"We’ve paid for private S&C coaching before and didn’t see results."

You sit on the touchline and watch your child battle through another game.

They work hard, their effort is never in question, but the same issues keep appearing.

They get knocked off the ball too easily.

They fade when the intensity rises.

They struggle to show that extra gear of speed when it matters most.

...What makes it more frustrating is that you’ve already invested in private strength and conditioning.

You’ve paid for the sessions, rearranged family schedules, done the travelling back and forth to gyms.

On paper, you’ve done everything right...

Yet the difference you hoped for hasn’t shown up where it counts – in their football.

The truth is this: most in-person S&C setups simply aren’t designed to deliver long-term results for young footballers.

Not because the players haven't worked hard enough, not because the wrong exercises were used, and not even because the coach isn’t any good...

The problem is STRUCTURAL.

Real physical development demands consistency – multiple sessions per week, carefully progressed over months, with testing and adjustments built in.

One isolated session, no matter how good, is like throwing a bucket of water on a field and expecting it to stay green all summer.

It fades before the next visit.

That once-a-week format also rarely fits around the rhythm of football.

A heavy S&C session the day after a match can clash with recovery.

A missed session due to illness or a fixture means momentum is lost entirely.

And when a player is already juggling school, training, homework and games, relying on a coach’s availability instead of a flexible structure almost guarantees inconsistency.

Even when the sessions happen, the environment often isn’t ideal...

Many gyms won’t admit players under 16.

Those that do can leave younger players feeling awkward training beside adults, or wasting half their session queuing for equipment.

Add in the cost – often £50 to £150 per hour depending on the coaches experience – and it’s no surprise that many parents look back after months of commitment and wonder what they really got out of it?

This is the gap I set out to close with the Elite Football Athlete Programme.

Instead of one-off sessions dictated by schedules and location, players follow a complete 12-phase football-specific system from home.

Each session is short and efficient, but stacked with purpose.

Exercises are demonstrated by me on video so players know exactly what to do, and they can submit their own clips for personalised feedback to ensure safety and precision.

Every 90 days progress is tested and tracked so parents see real evidence of improvement rather than guessing.

Because it’s delivered online, sessions can be done when energy and time are right – before school, after training, at the weekend.

No travel.

No waiting for equipment.

No missed weeks.

Just consistent, progressive training that fits around football and life.

The result is what most parents thought they were paying for all along: their child becoming stronger in duels, sharper across 90 minutes, faster to react, more resilient against injury, and more confident on the ball.

If you’ve ever felt disappointed after paying for private S&C, the problem wasn’t your child’s effort or the coaches ability – it was the system around them.

And that’s exactly what I've rebuilt with Elite Football Athlete.

James

Matchfit Football