The purpose of Silent Support Weekend is to allow young players to find their voice, make their own decisions and take control of their game. Help us listen to young players to make our youth game the best place to play football.
Please download these assets so you can share them across your teams
After the first Silent Support Weekend our young players told us it allowed them to talk more as a team, with more chances to make decisions and overall, it was more enjoyable. However, they missed the support of their coach. We’re running the trial again, this time the coach will be able to coach through the match. We’re asking spectators to work together with coaches to provide a supportive and encouraging space for the players during the match. The coach can help the players where needed throughout the match. And everyone can applaud good play from either team.
Here are some quotes from the first Silent Support weekend:
"It’s giving them space to find their own game.” - Under 12s coach
"They are talking to each other more, playing their own game, this was the best way to try it out.” - Under 10s coach
"It was good as we got to make our own decisions, not the parents, not the coach, just the team.” - Under 12s player
"It can get confusing when lots of people are telling you what to do” - Under 14s player
We want you, your clubs and teams to join us and be part of it and then tell us what you thought via an online survey. The survey will open at 10.00 am on Saturday 25 February, and the FA want to hear about your experience following the weekend’s fixtures.
Survey link: https://www.warpsurveys.com/SSW22023
Please share this with as many people involved as possible, such as coaches, parents, players, club officials, referees and anyone else who was involved across the weekend. There will be an opportunity to register to take part in follow-up interviews to discuss more about the weekend should you wish to. As a thank you for your time, you will have the chance to enter our prize draw to win one of ten £50 Kitlocker e-vouchers.
