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Sports Path Practical Guide to using AI in Grassroots Football: Number 1

Unlocking AI for Grassroots Football

At Sports Path, we’ve created a straightforward AI Guide to help grassroots football clubs navigate the emerging role of AI in coaching and development. Given the rapid pace of change, this guide is a starting point—not a final word—but it offers valuable insights into how AI is already being used.

What’s Inside?

✅ Survey Insights – Over 100 Grassroots Directors of Coaching, Technical Directors, and National Development Officers shared why they use AI, how they use it, and what they ask AI to do

.✅ Case Studies – Real-world examples of AI in action across grassroots football.

✅ Free Learning Resources – Recommended online courses and reading to stay ahead.





Sports Path Practical Guide to using AI in Grassroots Football:

 Number 1 is available to download below



Why AI Matters for Grassroots Football

One of the biggest opportunities is for clubs, leagues, and associations to develop their own AI-powered bot—a game-changer for coach development and parent engagement.

Education has always evolved with technology—from film reels to VHS to online learning. AI is the next step, and forward-thinking educators are already embracing it.

Build Your Own AI Bot

The best approach? Conversational AI—ideal for answering questions, supporting coaches, and providing a go-to resource for parents. We even built a free AI bot with ChatGPT to demonstrate how easy it is! See here


Want to create your own AI assistant? It’s simpler than you think.


We are already working on the next Sports Path Practical  AI Guide and this is devoted exclusively to embedding a Chat GPT bot into  Grassroots Coach Education and Coach Development ( available June 2025)

 We want to focus on how using a Chat GPT bot - or any other bot - can reduce  Grassroots Coach drop out rates. 

This Guide will be FREE and is targeted for those curious individuals  :

  • Curious Coaches committed to their own Personal Development 

  • Anyone responsible for Coach Development in a Club or Association

  • Club or Association Directors of Coaching 

  • Technical Directors 

For further details see here



 
 
 

Kommentare

FA SOCCER STAR
In1988 after 3 years research the FA Soccer Star tests were  validated by Professor Tim Holt of Southampton University, England following extensive research with over 10,000 children. They had been proven to display over 90% reliability and over 90% validity in distinguishing between different levels of players.The outline of the tests are available and details in PDF form  here Download FA_Soccerstar_challenge

The book of the Programme is still available on Amazon  here . Over 1million children in over 50 countries went on to take the Soccer Star Challenge which involved 6 tests - dribbling, turning,speed slalom,heading, shooting and  running with the ball. It was intended as a ' fun' activity to motivate players to practise in their own time but there was an Talent ID aspect:- 

The Programme of tests produced a final score for the player on a 6 Level rating.Players achieving the highest ( 6 Star ) grading were recommended to their nearest licensed Academy ( previously known as ‘ Centre of Excellence ) Some of the England Full Internationals and England Under 21 players who have undertaken the Soccer Star Challenge and obtained the top six star grading are shown below ( including their age when they achievedthe Soccer Star 6 star rate and the team they went on to play for )

Michael Carrick (Manchester United) 10 years ,Michael Bridges (Leeds United) 11 years ,Matthew Upson (West HamUtd ) 10 years ,10 Jonathan Greening (West Bromwich Albion ) 10 years ,John Curtis Blackburn Rovers 11 years,Matthew Etherington ( West Ham Utd ) 10 years

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