Officers set up lessons at the beginning of the summer to give youngsters in Warblington and Denvilles something to do.
Based at Warblington School, girls and boys aged between nine and 16, were given the chance to train with Havant and Waterloovi
lle Football Club coaches.
The weekly sessions meant the youngsters were not hanging around the streets and getting into trouble.
Acting Sergeant Rob Swift-Simmons said reports of youngsters being a nuisance were now much lower than the same time last year.
'The idea behind the football programme is for police and youth staff to engage with local youngsters and give them something constructive to do with their time,' he said.
'Youngsters in the Warblington and Denvilles area have no immediate access to open space or green areas for sport and outdoor recreation within their neighbourhood and so this initiative helps them to play constructively without causing antisocial behaviour or being a nuisance to anyone.
'It is hoped that this programme will help to build a sense of community within the area and further ties between local policing teams and youths and their parents in the Warblington and Denvilles area.
More than 20 young people took part in the sessions which culminated in a big tournament at Warblington School last week.
The sessions will continue and police hope that in time the parents will take over running it.
PC Sarah Woodley, from Havant Safer Neighbourhoods Policing Team, said: 'This shows how much can be achieved for very little money and with some community spirit.
'Without the help and support of the community this event wouldn't have been the success it was.'
The full article contains 295 words and appears in NS-Final newspaper.
