My 10 year old nephew has a under 10’s contract for football academy- how important is this?

[YIP]

As Above and my DB is over then moon as am I. DN works and trains really hard abd I hope this is the start of something big for him. It’s not exactly a top club, it’s division 2, but it seems like they take a lot if you gets on and they don’t all make it. I’ve known of a few kids who have been realised but they were a lot older, say 16/17/18.

I’m clueless about football but am I right to think this is big news for DN being so young, should I assume he must be really good to get signed to the academy?

I’m so proud of him and hope he gets to do his dream job as an adult but I’m thinking statistically the competition is so high. DB has got him signed off for a premier league club and I’m thinking if this doesn’t pan out there will be so many tears.

Any experience?

Depends on the academy. Southampton is the one you want. Note that all other football usually stops, no more grassroots or playing for the school team. It can be a fabulous experience but very few kids make the big time, so be prepared for that.

It’s lovely news but you’re right the odds aren’t high of him making it. My friend’s son was signed for an academy at 7, and stayed for years making it through every selection process. And then suddenly at 15 he was out. He was absolutely devastated but it is what it is. A tiny tiny tiny percentage make it.

It means he’s better than average. It’s nice but it’s very early in a very long journey that could be over soon. Work on his resilience as the chances of him actually me asking it are so slim.

You all need to calm down. I’m saying this nicely. He’s done well to get picked up by academy but the amount of players that go all the way through and become professional is tiny, like about 2% or something, you should be able to google. They drop kids regularly and it can be heartbreaking.

He needs to see it as a great experience and opportunity but his family need to keep his and their feet on the ground. He’s on a pathway which is great but he still needs to work hard at school etc because the statistics would suggest he won’t be a professional footballer by the time he’s 20.

They all need to keep their feet firmly on the ground.

Through DS playing football I know of several kids who signed for Premiership and Championship academies between the ages of 7 and 11. They are all 17 or 18 now and not one still plays for a.profrssional team.

My friends sine has signed with Bolton and Man City, he wants Man Utd, sure it's nice but doesn't mean much in the scheme if things. They take on hundreds and 1 or two might make it. My nephew was with Villa from 7 - 18 and never got an adult game.

There is a great book that is useful to read called “No hunger in paradise”.

Well, if he’s been scouted by a club he’s got more chance of being a footballer than lots of others.
When I was growing up I knew 2 boys who were part of the Birmingham City Academy - one went on to play for the senior team for a season or two then stopped getting picked, he can always say he was a professional footballer but he didn’t have a stellar career.
The other was my brothers best friend, he was scouted in junior school then dropped just before they sat GCSEs - poor lad failed all his exams, and he just stayed home all the time,as he didn’t care all he had wanted to do was play football and being told he wasn’t good enough destroyed him at 16.
So what I’m saying is it can go either way, make sure he knows there is more to him than football but also someone has to be the next superstar.

Lovely news, but be prepared.
There's a couple of programmes that have followed young kids in academies; worth a watch as they show the warts and all reality, and the fact that it doesn't always end in the dream.

Lots of children play for these academies & very few end up as footballers. Yes, it means he's very good, but so are many others. Lots can change as they grow up. I'd make sure he enjoys the opportunities and experience but don't pjn all his hopes on it.

A lot can change between now and 18. If it is Crewe’s academy, then it’s a fantastic set up & absolutely the best in the lower leagues, consistently on par with some Premier League.

As long as he is enjoying his football & applying himself, then that’s all you can ask for.

I used to work at a university that ran sports and sports management degrees. The cohorts were full of kids who’d come through football academies but for one reason or another hadn’t made the grade, some from very big clubs. Some were very bitter about the experience and it took them a long time to come to terms with the rejection. So yes, it’s great for your nephew, but make sure he has academics to fall back on, because most of even the exceptional players don’t hit the big time, and that’s before you throw in the possibility of injury or illness.

At that age most children are eventually rejected. It can be brutal too (someone I know turned up for training with their son to be denied entry with no other communication).

I've also met so many fathers who sucked all the joy out of the sport because they only saw their son as potential income.

It's still exciting but at 10 it's best not to let it take over your life.

Support him. Celebrate with him. Make sure he has a life outside of football.

Encourage non-football related activities.

Foster academic interests and work experiences (when he’s older).

This simply means that he has some natural talent and ability. But to actually „make it“ he also needs grit, determination and a lot of luck. Very very few do.

I live in Manchester and its very common for boys to be picked for city and united youth teams. Child in question usually gives it their all until they are dropped. I know a 14yo offered private education by City. The team continue to pay even if he gets dropped. I reckon he's got as good a chance as any of making it big.

I do feel badly for the young boys because they really do think they are going to go all the way. Still, in it to win it.

I don't know what youth team you're talking about.

My friends dd signed to Bolton wanderers girls youth team. I don't know if she is still there.

It's like any sport. Many try but few make it to the top. Can have fun on the way!

Yes and no. At his age it is fab he is better than average but kids develop at different rates so he may continue to improve or he may stagnate in his development.

most children who play in the academies are the same standard as very good school footballers who don’t- they are just the ones who happened to have been seen playing by a spotter. There are a huge amount of very very talented footballers at school level who are at the level below making it the big time. Most of them who end up at the academies are essentially the fodder to play with the 1 or 2 who the club is developing to make it to the big time.

your nephew should just enjoy the experience. Work hard but don’t expect a career out of it unless in about 10 years they are clearly the star player.

