The Go Play Soccer Story

For millions worldwide, soccer is more than just a game; it's a way of life. Go Play Soccer founder Stephen Romp, a native of the United Kingdom, embodied this from a young age.

As a child, Saturday mornings were devoted to school soccer matches. In the afternoons, he represented a senior side in the fiercely competitive Sussex League. Sundays brought yet another senior game. This relentless schedule entailed three games per week, complemented by club practice and personal skill development during the week.

But Stephen's ardent love for soccer didn't simply develop from this regimented training and playing schedule. Even when he wasn't participating in an organised match, he would invariably be found in his parents' backyard or the local park dribbling a football.

In these early years, practice facilities were not always readily available, pushing Stephen to become creative in honing his skills. This ingenuity would serve him well, shaping the ball skills that would become his signature on the soccer field.

He understood developing skills required a rigorous work ethic and relentless practice, that this also produced technical acumen, mental resilience, and personal confidence that are the cornerstones of success in this demanding sport.

With a football attached to his feet, he devised his own games, especially when a solid wall was nearby, offering both a partner and an adversary. This was the foundation of his soccer journey—a relentless pursuit of excellence through unwavering commitment, creativity, and an undying love for the game.

Stephen moved to Australia with his parents as a teen and continued to play soccer at State League (now known as National Premier League (NPL)) until the age of 32, afterwhich he concentrated his energy on building his corporate success. But after 15 years off-the-field, he was drawn back to his love of soccer, gaining accreditation and coaching junior (12-16yrs) and then senior teams.

What he discovered was a huge discrepancy in the quality and technical soccer skills of senior players; that they didn’t have the foundational skills necessary to play effective soccer.

After a range of discussions with other coaches Stephen decided to take positive action and develop Go Play Soccer.

Stephen believes in the power of learning and self-improvement. Just like any pursuit, success in soccer requires continuous learning and honing the required skills and technical knowledge to play at a higher level.

Go Play Soccer skills training app aims to empower junior players and their parents with a structured curriculum for junior players’ skills' development. This enables the Junior players to track their progress year on year.

We believe, to grow the game of soccer in Australia and world-wide, we need to switch our focus from elites and concentrate on the grassroots. This is where the foundations of success and a lifelong love for the game begin - in the backyard doing soccer dribbles.