Click here for Crosshouse BC 2006's interview video.

"Progressive." The word that coach Craig Paterson used when asked to describe Crosshouse. 

"We look to ourselves as a kind of school of excellence outside of the pro-youth set up. We're always looking to produce the best players and the best teams that we possibly can and we've got a pretty good record of doing that."

It is hard to disagree with Paterson. They boast Scottish Cup winners in the club from just last season, with older teams making it into various semi-finals. They are the elite team in Ayrshire, playing in the Glasgow leagues, with many players going into pro-youth with Kilmarnock, Ayr or the Old Firm teams. 

Ryan Frew, fellow coach, attributed the rise in quality to the effort of the players. He said: "The boys individually, talent-wise, are progressing. They're taking to the training, everyone's engaged to it. As a whole, they're absolutely fantastic. The growth level has been brilliant.

"We don't lose many games and we expect to be the same again this season. Everything is just now building towards 11-a-side which will happen in a couple of years."

Crosshouse are another side that have started to use the Scottish FA’s Quality Mark award scheme which has benefitted the club hugely.

"I believe we're on the second mark now, we're quite highly engaged with it. We've recently introduced a few extra girl’s teams as well that has allowed us to get to that level so it's something we're highly involved in as much as we can," Frew said.

"We've got very successful teams that are competing very well. I know it's non-competitive but when I say competing, they're playing a fantastic style of football that myself and other coaches have developed into them so obviously, the kind of word of mouth gets about that we're a good football team and players in Ayrshire are wanting to come to us and are attracted to us, so we're very fortunate."

The coaches also believe they are seeing benefits off the pitch. Because the Quality Mark is a certified approval of the club, it makes parents a lot more willing to get involved with the club instead of just taking a back seat role.

"We get the parents involved. We have social nights with the parents so it brings everyone together as a club so it's very, very close club and it makes a big difference to the boy’s maturity," said Paterson. 

"We're asking their parents how they're behaving if there’s any particular child that goes a couple at weeks at misbehaving at home, showing a lack of respect to their parents then we'll suspend them for the weekend's game," Frew told us. It is an interesting approach for the club to take but it is one that will undoubtedly have an impact on the nearby community and the boys’ maturity levels on and off the pitch.

Frew added: “I teach them through that, that it's very, very important to respect everyone around about you and have that discipline. We're very big on that.” The tone of discipline has clearly been set, and this culture around the club is one that is sure to see them progress.

Good luck to Craig and Jack and all their teams for the 2015/16 season!

Having played for one of the first incarnations of the team, Woodwynd Wolves' Dale Young has now been nominated for a Scottish FA Grassroots award. This is a recognition of amongst other things, the development of his players at a youth level before they reach 11-a-side. 

"It's also to deal with basic issues in the area as well and just to let them have fun when they're playing football," Dale said.

Working hand in hand with father Colin, Dale was one of the first boys through the system, which saw him involved in the travelling under-19 squad that visited the USA to play in Canton, Michigan for the Canton Cup back in 2010.

Youth Football Scotland also asked a very modest Dale why he thought he had been recognised. "I think I was nominated for the award because of the work that I do with the kids. I don't mean to blow my own trumpet sometimes but I do think I get them to a decent level before they go and play football and I do think I've coached quite a lot of boys in the past that have got on to further levels as well, so I think maybe that's got something to do with it," he said. 

Dale’s hard work and determination is clear to anyone involved with the club. "If I win this award it will be everything. It will mean a lot to me because the amount of work and hard work I've put over the past nine years for it all. It would mean everything to me."

But it is not just the Wolves that Dale is involved in. On Monday nights, Dale runs a soccer school called ‘Tekkers’ in Kilwinning. It is free, and any child can join, regardless of whether they play for the Wolves or not.

"All they need to do is turn up. Just turn up to Tekkers on a Monday night and they can start from there," Dale said.

The school teaches skills from all over the world, Dale told us. "It just gives the kids a chance, instead of learning Scottish coaching, a wee bit of variety, and it means that they can learn new skills as well to go home and practice with."  As well as learning Brazilian styles of football, there is also Dutch skills and Asian skills which have recently been introduced. 

But Dale does not think it will just help young players on the pitch. "It gives them a chance to learn and get new friends as well and interact with different kids," he said.  "It gives them more confidence it makes them learn and develop new skills freely on the park that they maybe never tried before in Scottish football."

