One of the most undervalued benefits of playing sport is the way in which it can result in new friendships and an increased social circle. After all, what better way is there to make friends than meeting like-minded people with whom you share an interest?

Many friendships that last a lifetime are forged in the fires of sport and organised activities. As a result, if you’ve got a child who is maybe a little shy or might benefit from meeting new friends, then getting them involved in sport is a great way of giving them a nudge in the right direction.

Here’s how football can help your child make new friends.

Sign your child up for football coaching

The first step to getting your child interested in playing football is to sign them up to a coaching academy such as We Make Footballers. Here, they can master the basics of the sport under fully qualified FA Coaches in a fun and safe environment.

When starting football, it is important to look for sessions, our weekly football training sessions that are suitable for every child no matter their ability, this creates the perfect environment for a child to make new friends. By learning to play the game alongside other beginners, they’ll be undertaking a footballing journey with other kids who they will forge close bonds with as a result.

They’ll also be spending a considerable amount of time with football-mad children, exposing them to potential new friends and other children from your local area. 

Help your child join a local team

Once your child feels comfortable with football, the next step is getting your child to play for an organised team. Here, they will again meet like-minded kids but this time they will all have a common goal to work towards – namely, winning matches.

Playing football in such an environment can help to teach children the value of cooperation and teamwork. No team can be successful without a joint effort and it is through this shared success that children can make friends for life.

Winning games, leagues and trophies will draw individual kids closer together as they appreciate the work that they have all put in to contribute to each other’s success. The best teams are often those who are the best friends, which is something that your child could experience by joining a football club.

Sign them up for a junior supporter’s club

Most professional football clubs have a junior supporters club which can be a brilliant way to help your child meet fans of the team that they support. The major benefit of making friends this way is not only will your child encounter kids who like football, but who also like the same team – giving them twice as much in common.

These junior supporters clubs will often run events throughout the year such as Christmas parties, cheap tickets to games, invites to watch training and even the opportunity to meet the players. 

Generally, the amount of access that junior supporters receive increases as you drop through the leagues, but even some Premier League clubs such as Brighton and Hove Albion, Watford and Wolverhampton Wanderers offer the chance for young fans to meet their heroes.

If your child supports one of the country’s bigger clubs or has an affiliation with a side who are based a long way away from where you live, then you could sign them up as a junior supporter for their local team.

The cost is often negligible or even free, your child will love the events that the club put on and the chance to have photos with professional players and they’ll meet other football mad kids as well. Who knows, you might even manage to spark a love of their local team at the same time.