Football is the most popular organised sport in Australia with more than 1.76 million players, almost twice as many participants as any other football code. Whether you call it football or soccer, more sports parents are signing up their kids to play. In this episode, you’ll hear from David Mason, currently the CEO of the Manly Warringah Football Association, which incorporates over 18,500 football participants – the biggest Football Association in Australia – and Manly United Football Club. He’s worked at every level of the game, including roles with Sydney FC and the Socceroos. With close to 25 years’experience in the football landscape, David explains why community sport provides a grounding experience for budding players, the importance of letting kids be kids, along with some insight on those development pathways, including the BIG question: Should kids be specialising in soccer from a young age?