Good luck to Dale and his team for the upcoming season!

Click here for Woodwynd Wolves interview video.

Football can divide opinions. I currently sit next to a colleague who supports Hibs and Manchester United. I support Hearts and Liverpool. Four sets of fans who share more than just a sporting rivalry. But yet we can sit and talk about football all day, because we share a love of the game. It is this love that Community Development officers such as Colin Young have used to help bring communities together and keep kids safe. His work with Police Scotland, the SFA and Woodwynd Wolves FC has benefited the entire area, communicating and interacting with thousands of kids in North Ayrshire.

It started back in 2009, when ‘ACES’ was tasked with helping the area, which Young honestly described as, “a bit of a state”. With help from other coaches, he built a team of under-19s to go and play in a tournament over in Canton, Michigan. They did well and this got the metaphorical, and literal, ball rolling. Young explains, "They [the original u19’s] became a wee bit too old so we started an amateur team for those kids, and some of those kids stayed, and then coached other kids. Other kids wanted to be involved, other kids wanted football teams. So that’s where Woodwynd Wolves came from."

The club was born but wanted to develop further. This is where the SFA started to help, appealing to leagues to try and get their teams involved in the Quality Mark Award Scheme. But for Young, the Quality Mark is not just about building the reputation of the club.

"I think it’s very important. It shows that parents know, we know what we’re talking about. We’re not just somebody off the street. We’ve got all our qualifications, we’ve got all our risk assessments, safety things in place, insurances, disclosures - everything that’s important to parents nowadays," Young said.

There are other benefits of the Quality Mark too, he explains: "We got full sets of strips for the kids which saves us an absolute fortune. They’re good quality stuff, it’s all high brand, quality material. We get access to further training, and we get access to discounted courses as well which all helps introduce new coaches into it."

The safety of the kids is of paramount importance to Young, who was also heavily involved in North Ayrshire’s ‘No Knives, Better Lives campaign’. "We approached Police Scotland about three years ago with a notion of a Wayne Rooney type thing, ‘Street Soccer’, using road signs, buckets, tyres etc. We were going to build a course, and then we were going to take that around schools. The Chief Inspector at the time decided that that would be a great vehicle for the ‘No Knives’ campaign, so he got in contact with them, and we spoke to them. They were more than happy for us to carry that throughout the schools."

Despite initial problems, the campaign went on to be a huge success, with a 57% drop in knife crime and 21% drop in violent crime in six problematic areas within North Ayrshire. In 350 stop and searches carried out, no weapons were found on teenagers. It’s a hugely impressive statistic given the state of affairs just a few years ago.

But it’s not just the youths that ‘ACES’ wanted to target. "We have the Silver Citizens - we’re not allowed to call them ‘pensioners’ - Lunch Club. We have them in for a games day, and we have street dancing on a Thursday," Young said.

The whole community has become involved, even out with football, although that is still one of the most important things to Young.

"If they can go out there and come off with a smile on their face, we feel as if our jobs done. If it’s get to a stage where it’s so competitive that kids are getting worried about playing football, then personally I think that’s the wrong attitude. I think it’s time that we say “right look guys, you’re out there to have fun, regardless of the scores”. I know that’s not easy always to say to kids but really regardless of the scores if they’re coming off with a smile on their face, they’ve enjoyed the training, they’ve enjoyed the football."

Longside BC had a mixed season last year, taking a while to get into the league but finishing on a high with a five game win streak.

Paul Robertson, coach of the 2001 side, said: "We started slowly, easing into the season, some playing 11-a-side for the first time, and took time to adjust to the change."

"However, we finished the season very well winning our last five games, proving that progress was made."

The end of the season came at the wrong time for the side, but they will now look to "start the season how we finished last season".

"We are aiming to finish higher up in the B League and be in contention for the league." 

Regarding last season, Paul said: "We were still finding our feet in the 11-a-side game but we are now bigger and stronger, and hope to be more of a force this season. We also hope to bring in some new players and work with the squad and provide a solid future in football for kids in the area."

Transfer talk is all the rage in Longside at the moment, with quick, attacking player Alex Keith said to be the main target for the club. 

"We haven't signed anyone yet, however we have invited some players to training over the past few weeks and are keen to strengthen the club," Robertson said.

"We have continued to train throughout the summer holidays, working on fitness and ball skills and have arranged two friendlies before the new season begins."

Good luck to Longside BC for the upcoming season!