Documentation tools that make Equality Act compliance straightforward, not bureaucratic.
And crucially – parallel support for parents, so families are educated partners rather than frustrated adversaries.
A complete, ongoing system. Not a one-off workshop. Not a Facebook group. Not Dave’s opinion.
An actual support infrastructure that recognises the complexity of what volunteers are being asked to do, and gives them the tools to do it well.
Talk to your County FA.
Ask if they provide safe, expert-led support networks for coaches and welfare officers. Ask if the support is ongoing, not just one-off training.
Ask if it’s moderated, evidence-based and football-specific.
Ask if they offer parallel support for parents, so families and clubs are working from the same playbook.
If they don’t have good answers, you’re being left to figure this out on Facebook.
And Facebook can’t solve this.
Dave certainly can’t.
We’ve solved this problem and more with the FMHA Neurodiversity, Mental Health & Safeguarding Academy.
The FMHA Neurodiversity, Mental Health & Safeguarding Academy gives your entire club unlimited access to:
Not a one-off workshop. Not a Facebook group. An ongoing support system built specifically for grassroots football.
The resources and support provided in The Vault are designed to promote mental wellbeing and provide general guidance on mental health related to grassroots football.
However, the content is not intended to serve as specific mental health advice or replace consultation with a trained professional. If you or someone you know requires personalised mental health support, we strongly encourage you to consult with a licensed mental health professional and/or seek appropriate services in your area.
