Football Can Bring People Together — Or Tear Them Apart

Football games for about 750 young children in Scotland were cancelled recently because adults were behaving badly on the sidelines. The program, called "Fun 4s," is meant for kids aged five to six. In just the first week of the season, referees handed out 72 red cards. Witnesses said some adults were aggressive and even head-butting others — making the scene look like the "wild west."

This is not just a problem in Scotland. People who work in youth football say that bad behavior at children's games is common — and some have started to accept it as normal. Experts warn this is a serious issue that goes far beyond the football pitch. Current rules and public awareness campaigns are not doing enough to fix the problem.

When adults act aggressively at children's games, everyone loses. Kids begin to connect football — and maybe life in general — with anger and violence. They miss out on the chance to play freely, have fun, and build friendships. Instead of learning good values, they watch grown-ups act like winning is the only thing that matters.

Research supports this concern. A study by Dr. Amanda Visek at George Washington University found that kids who play organized sports mainly just want to have fun. Both girls and boys said trying hard, working together, and playing well as a team mattered most. Out of 81 things that made sport enjoyable, "winning" ranked 40th.

Several groups are working to improve youth sport. The Campaign for Children's Rights in Football wants to give children a stronger voice in how sport is run. The Centre for Young Lives called for a national plan to bring more play into children's lives. Scotland's government also published a Play Vision plan for 2025–2030, aiming to make sure every child can play in ways that support their health and wellbeing.

But there is a wide gap between these plans and what is happening on the pitch. Real change means teaching better values at every level of sport. Coaching courses should begin by focusing on creating safe, positive environments for children. Volunteers, officials, and parents should all learn clear rules about behavior before they get near a children's game.

Sport is often praised as a great way to build character, resilience, and confidence. But those benefits only happen when the sporting environment is designed to create them. Simply getting more children to play is not enough if the experience is harmful. The quality of the experience matters more than the number of kids taking part.

Leaders at every level need to step up. Elite football clubs serve as role models, and if professional players behave in ways we would not want children to copy, it is worth asking why. Future football stars need to grow up loving the game itself — not just chasing trophies. Football has the power to unite communities, but only if it is run with care and strong values.