At this time of year, much of the focus is on retaining and releasing, and it has been the centre of most of the work I have done over the past few weeks. Parents contact me because they have received a decision from a club, and it isn't the news they hoped for. How can we begin to deal with this?
Why do players want to be professionals?
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.
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Education in Academies
At the heart of this issue is a fundamental misunderstanding of the relationship between education and professional football. So let me be clear on this. Undertaking education alongside your playing career makes you a better player.
Why the academy system is dead
While I believe the academy system will still be there in 20 or 30 years, and I see there are many good people working in it, it is outdated, misfocused and, in many cases, irrelevant.
Three Essential Lessons for New Football Scholars
A football scholarship isn’t just about the game; it is about growing into the kind of person who can thrive on and off the pitch throughout a career.