We know that getting to training and matches every week isn't always straightforward. With a Tandridge Youth League season that runs from September to May and typically includes 12–14 matches with a mixture of home and away fixtures, that's a lot of Sunday mornings — and for families with one car, or more than one child playing sport, the logistics can get genuinely difficult.

We'd like to propose something many grassroots clubs do informally: [b]parent-to-parent car sharing.[/b]

How it would work
This wouldn't be a club-run taxi service — it would be an opt-in way for parents living near each other to team up for the school-run-style school of Sunday football: sharing the drive to training and away matches when it helps.

If you'd be happy to occasionally offer or receive a lift to and from training or matches, let us know and we'll help connect you with other families in your area.

Keeping it safe and simple
Car sharing between parents is common practice in grassroots football, and The FA's own guidance is clear that a parent giving a lift that includes their own child and a friend is normal practice — it's a different situation to a coach transporting a child alone, which clubs are expected to avoid. A few simple principles will keep things straightforward for everyone:

• It's between parents.: Arrangements are made directly between families — the club simply helps put people in touch.
• Check in before you commit: Meet the other parent, agree pick-up points and timings, and make sure everyone's comfortable before the first lift.
• Sort the practical's: Valid insurance, a roadworthy car, and the right car seats/boosters where needed are down to the driver, as with any lift-share arrangement.
• Nothing is compulsory: If car sharing isn't for you, that's absolutely fine — this is simply here to help those who'd find it useful.

Interested?
If you'd like to be part of a car-share list — whether you can offer lifts, would like one, or could do either depending on the week — reply to this post or drop us a line at admin@futurefootballers.org with your child's team and rough location, and we'll help match you up with other interested families.

Small changes like this can make a big difference to getting every child to training and matches. Thank you, as always, for being part of the Future Footballers community.