Blog

So, you want to be a successful 5 a side footballer? Well, on a five a side pitch, there’s no hiding place. To succeed you need to be fit, leave your ego in t...

Here, at ESF, we think getting ‘football fit’ is often the most neglected part of the game when it comes to young players of all abilities. Getting into p...

Youth football tournaments are a fantastic way for your young footballer to stay active, while having fun, enjoying a bit of healthy competition and making new ...

Here, at ESF, we know how essential solid football dribbling skills are in a young player’s development. Being able to dribble the ball with your head up and ...

Anyone who knows their football knows that good communication is the key to a successful team. You could have a squad that’s full of the most talented players...

This week, in our latest post, we thought we would put the spotlight on all the young goalkeepers out there who are playing in the Under 7 and Under 8 age secti...

If you manage a youth football team and are looking to give your players a top of the range footie experience, then you might be in the process of checking out ...

Playing regular five-a-side, seven-a-side and 9-a-side football can have a dramatic effect on player development. The small sided game in Brazil, known as ‘Fu...

While football has been played for centuries, its beginnings were quite different from the beautiful game you might see today. For starters, the balls didn’t...

Ever at a loss of what to do when on the pitch? Not sure if you should play the ball or try to beat the man? Maybe you’re unsure if you should surge forward t...

Following on from our last post, we want to give you a better idea of what you can do to help the team on the football pitch when off the ball. Sometimes, it ca...

As the new football season kicks off again, we are delighted to say that it has been a record breaking year of football festivals at ESF this summer. If you’v...

A youth football team’s success never just depends on the talents of the individual player, nor their ability to score a goal, or avoid conceding one. Yes, th...

If you have a youth football team or a youngster who is mad about the game, then a perfect opportunity to develop their talent and their love of the game is by ...

There’s an art to being able to shoot accurately in football and often much of it comes with practice, greater spatial awareness and a good understanding of t...

We all know that it’s important to stay fit and active for our general health and wellbeing in both mind and body. With Government statistics showing a concer...

When it comes to being successful on the football field, knowing how to head a ball and do it well is a really useful skill to have. Young players can often be...

We want the best for our children don’t we? That’s why we encourage them to work hard and be good at what they do. But, in among all the hopes and aspiratio...

Playing youth football can be a very exciting and rewarding pastime when you’re young, but it’s always 100 times better when you have a great coach. A coach...

There are several football formations that a manager can choose for his or her team to get the best results, depending on team strengths, the state of play and ...

Chances are you’ve heard the phrase, “There’s no I in team,” bandied about a few times and possibly even let it go as yet another form of motivational s...

Aspiring to the heady heights of football world domination, might seem leagues away for your youth football side, but, even the likes of Messi, Ronaldo and our ...

There’s not much that you need to have a decent game of footie and this could be one of the reasons why people all over the place are having a go. From your b...

It can take a lot of planning and skill to coach a youth football team, and a great way to start out is by working out the way you want to do things and st...

Heading up your youth football team can be a massively rewarding experience, especially when you can take your side to a big tournament and see the benefits of ...

When you’re a young footballer, it can sometimes be quite difficult to join a new group of people who already know each other and to get comfortable with a ne...

You might have seen our earlier blog on how to be successful at 5 a side football? Well, now you’ve taken our advice and conquered the smaller pitch, are your...

The FA have said it’s officially girls’ football week this week, running from the 5th to the 11th of October, and so we thought it was only right to celebra...

In our latest post, we want to take the opportunity to showcase one of our flagship football tournaments, which is staged at Butlins Skegness. It’s the UK’s...