Midfielder Ben Osborn says the show has shone a light on the kinds of problems that his company EFD Sport & Education, encounters every day through the work of its seven-strong team of mentors.
Ben, who also played for Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United, balances his playing career with running his firm alongside Jack Andrews, who was a former teammate when the two came through the ranks at Forest.
Its mentors regularly go into both primary and secondary schools across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire to work with students, delivering a personal development curriculum which uses the power of sport to help to improve their behaviour, attendance and engagement.
Their work means Ben and Jack have met thousands of young people over the past few years and listened to their stories of what it’s like to grow up in the UK in 2025.
And, he says, their experiences strongly resemble those encountered by the characters in Adolescence, as well as those raised by former England football manager Sir Gareth Southgate, who used his Richard Dimbleby lecture to warn of the dangers of toxic online influencers preying on young people.
Ben said: “Adolescence has brought so many worrying issues into the mainstream and everyone is talking about it, but we’ve been seeing them every day through our work in schools for years now.
“I’m always shocked by the amount of time young people are spending on social media and the effect it has on them, especially when you see how they are being influenced by the negativity and how it’s affecting their attitudes and self-esteem.
“I’ve spoken to people who’ve seen the episode when the police go into the school and they think it’s unrealistic. But we visit schools first-hand and it’s true to life, plus they’re telling us how it’s led to a record high number of school suspensions and an increase in permanent exclusions.
“Adolescence is a very difficult programme to watch but I’m pleased that it’s showing people what life for some young people can be like. We’ve been talking about this for a long time and people are now seeing that for themselves. That’s very welcome, but it’s long overdue.”
Ben, who grew up in Spondon and is a Derby County fan, first came to prominence when he broke into the first team, before breaking Rams fans’ hearts by scoring a last-minute winner for Forest at Pride Park in 2015.
He signed for Derby last year and, although currently injured, is still very much a part of the first-team picture at the club and will be giving it his all to ensure the club avoids relegation from the Championship.
While Ben went onto enjoy a successful professional career, Selston-born Jack was released by Forest when he was still a trainee and went onto play for a host of non-league clubs, including Boston United and Alfreton Town.
At the same time, he started going into schools to offer football coaching, which is when he went into business with Ben, who had done his own football coaching qualifications with an eye on moving into management at the end of his playing career.
After a few years they recognised how the students they were working with were benefitting in their lives in other areas away from sport and realised this was due to the relationships they were building with the coaches.
And so, working alongside Ben’s wife, Laura, who has years of experience within the education sector, they changed the emphasis of their company.
They put the onus on positive mentoring and using sport as a vehicle to deliver personal development with the aim of inspiring and creating positive change within young people.
Jack said: “That was a big turning point for us, because we realised how much young people just needed someone outside their family who was interested in them and wanted them to succeed.
“We both recognise ourselves in the young people we work with and that makes us appreciate what we had when we were younger. We had adults who made sure we had discipline and support and who were there to point us in the right direction.
“It’s only now that we realise how much of what they did was the kind of mentoring that other young people don’t have, and what a positive effect it’s had on both of us in all areas of our lives.”
Ben added: “I remember being their age and how when you’re that age you’re rebelling against your parents. I’m lucky, my parents set boundaries and at Forest they made sure you trained right, ate right and had the right outlook.
“Once I was dropped from the team because I was late for training on one occasion and it felt unfair at the time, but looking back I can see everything was put in place to guide and support us and I know I wouldn’t have achieved what I had without that kind of mentoring.”
EFD Sport & Education employs seven mentors, all of whom have a background in sport and who grew up in the same kind of communities as the students they’re working with.
Jack said: “They’re quality coaches who reflect the values we want to equip the children with. We are all relatable and we focus on relationships because that builds positive rapport, which is the first step to change.
“We’ve all got stories of kids who we’ve helped. I remember one boy who went out of his way to come and find me to say that his Mum said she was very proud of how he’d turned his behaviour around.
“Then he thanked me for all the support I’ve given him. These are the small immeasurable elements of our role that mean so much to us and it’s those small wins and finding success in the everyday that can help kids make huge strides.”
Among the schools EFD Sport & Education works with is West Park School in Spondon, which is also Ben’s old school.
Its students are working with EFD Sport & Education mentor Alex Kiwomya, another former professional footballer who came through the ranks at Chelsea and played for Doncaster Rovers and Crewe Alexander.
He is also the nephew of former Ipswich Town legend Chris Kiwomya.
Scott McGregor, head teacher at West Park, said: “Many students’ lives are being affected by social media and they lack meaningful relationships in their lives, which is where Alex and EFD Sport & Education come in.
“They emphasise the power of relationships and they depend on those relationships to give children what they need to overcome challenges.
“This is something we’ve never had before and as a result we’ve seen our children become more open and interested in other aspects of school.”
To find out more about EFD Sport & Education visit www.efdsportandeducation.co.uk