We know that many young players have begun to disengage with education before they undertake their scholarship. We know that then they will be 'spoon fed' their education at an academy developing in them 'learned helplessness'. Despite this, we know that they will pass the qualifications.
In recent months, it has become clear that the financial rules clubs have to abide by have constrained them to sell academy players. But, why is this the case?
If you are a scholar, you will encounter authoritarian leadership. You need to be prepared for that or you will not last long in that environment
It is just as important to prepare yourself for getting a professional contract as it is for not getting one. There are few places this applies more than when it comes to the financial aspects of a career.
Have you ever wondered what a young player thinks they need from their support network?
What does leisure look like for young players? A wealth of free time after training? Latte's at the local Costa? Shopping for 'drip'? The reality might surprise you and it is something young players and their parents and guardians must understand.
There are some inherent dangers in this project and other collaborations seeking to attract young people who have been released from professional football clubs. Players and parents need to understand these dangers.
In this blog, I share some of the research I have done over the past 15 years in this area and serve up five ‘need to knows’ about life in an Academy.
This is the time when the Under 18s (and a handful of others) find out if they are to be awarded a much coveted professional contract. These months are the point they’ve been focusing on for the past two seasons. What happens to them all?
