Last week, Pete Sturgess brought the Play Phase programme to Derbyshire as a stop on his roadshow.

The ethos of the programme is to allow children to flourish and to grow physically, mentally and in their ability to participate in sport. The aim is to implement various other activities that involve skills you need in football without using the ball, an example of this is tug of war for strength.

Pete Sturgess, the lead on the Play Phase programme said: “We have tipped the balance so that football isn’t the main focus, but play is the main focus.

“It’s the most effective way to give them everything they need from a physical literacy point of view.”

The programme aims to reform the system for children of the age groups of Under Fours all the way to Under Sixes to allow children to fall in love with football without the pressures of a typical coaching session.

Take a closer look at last weeks programme at the Derby Racecourse Hub in the video below.

By Max Stairs, Reuben Clarke & Alex Warren