Leah knew something had to change when her son Jayden started coming home from school quieter and quieter. “He was pretty quiet at home towards his dad and I, spoke when spoken to,” she remembers. But it wasn’t just the silence that worried her, it was watching him get in trouble for what she calls “stupid things, things that most boys do.”
Being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Saying the wrong thing at the wrong moment. For a teenage boy with ADHD navigating a traditional school system, these minor infractions were adding up to major consequences. When the school took away futsal (the one thing Jayden actually enjoyed) as punishment, Leah realised they were stuck. “He wasn’t getting anywhere at school, didn’t want to go, and we could see we were all just going around in circles.”
Fast forward less than a year, and Jayden has helped lead Men of Business Academy’s inaugural futsal team to second place at the Queensland Representative School Futsal Championship, earned selection for the Queensland state side as the first name on the list, and transformed into what his mum describes as “a great young man.” More importantly, he’s talking again. He’s confident. He’s thriving.
The path to MOB Academy wasn’t something Leah and her husband had planned. They “stumbled across” MOB teacher and Futsal Coach, Alistair, when he was coaching Jayden’s Sunny Coast u15/16s futsal team at the 2023 Queensland championships in Toowoomba. Something about the way Alistair interacted with Jayden caught Leah’s attention. “We could see immediately that he had an understanding of Jayden,” she says.
When Alistair mentioned MOB Academy, Leah didn’t dismiss it. “We had nothing to lose as parents. It was either keep going around in circles for the next two years or try something different.”
For Jayden, the decision was harder, he’d be leaving his friends behind. Still, after his immersion day with coaches Ricardo and Alistair, something shifted. “Every day he met someone new and not once did he not want to go back,” Leah recalls. Within weeks, she’d watch him “dab up 5-6 boys” as she picked him up from the tram.
For Alistair, meeting Jayden at that tournament was the beginning of watching one of his most rewarding coaching journeys unfold. “I don’t think you probably would have admitted it, but you weren’t enjoying school,” Alistair tells Jayden now. “It just didn’t suit you. And that was impacting so many other things, your club football and your futsal as well.”
The transformation happened quickly. “He started talking to us more, which was a big thing,” Leah says. For parents who’d grown used to one-word answers and silence, hearing their son open up again was profound. His confidence grew alongside his self-belief.
At MOB, Jayden found something he hadn’t experienced at his previous school: staff who were, as he puts it, “more respectful and open.” An environment where he could concentrate better, where getting up and moving around wasn’t treated as defiance, where his ADHD wasn’t something to be managed with punishment but accommodated with understanding.
“I just feel more comfortable,” Jayden says simply. “I can be myself more.”
He even made the decision to stop taking his ADHD medication, something that’s only worked because he’s learned to regulate himself in an environment that supports him. “When I was on my meds, I felt like I was just down. I had no energy, didn’t feel like doing anything,” he explains. “Now I feel more comfortable doing stuff and just have a bit more energy.”
“He became more mindful of others and matured into a great young man a lot quicker than I thought he would,” Leah says.
Jayden has been playing soccer since he was five, competing at a high level for a decade. But as Leah points out, something fundamental had shifted: “It’s the way he conducts himself now that is the difference.”
“There were parents from random teams that came up and said, ‘Hey, Jayden was amazing. He was the best player on the court,'” Alistair remembers. “That was the game that actually secured your spot.”
Against Sunny Coast in the finals, Jayden scored four goals. “It was a bit of a challenge, but it was fun to have that competition,” he says.
The success of MOB’s futsal program in its inaugural year is remarkable by any measure. Starting from scratch at the beginning of 2024, the team went from losing more than they won to finishing second in the state championship and qualifying for Football Queensland National Titles in November. But the real story isn’t in the wins, it’s in how the team learned to handle losses.
“We would either win games or get pumped because the mental side wasn’t as strong as it could be,” Alistair explains. The turning point came when the team, and particularly Jayden, learned to regulate their emotions under pressure. “Now, when we stuff up, we’re stronger. We just keep playing.”
For Jayden, that mental resilience has been transformative. “I don’t get as mad when we lose now,” he says. It’s a skill that extends far beyond the court, learning to work with players of varying skill levels without frustration, staying calm when things don’t go to plan, lifting others up instead of letting disappointment drag everyone down.
That emotional regulation hasn’t just helped Jayden manage himself, it’s helped him become a leader who can do the same for others. “I think everyone else’s growth is down to you also being a level head on the court,” Alistair tells Jayden.
The pride in Alistair’s voice is unmistakable when he talks about Jayden’s journey: “We’ve had people who know Jayden through futsal circles come up saying, ‘Gee, he’s changed so much, both on and off the court.’ At our last comp, that was the best futsal I’ve seen you play.”
When asked what MOB Academy gave Jayden, Leah’s response captures something essential: “MOB Academy gave Jayden the environment he needed to become the young man he is. He has respect and love from teachers that I don’t think he has felt before. Accountability for his actions as a person and player and the empathy for others.”
The paradox is that Jayden hasn’t fundamentally changed, he’s still the same kid who plays soccer and futsal, who has ADHD, who sometimes gets frustrated. What changed was the environment around him. Instead of being punished for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, he’s supported. Instead of having the things he loves taken away, he’s given more opportunities to pursue them.
“I have no doubt MOB is a big reason behind the rise of my child,” Leah says. “He is more confident, resilient, independent and just more capable in life.”
For other parents watching their sons struggle in traditional school environments, Leah’s advice is straightforward: “I would wholeheartedly recommend MOB Academy to anyone which traditional school doesn’t suit.”
Jaydens goal is simple, “Keep playing, definitely. Try and go professional probably.” With nationals on the horizon at the end of November, the future looks bright.
The real victory isn’t measured in goals or trophies. It’s measured in a young man who’s found his voice, a mother who doesn’t have to watch her son go quiet anymore, and a community that proves education can, and should, work differently for different students.
As Alistair reflects on the journey: “I watched you come from when we first met to now, and it’s just such an amazing transformation. You should be proud of that.”
About MOB Academy’s Futsal Program
MOB Academy’s futsal program trains twice weekly on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, with tournament play throughout the season. Under the guidance of head coach Alistair and assistant coach Ricardo, the program develops technical skills, mental resilience, and emotional intelligence, preparing students for success on the court and in life. The team will represent MOB Academy at the Football Queensland National Titles in November 2024.
Is your son going around in circles at his current school? Sometimes trying something different is exactly what’s needed. Contact us today to book a tour and discover if MOB Academy is the right fit for your family.
