A message from grassroots coach Darren..... Parents, please understand why some of us do this. I stepped up alongside two other parents, and suddenly we were responsible for 14 children. Later, we had to make the heartbreaking decision to reduce the squad to 12. I still carry the guilt of knowing some children couldn’t stay with us. That’s a side of coaching people rarely see. The difficult decisions, the responsibility and how much we care. You see us on the touchline on a Saturday. You don’t see the evenings planning training, sorting fixtures, answering messages, checking availability and trying to work out how to help every child. I have four children of my own and a busy job that takes me around the country. Like so many volunteer coaches, I’m fitting football around a family, work and everything else life throws at us. We do it because we want your children to have opportunities, build confidence, make friends and enjoy playing football. We don’t get paid. We don’t get everything right. Sometimes we make mistakes. But we turn up every week and try our hardest. Some parents are brilliant. Your support, understanding and offers to help mean more than you probably realise. Before criticising a coach, please remember there’s a person behind that team. Someone with their own family, pressures and worries, giving their time because they care. To every volunteer coach: what you do matters. Respect the coaches. Support the team. Put the children first. ⚽ #GrassrootsFootball #TeamGrassroots #Respect

GOOD MORNING & WELCOME TO THE GRASSROOTS WEEKEND! ⚽❤️ The pitches are ready. The boots are on. The memories are waiting to be made. 📸 Send us your photos 🎥 Send us your videos 📣 Send us your shoutouts Whatever happens, enjoy every minute. Have a brilliant grassroots weekend! ⚽ #grassrootsisback

This season, if you see a referee wearing a yellow armband, they are a child. A young person brave enough to pick up a whistle, walk into the middle of a football pitch and make decisions in front of players, coaches and parents. They won't get every decision right. Neither will the players. Neither will the coaches. Neither will you. So when you see that yellow armband: Be patient. Encourage them. Protect them. Let them learn. Because that 15-year-old you support this weekend could become a referee for the next 30 years. The one who gets shouted at, abused or humiliated? They might put the whistle down on Sunday and never pick it up again. Please share this message. And this weekend, if you see the yellow armband, remember the child wearing it. 💛⚽

☀️We are receiving a significant amount of emails, web chats, and social media messages about the current heatwave with temperatures set to potentially surpass 30 degrees in parts of the UK. Please note The FA does not specify a maximum temperature at which grassroots football must stop. Instead, clubs, coaches and match officials are encouraged to complete a dynamic risk assessment based on the conditions on the day. Our advice is very simple, PLAYER WELFARE has to come first. See comments for link to further info.