OPN Launches Grassroots App

OPN, the digital sports infrastructure company, has launched a new grassroots app to help young players, parents, coaches and clubs bring performance, development and team management information into one connected platform.

The new product, OPN PLAY, will take OPN’s Digital Athlete Passport concept, already used across professional football, into the grassroots and youth game, giving players a record that can grow with them as they move through different clubs, teams, trials, development centres and academy environments.

The app has been designed for grassroots club administrators, coaches, parents and players, with each user able to access information relevant to their role.

Players will be able to build a digital football profile covering fixtures, appearances, goals, assists, coach feedback, training activity, development information, video clips and personal milestones.

Parents will be able to see their child’s schedule, availability, tasks, payments, club communication and wider football activity in one place, while coaches and club administrators will be able to manage squads, fixtures, attendance, match reports, playing time, payments, memberships, safeguarding information and team communication.

The launch builds on OPN’s work with more than 50 professional clubs across the UK and its role as Official Digital Athlete Passport partner of the Professional Footballers’ Association pre-season programme for out-of-contract players.

Aaron Wildig, who had a 15-year professional playing career with clubs including Cardiff City, Shrewsbury Town, Morecambe and Newport County, said the new app would help bring better organisation, visibility and player development support into grassroots football.

He said: “Grassroots football is where so many players fall in love with the game, but it is also an environment where parents, coaches and volunteers are often doing everything with very limited time and support.

“We wanted to bring the principles behind the Digital Athlete Passport into that space in a way that feels useful, simple and enjoyable rather than clinical or complicated.

“This is about helping players build a record of their football journey from an earlier age, while giving parents, coaches and clubs better tools to manage the practical side of the game.

“A young player might be at a grassroots club, a development centre, a trial event and then hopefully an academy environment. Too often, information gets lost between those different settings, so we want to help create a smoother pathway where the player’s record can travel with them.”

The app will include grassroots club management features, social and team communication, calendar functionality, availability tracking, payments, match reporting and player development tools.

For more aspirational players, optional development features will support areas such as nutrition logging, recovery guidance, wellness check-ins, strength and conditioning, athletic profiling and preparation for trials or academy opportunities.

The app has also been designed to recognise the realities of grassroots football, where one person may be a parent, coach, club volunteer and committee member at the same time.

Wildig, added: “We know grassroots football relies on people who give up their evenings and weekends to keep clubs running. Coaches are often coming straight from work into training, parents are juggling family logistics, and clubs are trying to manage payments, safeguarding, fixtures and communication.

“The best technology should make that easier, not add another layer of admin. If we can help coaches plan sessions, track minutes, manage availability and give feedback more easily, the benefit should be felt by players, parents and clubs.

“At the same time, we want young players to feel they are building something that belongs to them. Their passport should show their progress, their memories and their development, whether they stay in grassroots football or move into a professional pathway.”

The grassroots app has been built with complete synergy between OPN’s youth and elite products, allowing player information to develop over time rather than being lost when a player changes club or environment.

OPN’s core platform is free to use, with the company developing optional value-added services, integrations and partnerships around the wider athlete management ecosystem.