At 15, football can disappear surprisingly quietly.
There is rarely a dramatic final match or a conscious decision to stop playing.
The boots simply stay in the bag for one weekend, then another. Schoolwork, jobs, gaming, the gym, friendships and everything else competing for a teenager’s attention gradually take over.
Before long, a game that once shaped their weekends – and provided some of their closest friendships – becomes something they “used to do”.
But one youth football coach is urging teenagers not to give up on the game they once loved.
Taverners Youth FC is inviting young players from across Stroud and the surrounding valleys to give football another chance, with two open training evenings planned at Snakey Park in Eastington ahead of the 2026/27 Severn Valley League Division B season.
The message is particularly aimed at boys who still love football but may have fallen out of love with the environment in which they have been playing.
Some have lost interest because every match feels like a trial. Others have struggled for minutes, become frustrated with results-driven coaching or simply lost their connection with their current team.
For those players, Taverners is offering a fresh start – competitive football played with ambition, friendship and, importantly, a smile.
“U16 is the age when we lose far too many boys from the game,” said coach Matt Jones.
“They have played football for years, made friendships, learned how to be part of a team – and then suddenly the boots are put away.
“Sometimes they haven’t fallen out of love with football itself. They have fallen out of love with the pressure surrounding it, or they no longer feel that they belong.
“We want those lads to know that there is another option. You can be coached properly, work hard, compete and want to win without football becoming joyless.”
The team is led by former Shortwood United and Taverners striker Rich Kerry, supported by Jones.
Both are FA-qualified coaches with strong playing backgrounds and more than 20 years of combined experience in youth football.
Their sessions are structured, energetic and professional, with a focus on technical ability, fitness, decision-making and teamwork.
But the bigger ambition is to create a group of young men who genuinely enjoy one another’s company and want to keep playing together.
And the club is calling on parents across Stroud, Tetbury, Minchinhampton, Stonehouse, Cam, Dursley, Wotton-under-Edge, Cirencester and the surrounding towns and villages to have one more conversation with their sons.
Not to pressure them into returning to something they no longer enjoy – but simply to ask whether they might like to experience football differently.
“If your son used to live for football but has started to drift away, bring him along,” added Matt.
“If he feels his current team has become too intense, too focused on winning or simply no longer feels like his group, let him come and meet ours.
“There is no judgement and nothing to prove.
“Just put the boots back on, step onto the pitch and see whether that feeling is still there.”
Eligible Year 10 players who want to play up an age group and challenge themselves will also be considered.
And the surroundings at Snakey Park provide an impressive home for grassroots football.
Its beautifully maintained playing surface would not look out of place at a professional training ground, while the dugouts, changing facilities and welcoming clubhouse create a genuine senior-club atmosphere.
The community extends beyond the players, too.
Home matchdays give parents the opportunity to enjoy the clubhouse together, while club socials and events will help build friendships away from the touchline.
The aim is to create more than simply another football team.
It is to build somewhere players and their families feel they belong.
The open training sessions take place at Snakey Park, Eastington, on:
Tuesday, August 25 – 6pm to 7.30pm
Tuesday, September 1 – 6pm to 7.30pm
Both sessions will be fun, welcoming and professionally coached, giving players the chance to meet the squad and experience Taverners football for themselves.
To attend, email mattjonzboy@gmail.com or WhatsApp 07979 442800.
Because sometimes the end of a young player’s football story isn’t really the end.
Sometimes, he simply needs a new team.
