Instead of thinking "are we making the right decision?", we should be asking "what is the decision we feel most comfortable with right now?" And once that decision has been made, ask "How do we make sure, we make the most of the opportunities that flow from that decision".
We need to develop a 'turn-back time' before reaching a scholarship or a professional contract. Set out, before the ascent begins, what the young player and family are happy to carry on with and what they are not.
I have launched a four-part online course, which builds on the live sessions I have been doing in clubs. It is for young players and their families to engage with and gives a clear set of frameworks to assess whether university is right for you.
The unintended consequence of this concoction is that someone who is perhaps not ready for university feels compelled to go to university at an institution that is not fit to support them in their development.
I help young players and their families to "look both ways as they cross the road". I want young players to go through their football journey knowing the full story, taking a more evidence-based approach to their career planning.
When becoming a professional player hangs in the balance or someone has decided to release a player and becoming a professional seems further away than it did before, I have found it useful to explore with a player why they want to be a professional.
Some clubs strive to develop the person before the footballer; some do not. The problem is that you don't know which club you are at until it is too late. Are you at a club that has a person-centred culture, or are you at a club that delivers what it has to, and that is your lot?
Players are often expected to balance their intense training and match schedules with their educational requirements. Yet, for many, the experience of formal education is far from a positive one. Last week, a parent of a player asked me how I explained this. What a good topic for a blog!
Love it or loathe it, the process of growing up and developing socially involves discovering our own spaces. It is something that has occurred in countless generations. But for young males who commit to professional football clubs, the process is different.
Perhaps the biggest lesson from this is that as a parent/guardian/family member, you need to understand this could be the culture of an academy, and watch for instances of it.
Whether this environment should be like this is a matter of wider debate, and plenty of debate exists. For us, however, at this point, what is important is that it is like this. This is an environment that you will have to thrive in to succeed in football
I thought I would put together a post that gives you an overview of the Relative Age Effect and how it might, ultimately, help you understand aspects of your child's development.
Often too proud to show weakness in a sport linked with masculinity, young players risk feeling isolated. My transition from academy to first-team football taught me that these experiences are shared by many, regardless of their career path.
