FMHAHelp Beyond The Pitch
01 / 12
Grassroots football training

Understanding Neurodiversity in Grassroots Football

A practical course for clubs that want to support players better, communicate with more care, and build safer football environments.

FMHAThe starting point
02 / 12
The reality

Your club already has neurodivergent players.

Some will be diagnosed. Some will be waiting. Some will never use the language at all.

The question is not whether they are there.

The question is whether the adults around them know what they are seeing and what to try next.

FMHAThe gap
03 / 12
Misread behaviour

Too often, need gets mistaken for attitude.

“They’re not listening.”
“They’re being disruptive.”
“They’re difficult on match day.”
“They can do it when they want to.”

The course helps coaches, officials and club adults pause before judging, then respond with better structure.

FMHAWhy it matters
04 / 12
Not just inclusion language

This is about player experience, parent trust and club risk.

Players
More confidence

Players are more likely to stay engaged when the environment makes sense to them.

Families
More trust

Parents want to know their child will be understood, not just selected.

Clubs
More protection

Reasonable adjustments matter when needs are known, observable, or should reasonably be understood.

FMHAWho it is for
05 / 12
Built for the people around the player

Grassroots football is a whole-club environment.

CoachesAdapting sessions, instructions, feedback and matchday routines.
Parents and carersUnderstanding what support can look like without stigma or overclaiming.
Referees and officialsRecognising when behaviour may need context, communication or calm.
Volunteers and committeesBuilding club-wide awareness, confidence and safer decision-making.
FMHAWhat delegates learn
06 / 12
Practical, football-shaped learning

Know what to look for. Know what to try.

Understand ND conditionsADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and how needs can show up in football.
Identify needs and triggersOverstimulation, uncertainty, rejection sensitivity, transitions and pressure.
Adapt communicationClearer instructions, better preparation, calmer feedback and consistent language.
Handle match-day momentsSupport players before behaviour escalates or gets mislabelled.
FMHAThe course arc
07 / 12
Five modules

From awareness to action.

Module 1
Introduction to neurodiversity

Definitions, prevalence, ADHD, autism and wider neurodevelopmental conditions.

Module 2
Behaviour in football

Triggers, misconceptions, stimming and how behaviour can be misread.

Module 3
Strategies for coaches

Training methods, communication, preparation and difficult moments.

Module 4
Officials and referees

Understanding on-pitch behaviours and managing games with context.

Module 5
Families and teams

Supporting parents, teammates, empathy and whole-club culture.

FMHACompliance without panic
08 / 12
Reasonable adjustments

Support should not wait for paperwork.

If a player’s needs are visible, known or reasonably understood, clubs need adults who can respond properly.

Safer club language

The training does not turn coaches into clinicians. It gives them practical awareness, better questions, stronger communication and a clearer route to support.

ObserveAdaptRecordSignpost
FMHAWhole club value
09 / 12
Beyond the session

Training should leave a club with something it can use.

Resource pack
Presentation and support materials

So the learning can be revisited, shared and turned into club practice.

Club support
Neurodiversity support planning

A route from individual awareness to wider club action.

Visibility
Graphics, posters and club messaging

Helping clubs show families that neurodiversity support is part of the culture.

FMHAEstimator bridge
10 / 12
Start with your own club

Make the numbers real before the training starts.

The Club Neurodiversity Calculator helps clubs estimate how many neurodivergent players may already be in their setting.

That changes the conversation. This stops being theory and becomes the group you coach every week.

?

How many players in your club need a different kind of support?

The answer is usually higher than formal diagnoses suggest.

FMHASocial proof
11 / 12
What delegates take away

“I now look at past incidents in a different light.”

That is the shift. Not a box ticked. A coach, volunteer or official seeing the same football moment with better understanding.

Delegates repeatedly describe the session as detailed, practical, thought-provoking and immediately applicable across their club.

FMHACall to action
12 / 12
Bring the training into your club

Create a more inclusive, supportive and safer football environment.

Understanding Neurodiversity in Grassroots Football is built for the people who shape a player’s experience every week.

03330 500 399