Max Mishcon

Football has been ever-present in my life. It’s how I made all my friends, it’s how I keep fit, it’s how I express myself. I’ve always felt like I’ve belonged on a football pitch.

I've spent seven years coaching football, from performance squads to private sessions to school settings, gaining my UEFA C licence along the way. But it's the other side of my life that really shaped NDFL.

Autism spans across both sides of my family and it’s something I’m deeply interested in. I studied Education with Psychology at the University of Bath in order to research more about autism and develop my theoretical knowledge. I now work as a Form Tutor and HLTA at one of the UK's leading schools for autistic pupils, helping me to gain practical knowledge too.

Somewhere in the alchemy of these two worlds, I started noticing a gap. So many autistic children simply weren't getting the chance I'd had. Mainstream football sessions can be competitive, frenetic, and insensitive. And when children can't access something because of how it's set up rather than what they're capable of, that's not a "them" problem. That's a design problem.

So I set out to fix that.

NDFL exists to provide a dedicated space to help nurture autistic, neurodiverse and SEN children to be confident, make friends, enjoy playing football and embrace all the parts of themselves that make them unique.

That means no pressure to compete, no fear of getting it ‘wrong’, It means specialist, experienced coaches who understand sensory needs, communication differences, and that a good session looks different for every child in it.

Football also teaches us so much in terms of teamwork, overcoming adversity and self-belief - this is something we put a big emphasis on as we aim to develop our players as people, not just footballers.

Our sessions are meticulously planned and adjusted to ensure each child, and the group as a whole feels safe, engaged and excited playing football.

With parents, we always aim to listen first, and do everything in our power to give your child a session dedicated to their goals and needs. We aim to give you peace of mind… and a rest!

Feel free to contact us to ask any questions or to book a session, and I hope to see you somewhere along the way of NDFL’s journey!