Running a business brings its own challenges but heading up the youth division of one of the busiest football clubs in the county on top of that is something Danny Flowers relishes.
Danny, who is Client Director at Motum Insurance Services in Northamptonshire, is also Youth Chairman of Wellingborough Whitworth FC, which has teams ranging from Under 5s to the senior team. He also coaches one of the teams as one of 40 coaches at the club who give their time voluntarily to help develop and encourage youngsters to take part in the sport, whatever ability level they happen to be.
The size and ethos of the club has brought success on the field this season, with a host of teams vying for places in cup finals this month; there was also league success for the Under 15s, who won Division Two and also made it to the cup final. There are currently just under 300 youth players at Wellingborough Whitworths, a number that is expected to double over the next couple of years.
Danny, who took over the role as Youth Chairman last year, said: “We’ve had lots of teams in semi-finals and finals this year, and that’s been great. It’s the first year we’ve had a Girls team in the league and they have done well, they could well win Division Two; but what’s more important is that we have got more kids than ever before playing football and developing their skills.
“Our approach isn’t about being the best and chasing the wins. We’ve had a few players who’ve been signed up by academies in the past, and if they get that chance, that’s amazing, but that’s not what we’re aiming for. What we want is for any kid who wants to play football to think there’s a team here for them, whatever their ability.
“Winning is great, we all want to win, but in youth football the important things are practising your skills and learning the game, but also about building your confidence, learning about playing in a team, learning to lose and deal with frustrations, and learning to win in the right way as well.
“I’ve seen kids turn up shy and timid and football can give them to confidence to go out there and just enjoy playing. It can transform them. That approach is why we’ve got a long waiting list of kids who want to come and play at Whitworths.”
Over the past year, the junior teams at Wellingborough Whitworth have grown in number from nine to 23. Under 5s and Under 6s teams were added as part of the mini-soccer set-up, which is for children up to 11 years old, where there are no leagues tables or match reports, just fun football for youngsters.
Wellingborough Whitworth’s ground on London Road boasts not just playing and training pitches but a club house and changing rooms and is home to the club’s senior team, which plays in Division One of the Spartans South Midlands Football League.
The youth teams play in either the Weetabix Youth Football League or the Northamptonshire and District Youth Alliance (NYDAL).
“Which league a team plays in very much depends on the coach’s preference,” said Danny. “The club likes to give coaches full autonomy over the league they play in and over the way they coach their sides.
“In junior football, coaching is very much about getting to know the players and tailoring coaching to them. The coaches know what players need and what they respond to best. When they’re playing football they’re active and enjoying themselves. Training should be fun, particularly early on, and not about skills and drills. If you just get them playing ball games, they’ll be smart enough to work a lot of it out for themselves and the skills will follow.
“During matches, the coaches are there for the players but they’re not always shouting advice at them, we let them get on with it. And we also encourage parents to clap and cheer from the touchline, but to try to leave it at that, which I know is easier said than done.
“If it goes wrong, we can talk about it afterwards, but even the youngest players usually understand where it went wrong or what we could have done differently. And when it goes right, they get such a buzz from it.
“And they learn from being part of a club like this. The younger players are regularly mascots for the senior team and are always welcome to come and watch them play and cheer from the sidelines. And when we have a youth season like we’ve had it gives everyone a lift. Watching another team win the league or get to a cup final inspires everyone else.
“It’s crazy at times and a lot of work but it’s a great club to be part of.”
Find out more about Wellingborough Whitworth FC on YouTube.
