School children practicing football on a grass field during a summer training camp with a group of kids running and kicking soccer balls in an image with copy space

Football – Healing Through Play

Discover how football became a tool for healing, connection, and growth — through family, movement, and mindset. A Fit2Thrive story on reclaiming joy through play.

Football as a Healing Hobby

Football wasn’t just my first sport — it was my first teacher.

As a kid, it gave me confidence, connection, and a place to belong.
As an adult, it gave me a way back to my body, my family, and my joy.

For 20 years, I stopped playing.
Not because I didn’t love it — but because life made it feel out of reach.
Work, kids, glasses I couldn’t afford to break…

Then something shifted.

Father and little toddler son having fun in autumn park: dad and child playing football outdoors, kid raised leg ready to kick soccer ball. Active happy family and healthy parenting concept

My son joined a team.
My daughter took to the pitch.
My wife fell back in love with the game.
And football returned to our lives — not as competition, but as connection.

Watch: How Football — Done Right — Can Heal You

I made this video to share the full story — not as a coach or athlete, but as a father, a learner, and a lifelong mover.

Watch on YouTube:

This isn’t about performance.
It’s about returning to the things we love — on our terms.
And how football, when done right, gives more than it takes.

How Football Fits Into ACT: Activities, Curriculum, Teachers

Football isn’t just exercise — it’s a way to live well.

I use the ACT Framework to help people reconnect with movement as a healing rhythm.

  • Activity: Football is natural movement. Running, turning, breathing, laughing. It grounds the body and lifts the spirit.
  • Curriculum: Football teaches pressure, communication, emotional regulation, and teamwork. It builds a growth mindset through lived experience.
  • Teachers: From teammates to children, to past games and present challenges — football offers constant guidance through real life.
Cheerful family playing football in a garden

What Football Taught Me

  • To get back up after a loss
  • To speak up when I’m the last line of defence
  • That joy and fitness don’t have to live in different worlds
  • That family, movement, and memories can all exist in the same moment

Lessons from others

  • The Secrets of British Football Culture – Peter Crouch (4K)
    • Topics: Football health. Concussion. Handling pressure
    • This is an honest talk about the Football culture in Britain, across the world and how Peter Thrived in the high-pressure environment of the England team.
    • Amazing chat between Chris Williamson and Peter crouch. Great for roundup. Act overall because it’s about activities, but also talk about how to handle the pressure, how to play and have the right mindset. 
    • I’ve learnt a lot about both men, and I’m impressed with both what was covered and their attitude to life. It’s something I recommend people watch as a lesson in how to achieve your dreams, enjoy the process and remain humble. Still able to enjoy life.,
    • They talk about real issues. Particularly, mental and physical health at the top level, which highlights why I’m in no rush for my kids to pursue elite sport. I don’t think it’s healthy, particularly for children. I like how things are changing but still I feel we need to appreciate the health implications d of what we watch now. 

Explore More

Want More Stories Like This?

Join the newsletter and I’ll send new reflections, tools, and videos as they drop.
https://fit2thrive.co.uk/about-5/