Raising my son alone, feel like a huge failure!

[Starabella]

My 10 year old son has come home from school today in floods of tears because nobody picked him for their team of football again and then when they are playing football, nobody passes the ball to him.

He says he's the worst at it in his class and that all the boys talk about football all the time and he can't join in the conversation. I've brought him up completely by myself(I don't know anything about football) and don't have any other family members to teach him and I just don't know what to do to help him. I looked into classes for him but all the ones in our area are either for little kids or like a professional club for kids who are good already, there's nothing in between.

I try to reassure him that he's good at other things and that football is not important but he's feeling really left out.

There's a real problem for boys who don't play football well, or who are not interested in it.
If your PE lead at school is any good, they might be to help with a club ,or extra coaching or something - have a chat to DS's teacher and ask if they have any suggestions, and take it higher if you need to. No decent school should be seeing children excluded without taking steps to deal with it.

When you say professional clubs do you mean like the local teams? If so then contact one of them for his age group and explain your situation to them.
Most local teams will be willing for him to join as long as they’re not over subscribed even if it’s just for the training sessions for now until he’s got the confidence to play the matches.
Even if you have to go to next village/town it will be a brilliant way for him to make new friends as well.

Yes, there is only one local "professional " team and it's hugely popular, they only take the boys who are the best. I know they have a huge waiting list but in a way, I think joining something like that would maybe knock his confidence further? He's so down on himself. I will start looking at neighbouring towns though, maybe there will be something.

The school won't help, it's a tiny school with all female teachers and no proper PE teaching. The boys are playing football in break times and after school.

I’d definitely look into neighbouring towns then instead and if he doesn’t know anyone there then he might not feel as though he’s got so much to prove and it will take a bit of the pressure off him.
Both of my boys play football, it came naturally to my oldest who’s been playing since he was 5, he’s now 13 but my younger boy is 7 and only just started, might sound a bit harsh but I can see the difference between my 2 boys and it doesn’t come as naturally to my younger one but he’s having a good time and the whole point of doing it is to get better.
You’d be surprised what a difference you would see in him within a few weeks of training.

Put some buckets on their side and get him to shoot footballs into them. Gradually move the buckets further away. Watch some YouTube training skills videos together and then practice with him in the garden or park.

Nobody is born knowing how to play football, you have to learn and practice. Just because you don't know anything about it now doesn't mean you can't learn and teach your child.

https://youtube.com/shorts/am9EUnURrC8?feature=shared