Values Research Using music Using small-sided games

We help families to raise confident, physically-able children. By playing and enjoying futsal & small-sided football.

With expert teachers.

We believe in the power of Play. We welcome children of all abilities and backgrounds.

Scroll down this page to find our more about what we do and why and how we do it.

About Us

What we value

We have been delivering high-quality experiences for children and families since 2007. Here is what we pride ourselves on.

Enjoyment

"Joy is a sustained sense of well-being and internal peace - a connection to what matters"

- Oprah Winfrey

Inclusion

"All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should be given equal opportunity to develop our talent"

- John F. Kennedy

Learning

“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment”

- Maria Montessori

Creativity

"The goal of education is to create people who are capable of doing new things not simply repeating what other generations have done"

- Jean Piaget

How are these values expressed?

This graphic shows how we align our values with beliefs, strategies and pedagogies in order to ensure we stay true to what we believe.

Our sessions are different from most other providers because we understand that football coaching is only a small part of our responsibility as adults in charge of children's play time.

You can read more about how we coach and teach at our Coach Education section.

Our research
We want to contribute to the wider knowledge on what children need and how to deliver it

Ministry of Football is well-placed to conduct research into children's football development. We do not have the constraints of following a club philosophy, we have a very supportive group of parents, and we have enough children on our programme to conduct surveys and research projects that produce statistically significant results.

How does learning happen? What does learning look like? What do children want and need? Read more...

Using music in sessions
We use dance music in sessions to create a movement environment and manage behaviour

Music contains the power to seize attention, raise morale, create emotion, alter mood, act as a reminder of previous memories, raise work rate, increase confidence, and promote rhythm to movement.

We believe that the happy and uplifting dance music encourages more creativity, more enjoyment and more freedom. In this way it aims to re-create the atmosphere and environment of street football. It provides the players (and coaches!) with the motivation and inspiration to move, sway and deceive opponents. Read more....

Music contains the power to seize attention, raise morale, create emotion, alter mood, act as a reminder of previous memories, raise work rate, increase confidence, and promote rhythm to movement.

Small-sided games
Lots of involvement, enjoyment and learning for every child, every time

Ministry of Football believes strongly in small-sided games to teach skills and develop creative, confident players and children.

Far too often children are rushed into playing the full adult version of the game, where there are less touches on the ball, less opportunities to be involved in the game, less chances to make decisions that lead to learning, and more pressure to clear the ball from 'dangerous' areas of the pitch. Read more...

Ministry of Football believes strongly in small-sided games to teach skills and develop creative, confident players and children.

Far too often childen are rushed into playing the full adult version of the game, where there are less touches on the ball, less opportunities to be involved in the game, less chances to make decisions that lead to learning, and more pressure to clear the ball from 'dangerous' areas of the pitch. Read more...

The MoF Player Reflection Tool

We have developed a brilliant, free, online tool for young players which helps them reflect on their football learning and provides relevant content to help them grow, learn and progress. Starring Leo Messi, Steph Houghton and many more...

Click here to find out more

Our venue and sessions

The below panoramic photograph shows our Muswell Hill venue in action on a Sunday afternoon. We typically have two or three seperate groups running adjacent to each other, with 8-12 children per group. For most ages over 7 years old, most of the session will be spent in small-sided games. Please visit our Sessions page for a full timetable with dates, days, times, ages and venues.

98% of parents rated the Coaches/Coaching at MoF as 'Good' or 'Very Good'.

93% of parents say that MoF is their child's favourite weekly activity or that is was better than most other children's activities

"L has moved from the B team to the A team in his school and they play weekly against other schools. Ludo is an accomplished player with one hour of MoF on a Sunday afternoon and the usual kickabout time he does with his dad in the park. The ethos of 'football is fun' works well and will make him a better and happier player in the long run" - MoF parent

We seek feedback from children and families regularly. There has been an MoF parent representative at every coach meeting for the past 10 years. The programme has been shaped over the years by ideas and suggestions from coaches, children and parents. We even started a parents session so adult players can also access the joy from small-sided game play.

24 recommendations for junior football

This slidedeck sets out changes and suggestions we'd like to see for children's football in England.

Ministry of Football is a founder member of the National Children's Football Alliance, an organisation that helps protect childhood and promotes child voice and ownership of their game of football.