One in three grassroots football coaches (31%) say they would welcome training to offer nutritional advice to their players, with many lacking the confidence or training to provide nutritional guidance, according to new research.
Now, former England star Jill Scott, is backing a new initiative, alongside M&S Food, aimed at closing that gap, starting at community club level.
Scott surprised players and volunteers at Reddish North End FC in Stockport this week, rolling up her sleeves to cook alongside club volunteers as part of a nationwide campaign to bring elite-level nutrition lessons into grassroots football, and encourage footballers to Eat Well and Play Well.
Jill, who has long called Greater Manchester home, started her career at a Grassroots level and believes supporting local football is deeply personal. “Grassroots football was a massive part of my life,” said Scott. “If we can help children at grassroots level, we can help them to become better players.”
Jill credits the current England manager with inspiring a nutritional revolution at the top of the women’s game, which led to international success. “I started playing football for England in 2006, when I made my debut, we didn’t have a lot of nutritional advice back then, it was very basic” said Scott. “The nutritional advice that came into the game later, especially when I think about Sarina (Weigman) and all the advice we got, what we should and shouldn’t be eating, it’s what kept me playing for England for the last few years of my career.”
During her visit, Scott joined M&S executive chef Russell Goad and club volunteers to prepare a healthy meal for players, demonstrating that performance starts off the pitch. She also refereed a match, posed for photos and spoke to young footballers about the importance of balanced nutrition for performance, recovery and wellbeing.
Reddish North End FC chairman, John Hargreaves, said: “We’re incredibly grateful for the support we receive from the Reddish community, the help we get is what allows up to carry on the work we do here. The help from M&S, from kit sponsorship to food vouchers, has been absolutely fantastic and will help the club for many years to come.”
Club cook, Bethany Dugdale, said: “The facilities have been here for 20 years to help children get into football, get them off the streets and keep them fit and healthy. Reddish is all one community, we’re there for each other. Reddish North End FC is a big part of Reddish, with lots of children involved and over 1,200 people signed up.”
M&S Food is developing practical, affordable recipe ideas for clubs, helping coaches and volunteers introduce healthier approaches on a weekly basis with recipes available to download from the M&S website.
A nationwide survey of more than 200 grassroots coaches across the UK found that almost a third of coaches (31%) say they would welcome training to provide nutritional advice, with only around one in seven (15%) feeling comfortable offering guidance to parents or players when asked.
According to The FA’s Social Return on Investment Report 2024 report, the grassroots game is worth £15.9bn to society each year. This includes £3.2bn total healthcare savings due to supporting the health and wellbeing of the nation. Football-playing children deliver £110m in health savings for the NHS from 200k fewer cases of obesity and 60k fewer cases of anxiety and depression.
The “Eat Well Play Well Grassroots Edition” campaign will continue to roll-out in partnership with grassroots clubs over the coming months, with the content series showcasing stories from selected clubs across the UK to help parents and coaches make healthier choices. The content series will be hosted across M&S social channels including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram weekly.
To find out more about the campaign visit https://www.marksandspencer.com/food/content/eat-well-grassroots-edition
