When I first approached Asfordby Amateurs Ladies, Girls & Inclusive FC, a local grassroots club in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, to explore their remarkable growth story, I was not expecting to uncover a blueprint for youth leadership development that challenges everything we think we know about volunteer recruitment in grassroots football.

The Journey Behind the Research:

This work began alongside my FALA (The FA Leadership Academy) projects, where I was tasked with discovering ways and means to increase youth participation in grassroots football in Leicestershire. Having worked in sports development for several years, I had witnessed countless clubs struggling with the same recurring challenge: how to recruit, retain, and reward volunteers.

Asfordby caught my attention because they had grown from a single ladies' team in 1999 to 22 teams by 2025, all whilst maintaining remarkable volunteer stability. More intriguingly, their success was not built on external recruitment drives or expensive incentive schemes. Instead, they created something far more sustainable: a system where today's players naturally become tomorrow's leaders.

What Makes Asfordby Different:

Through extensive interviews with volunteers spanning different generations (from founding members to recent youth leaders) a clear pattern emerged. Asfordby doesn't just develop footballers; they develop young people who see leadership as a natural extension of their club experience.

The key insight was their "parallel development" approach. Whilst players progress through age groups, they simultaneously develop as leaders, coaches, and community builders. A 12-year-old joining the youth committee isn't just ticking boxes for their Duke of Edinburgh Award; they're beginning a leadership journey that could span decades.

Lucy Jackson's story perfectly illustrates this. Playing football at 14, she experienced firsthand the barriers facing girls in football. Rather than simply moving on after her playing days, she channelled that experience into creating opportunities for the next generation. Twenty-five years later, she's still there, now hoping to one day play alongside her three daughters.

The Youth Leadership Revolution:

What struck me most was how seriously Asfordby takes youth leadership. Their youth committee isn't a token gesture. These young people visit teams weekly, collect genuine feedback, and directly influence club decisions. They attend leadership development sessions at venues like St. George's Park and King Power Stadium, experiences that build confidence extending far beyond football.

The progression pathway is beautifully structured. Players begin shadowing coaches at 12, can qualify as referees at 14, and undertake FA Level 1 coaching qualifications at 16, all supported financially by the club. By the time they reach adulthood, they possess genuine skills and deep emotional investment in the club's future.

Key Learnings and Wider Applications:

Three critical insights emerged from this research that I believe could transform how we approach youth leadership across grassroots football:

First, authentic responsibility matters. Young people quickly identify tokenistic involvement. Asfordby's youth leaders have real jobs with real consequences, creating genuine ownership and pride.

Second, early engagement creates exponentially stronger retention. Those involved from age 12 develop club loyalty that withstands life's inevitable transitions such as university, career changes, and personal responsibilities.

Third, the model creates what I term "emotional multiplication." Volunteers who missed opportunities in their own youth become passionate advocates for creating better pathways for others. This isn't just about filling coaching vacancies but about building community advocates.

Looking Forward:

The beauty of Asfordby's approach lies not in its complexity, but in its simplicity. They've proven that volunteer retention isn't about luck or external factors but an intentional design and long-term thinking.

As we keep developing grassroots football participation and volunteer recruitment, perhaps the answer isn't in looking outward for new volunteers, but inward at the young people already within our clubs. The 12-year-old helping pack away cones today could be leading your club in 2040, if we create the right pathway for them.

The full case study explores this model in detail, including practical implementation steps and compelling personal journeys. However, the fundamental message is clear: when we invest in young people as leaders, not just players, everyone wins.