The First Seven Years - Footy Nippers

Welcome to Episode 5 of The First Seven Years - the show where we explore movement, culture, coaching, confidence and child development during the most important stage of life: The First Seven Years.In this episode, Jimmy Farquhar and Troy Nathan unpack "The hidden cost of getting early years sport wrong".They explore how dropout doesn’t happen overnight, how negative early experiences quietly stack up, and why many children disengage emotionally long before they ever quit physically.You’ll hear:✔ Why early dropout starts much earlier than we think✔ How “I’m not sporty” narratives are formed in childhood✔ Why comparison and public failure moments stick✔ What “over-coached and under-loved” looks like in early sport✔ How systems prioritising performance over belonging push kids away✔ Why early specialisation increases burnout and long-term dropout✔ The powerful link between early participation and lifelong activity✔ The long-term emotional cost when early sport goes wrongResearch consistently shows that children who regularly participate in sport between ages 3–12 are up to 2–3 times more likely to remain active as adults.This isn’t about blame - it’s about awareness.Because when we get early experiences right, we don’t just build better athletes - we build healthier humans for life.Whether you’re a parent, athlete, coach, educator, or someone passionate about helping kids thrive, this episode will change how you think about early sport and long-term participation.ABOUT FOOTY NIPPERSFooty Nippers is an early childhood sports and cultural education program for children aged 18 months to 7 years old, combining Māori storytelling with rugby-based play to support children’s physical, social and emotional development.👉 INTERESTED IN OWNING A FOOTY NIPPERS FRANCHISE?If you want meaningful work, your own business, a source of strong income, a highly rewarding lifestyle and the chance to positively shape children’s futures in your region, we’d love to talk.Enquire today about bringing Footy Nippers to your city.

Welcome to Episode 4 of The First Seven Years - the show where we explore movement, culture, coaching, confidence and child development during the most important stage of life: The First Seven Years.In this episode, Jimmy Farquhar and Troy Nathan unpack why confidence must come before competence in young children and why getting that order right matters more than most people realise.They explore how children learn emotionally before technically, how fear shuts movement down, and why confidence is the gateway to curiosity, effort and long-term engagement in sport and life.You’ll hear:✔ Why confidence comes before skill development in young kids✔ How confident children explore, try more and learn faster✔ Why fear and judgement shut movement down✔ The importance of effort over outcomes in early childhood✔ How safe environments accelerate learning✔ The long-term impact early confidence has on school, sport and social settings✔ Why confidence isn’t accidental - it’s designedWhether you’re a parent, athlete, coach, educator, or someone passionate about helping kids thrive, this episode will change how you think about early development.ABOUT FOOTY NIPPERSFooty Nippers is an early childhood sports and cultural education program for children aged 18 months to 7 years old, combining Māori storytelling with rugby-based play to support children’s physical, social and emotional development.👉 INTERESTED IN OWNING A FOOTY NIPPERS FRANCHISE?If you want meaningful work, your own business, source of high income, a highly rewarding lifestyle and the chance to positively shape children’s futures in your region, we’d love to talk.Enquire today about bringing Footy Nippers to your city.

Welcome to Episode 3 of The First Seven Years — the show where we unpack movement, culture, coaching, confidence and child development during the most important stage of life: The First Seven Years.In this episode, Jimmy Farquhar and Troy Nathan explore why former athletes often make exceptional coaches for young children. They discuss the athlete mindset, the power of mentorship, and how lived sporting experience helps build confidence, trust, and resilience in the early years.You’ll hear:✔ Why the athlete mindset translates so well into youth coaching✔ How ex-players naturally become strong mentors for young kids✔ The role of discipline and resilience in early childhood development✔ Why children respond positively to coaches with lived experience✔ The importance of trust and validation in coaching young athletes✔ How Footy Nippers supports ex-players transitioning into coaching rolesWhether you’re a parent, player, retiring athlete, coach, educator, or someone passionate about youth development, this episode offers valuable insight into why ex-players can have such a powerful impact on children in their early years.CHAPTERS00:00 — Introduction and Episode Overview02:15 — The Athlete Mindset and Coaching05:30 — Mentorship and Youth Development08:45 — Building Trust and Validation12:00 — Discipline and Resilience in Coaching15:15 — The Role of Ex-Players in Youth Sport18:30 — Transitioning from Player to Coach21:00 — Conclusion and Future DirectionsABOUT FOOTY NIPPERSFooty Nippers is an early childhood sports and cultural education program for children aged 18 months to 7 years old, combining te reo Māori storytelling with rugby-based play to support children’s physical, social and emotional development.👉 INTERESTED IN OWNING A FOOTY NIPPERS FRANCHISE?If you want meaningful work, a highly rewarding lifestyle, and the chance to positively shape children’s futures in your region, we’d love to talk.Enquire today about bringing Footy Nippers to your city.

