Let me tell you why 'I am FFF'.

At the Football Fun Factory we have a document that is shared within our network of superstar Head Coaches. It is called, ‘I am FFF because…’

The document sets out the values and behaviours we live by as Head Coaches. One of my favourite statements showcased within the document really defines who we are and what we stand for and I’d love to share it with you:

‘I am FFF because I will turn every challenge into an opportunity’.

Trust me when I say that this is single most powerful value that we have lived by over the past 3 months. When we talk about challenges, a global pandemic must rank pretty high! It has put our thriving organisation on hold - in some ways. But in living by the motto outlined above, we’ve somehow, turned this terrible worldwide catastrophe into a positive for the FFF. Let me explain how.

Back in March, in complete shock that our programmes had to be put on pause, we had a discussion as a team about what we can control and what we can’t. We knew that we had very little or no control over the health implications of this terrible disease and couldn’t affect whether it is safe to play or not. So we set about putting in place a plan that meant that whilst we couldn’t deliver our programmes as normal, we would accelerate the growth of the FFF in other ways. We decided to grow the brand, find new ways to develop awareness and go on a nationwide talent search to grow our team.

For those that are not aware, the FFF is a franchise organisation. I created the FFF in 2017 and having proved the business model, an absolute superstar Jonny Martin joined me in my mission as we formed a partnership to role out our opportunity. The plan 9 months ago was for Jonny to run his area and to prove the model works in his community over a 12 month period. That’s where it all got a little crazy! Kiel, Luke, Kiefer and Jordan have since joined to make us an incredibly talented team of 6 and together we sat down back in March on the eve of a nationwide lockdown and agreed that we would do everything we can to turn a potential disaster into a period of time that defines the success of our organisation when we tell the story of our growth in years to come.

Over the past few months we’ve set ourselves up for future success. We’ve documented, analysed and improved every facet of the Football Fun Factory and as we agreed back in March, we’ve ensured that when we start back we’ll be bigger and better than ever – ready for take-off!

16 hours days, blood sweat and tears, being featured on BBC Look East, Luke telling his mental health story live on BBC breakfast and a few other factors have contributed in preparing us for what is set to come. Writing this on the 29th June 2020, we are confident of a restart soon. We’re very hopeful of running our summer holiday camps and ready to welcome hundreds of new participants to our weekly training programmes. When the FFF resumes we’re going to take participation and football fun to a whole new level!

We have an incredible ambition to become the world’s leading children’s football coaching organisation. Whilst we’re humble enough to know that it is going to take time, we’re ambitious enough to have this as our aim. For me personally, this is not an aim. In my head, it’s already a done deal – it just has to play out! How can I be so sure? Because I beleive so deeply in what we are doing. Putting fun and enjoyment at the forefront of football participation and providing truly unique experiences delivered by superstar football coaches. There is no limit to our potential.

I’m delighted to share the news that two more superstars will be joining the team soon. You may have found it strange that to date the FFF has not operated in Cambridge. Out of respect for our former employers Jonny and I agreed a ‘grace period’ whereby the FFF would not operate in the city of Cambridge. We now feel that the time is right to make this step and offer children the opportunity to get involved. In the coming weeks we’ll be sharing the news of two fantastic people that are joining the team and both of them will be operating in Cambridge city centre.

So there will be 8 Head Coaches and the good news doesn’t stop there! We fully expect to become a team of 10 or more superstar Head Coaches by the end of the year. The way that we can achieve our aim of become the best in the world at what we do is by offering our experiences on a national level and then worldwide stage. We expect to bring the FFF to the midlands and the north of England before the year is out, which is an incredibly exciting next step!

So we’ve worked hard and we’re ever hopeful of achieving the aim that we set out back in March to turn this terrible situation into an opportunity. But there’s one element of the plan that we need you to be a part of. Small businesses across the country have been severely affected by COVID-19 and this pandemic could have spelt the end of our dream. But we’re determined for it to play a massive part in defining our success. So what do we need from you? We just need you to keep doing what you’re all so brilliant at. Since I started this organisation I have been blown away by the support I have received and each of our team members has been fortunate enough to receive the same level of fantastic support and encouragement. Please do keep supporting us. We now need it more than ever. Not because we are on the brink of disaster, but because we are on the brink of new levels of success. A success that would create opportunities for children all over the world to enjoy incredible experiences that create memories that last a lifetime.