Yeah it’s a great start but I echo what most others have said.

Academies are divided into Categories. Category 1 being the highest. It generally follow the premier league clubs, but there are exceptions - Norwich and Reading are examples. Kids don’t generally jump up a level but can go down.

In my sons group (he is at a Cat 1 academy) there is a small handful who are still there from the age of 10. Puberty has a lot to answer for. Or kids lose interest, or they don’t develop like they should.

If I knew then what I know now I think 10 is really young to start. There are very high expectations and it’s serious business. Quarterly reviews, school reports, post game reviews etc. mentally it’s pretty tough on a kid so you have to be strong. It’s a business not a fun place to play footie anymore if that makes sense.

Scholars are told at 16 if they have been offered. Can you imagine being there 7 years and then being told you didn’t make it?

Congratulate him and then put your feet firmly back down on the ground. Make sure he keeps up his school so that football isn’t his whole life if it doesn’t work out. Good luck to him.

All it means is that a parent will do a lot of travelling for training and matches. Less than 3% of players actually play for a football league team. A lot of players are selected just to make up the numbers, so the really good ones have players to play with.

It is brutal. One player who just finished training was told he was no longer required. He was so upset that he crashed his car on the way home. He was only 17 and had only just passed his test.

I think you all need to relax and let him just enjoy playing. It doesn’t mean he’s going to be the next big name on 500k a week.

Please, please don’t make this bigger than it is. I say that with immense kindness. My DB got picked for a club Academy and my dad spent hours taking him to and from training in the week. He eventually got released for being “too small”, it was absolutely heartbreaking and I’m still not confident at the age of 40 he will ever be completely over it.

His chances of making it a slim. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but you must not set him up to fail if it doesn’t. Emphasise other things in his life - like doing well academically and other sports/interests while still trying hard with his football. I wish him the very best with it.

I know entire families that have basically pinned all of their hopes and financial dreams on one child doing well in a sport and it’s absolutely horrible to watch.

I worked for a (very good) football academy for a few seasons and it was an eye opener. I ended up coming to the conclusion that that isn't something I would want for my child and I think if I was your DB I would be handling this really carefully.

Not many children get in, so you are absolutely right to be proud. But, for the ones that do, it becomes the focus of their whole lives and every season people get dropped.

To be a good footballer, you need to be excessively confident and competitive, this is encouraged and does result in most of the kids developing some less than charming personalities. It certainly didn't seem to foster the development of empathy or kindness.

As they get older, time commitments rise and by 16y/o scholarship boys it forms part of their schooling. But every season kids are let go and there are really very few that end up staying from u10s intake. A lot of the kids identities are formed around being an academy footballer, so being let go is devastating, especially when they are teens. Sometimes its not even their fault, they just get injured and arent worth rehabbing.

Often schoolwork is neglected because of time constraints and the priorities the children are encouraged to have so by the time they are let go they are disadvantaged. The success rate in those who make it to the seniors squad is also poor. Academies and grassroots teams are staffed by failed footballers who did a couple of seasons professionally for low division teams, got let go and realised they didn't have the skills to do anything but coach.

My experience of football academies was that they harm kids futures more than they help them. Your DB needs to have a think about how he can mitigate any harm to your nephew and make sure he has the skills, resilience and academics to cope when this likely doesn't work out.

Yeah I see this all the time. Also depending on the position of your nephew there are height expectations - keeper for example where you have to be at least 6 feet. Same for defender.

They take parents heights, kids heights, scans and formula to work this out. This is serious business.

Having said all this kids have to maintain academic stability and the academy will include school reports on the reviews.

Squad numbers are limited as they can only have a certain amount of kids (FA rules) so if there are a lot of kids there may be a development team. So effectively a B team who may be able to punch up over time.

This is great advice and echoes a lot of what is being said.

Overall, football shouldn’t be your nephews life. All of these kids have worked really hard and put on a tremendous amount of effort.

We say to our son. ‘Enjoy the ride and when it ends think of all the brilliant experiences you will have had”. We have NO expectations on him and he is just enjoying playing at the highest level. His grades are really good and he is involved in his school. He loves football but he is very well rounded.

I agree with @Honestlyhonee . For now it means your DN is good for his age and is doing great!

My son played academy football from 8-16 and then was released. He was released a few months before GCSEs which was hard.

However, he is doing fine and the combination of his academic studies and football skills now mean he is at college in the USA on a soccer scholarship. So new opportunities have come from all that football at a young age.

My advice would be to recognise that he is doing great but don't let football become his whole identity. It can be hard as academy football is very time consuming and can also give you some status at school. But ensure that he keeps working at school and getting his grades. Don't use social media to boast about how great he is or only talk with friends and family about his football activities and nothing else. Also try to not take each game too seriously or overanalyze everything he does - some dads are awful for this and it is not helpful if parents are overinvested.

Academy football is hard work but they learn great skills and you get to visit and play in European tournaments and lots of exciting premier league academies in England. But the child's wellbeing, especially mental wellbeing, is the most important thing. They need to have a life beyond football. Those from my son's cohort who are thriving are those that had academic skills too or who didn't pin everything on 'making it'. There is life beyond academy football for those whose resilience and mental wellbeing allow there to be, and parents should encourage this from day 1.

There was a really good Netflix series I think it was Netflix, may have been Chanel 4) following the Crystal Palace academy kids. It is brutal.