Welcome to Episode 2 of "The First Seven Years" - the show where we unpack movement, culture, coaching, confidence and child development during the most important stage of life: the first seven years.In this episode, Jimmy Farquhar and Troy Nathan delve into the challenges facing early years sports. They discuss why movement and culture should come first, the impact of digital distractions and the importance of tailored coaching approaches to foster confidence and social development in young children.You’ll hear:✔ The necessity of prioritising movement and culture over competition✔ How digital distractions are affecting youth engagement in sports✔ The role of sports clubs in fostering social development and community✔ Why coaching should focus on participation and confidence-building✔ The power of storytelling in engaging young athletes✔ The critical involvement of parents in youth sports coaching✔ How Footy Nippers supports foundational skill developmentWhether you’re a parent, coach, educator, or simply someone passionate about youth development, this episode provides valuable insights into the current state of early years sports and how we can improve it.CHAPTERS00:00 — Introduction and Episode Overview02:15 — The Importance of Movement and Culture05:30 — Challenges in Recruiting Youth to Sports Clubs08:45 — Digital Distractions and Engagement12:00 — The Role of Sports Clubs in Social Development15:15 — Coaching for Participation and Confidence18:30 — The Power of Storytelling in Sports21:00 — Parental Involvement and Coaching Approaches23:00 — Conclusion and Future DirectionsABOUT FOOTY NIPPERSFooty Nippers is an early childhood sports and cultural education program for children aged 18 months to 7 years old, combining te reo Māori with rugby-based play to support children's physical, social and emotional development.👉INTERESTED IN OWNING A FOOTY NIPPERS FRANCHISE?If you want meaningful work, a highly rewarding lifestyle, and the chance to positively shape children’s futures in your region, we’d love to talk.Enquire today about bringing Footy Nippers to your city.

In our very first episode of The First Seven Years, Jimmy Farquhar and Troy Nathan explore why the early years are the most important stage of childhood and why movement and play matter more today than ever.We dive into the foundations of Footy Nippers, the powerful connection between movement and confidence, the role of Māori culture in building identity and belonging and the growing challenges facing young children in a screen-heavy world.You’ll hear insights on:Why movement is the strongest predictor of early developmentHow play with a ball builds confidence, coordination and joyThe cultural values that help tamariki (children) feel grounded and connectedThe early childhood challenges families are facing globallyHow Footy Nippers supports kids, parents and communitiesIf you care about children’s wellbeing, early childhood development, or building confident young kids through movement and culture, this first episode sets the tone for everything to come.Chapters00:00 - Introduction to The First Seven Years 02:55 - Foundations of Footy Nippers 05:43 - Cultural Impact on Youth Engagement 08:38 - The Role of Movement in Early Childhood 11:46 - Addressing Modern Challenges in Child Development 14:54 - Building Strong, Kind, and Confident Kids 17:39 - The Global Appeal of Māori Culture 20:39 - The Vision and Mission of Footy Nippers 23:38 - Franchise Model and Community Impact 26:37 - Conclusion and Future AspirationsFooty Nippers is now expanding globally.Interested in bringing our early-years movement programme to your community?We’d love to hear from you.