To think the majority of kids can get into "invite only" football development programmes

[Futb0l]

I have a year 2 DS. He doesn't play at a football club or team but lots in his class do - 10 out of 15 or so boys.

This year lots of parents have dropped into conversations that their kids are now "at an academy", or "at an invite only team". 6 so far have mentioned this, and referred to their boys as being "advanced".

I don't really get this. How can you be "advanced" if most kids are 😂

Do parents really fall for this shit? It seems like there's "academy" spaces for any kid who tries for one & these programmes are pretty expensive.

AIBU to think these programmes are really common and most kids can play at a good enough level to "pass" the trial?

The ones near us (our nearest prem club is 2 hours away) are definitely money makers. But they do get opportunities to go to premier league stadiums and play on their pitch soemtimes. And the children that go do seem to develop skills etc ( but is that just because they have extra training 🤷‍♀️)

I’m a football coach. The reality is there are loads of these ‘pathways’ and ‘academy’ springing up - there are tons of commercial companies promising that they have selected your child on their potential.

they all charge. Out of our squad of 18 u12s we have 11 players in one of these as well. They’re decent players but not one would be good enough to get on an actual Profession team pathway in an Academy.

in 6 years we have had 1 girl go to a real academy, and as soon as they do they have to drop all grass roots football.

so yes - most kids who are half decent can get into one of these ‘selective’ programmes.

my advice? If your kid loves football and wants to do extra training, and you can’t afford the extra fees and the kit- let them. Just don’t bang on about them being in an ‘academy’ because they aren’t really.

Can afford the extra kit! You’ll be paying fees, paying for kit, maybe paying for activities on top.
biting a shame as grassroots football is actually usually very cheap and inclusive for kids from families who aren’t so well off.

I handed out letters at school this week for a local Saturday morning football 'academy'.

If it's not a club academy then it's just the name the local classes have chosen to give themselves.

Club academies are different. The childen practice several times a week, prioritise it over all else and we have to fill in reports for the club and comment on things like conduct/behaviour at school, whether homework is completed on time and their progress/attainment at school. The narrative is that, unless they show that they are still performing well at school and are a decent person who is kind to others and hasn't let it go to their head, they will be kicked out.

Most of the kids who go to the local academy won't get anywhere near club academies.

Basically - if you’re paying for it, it’s not a genuine talent academy! They have funding, money, provide kit, help with travel, make sure training isn’t too often or too much, and insist your kids still focuses on school or is in their school programme.

I don't know what it's like in football, but my DS is in a swimming club where you have to pass a trial. I can only imagine that everyone who doesn't instantly drown passes the trial, because he is not great! It's good exercise though 🙂👍

I have taught a couple of kids who went on to play professional football. They were noticeably better than their peers by a very early age.

All of my DC play football and have done for years. It's quite unusual for a child to be picked for city or United academy. I can only think of 2 that I know out of about 80 plus kids my children have played with 9ver the years. 6 is highly unusual and probably a bit different to what we have here.

Yes I agree OP! I definitely see this where I am.

my DS plays with the ‘elite development centre’, which the majority of the boys on his football team also play for… it’s not that elite. There is also an academy run by the local professional team, that is harder to get in to & they do genuinely turn kids away, but again I think 3 boys in DS’s class play there with him.

I’m really surprised that schools provide reports for academies! Are the academies not attached to professional clubs, ie. big businesses? Why would a school provide confidential (?) information?

And beware the companies that are promising that they can get your child a football scholarship in the USA!

Alessia Russo did, THATs the level you have to be to get a good one, someone who played for England from u15.

Those companies are expensive - and unnecessary… we have a girl on route to that without any other company involved - she’s 14 now but she is immensely talented, trains 6 out of 7 days, is on a genuine academy pathway and this is her ambition. She also has to keep her academic grades up.

And she has to do this for another 4 years, before she even knows if she’ll be successful. The FA ask grassroots coaches throughout your child’s career to nominate players with genuine skill & potential for trials. If your kid is good enough there are real ways for them to realise their potential IF. And I mean IF that’s what your child really wants.
Academies spit out most of the children they take in - for all sorts of reasons.

I know what you mean OP, it seems to happen around year 2. Suddenly the local club isn't good enough for their future Rooney, it's all about how they've been invited, selected, chosen and how their rugrat is the most talented player they've ever seen. When the reality is 1/2 the class are also in the academy. 🤷🏻‍♀️

‘I’m really surprised that schools provide reports for academies! Are the academies not attached to professional clubs, ie. big businesses? Why would a school provide confidential (?) information?’

in agreement with the child parent and schools. The FA are aware that most children WiLL. NOT become a professional footballer which means they need a good, well-rounded education. They have a responsibility to make sure the children aren’t giving everything else up.

A friends child was asked to trial for a Premiership club academy but the FA have said they can’t accept a place unless the family are willing to move closer to the training facility - they aren’t - because the commute would be too far for the kid to sustain school and training there.

Are they saying academy though? To me that means attached to a pro club. Grassroots clubs often have a development / advanced squad to differentiate those who are above average for their age and playing on a team versus just coming to weekly lessons. Not everyone gets on the teams near us but obviously that leaves lots that do so better than average but not amazing! Out of the approx 30 boys in my year 2 boys I think about 6-7 play on a team. Some wouldn’t be interested and some would be but may struggle to find one to take them as limited spaces, which is a shame. There is also a not huge but noticeable difference between the 1sr and 3rd team at his club but they are all in the ‘development squad’. Yes we pay but for 2x training a week with lower numbers than the regular classes and match fees I am happy with that,

Honestly I’m surprised so many parents are apparently aspirational about their kids getting into football. I know it can result in a vast fortune for a very few people, but such a hideous environment/culture around the sport. I would far rather my son excel at pretty much any other sport (perhaps bar boxing for obvious reasons!)

Yes I agree with you have seen these kind of things advertised. One of my children has just been invited to trial for a PL coaching thingy, have only done the trial and it seems to be good quality coaching so am planning to sign up and pay up and see how it goes.

‘Are they saying academy though?’

Yes, in my experience. That’s what these companies call themselves - ‘Academy’ or ‘Elite’ or ‘select’ sometimes ‘Pathway’ and of course the parents buy into it. You would.
You’ve been told your child has been chosen, has trialled and succeeded.

They don’t mention That almost everyone gets in, even the more ‘select’ ones let most in.

Our local Premiership club has an ‘elite pathway’ - part of their foundation/ charity arm- you trial and pay to train. Most clubs have them now as a community thing. It’s the level below ‘development’ pathway - you pay to train still in development - which itself is below the actual Academy.

Our entire team could easily get into that ‘elite’ pathway off the back of a trial, but god don’t the parents go in about it! It’s extra practice, which is great, run by qualified coaches but it’s rare a player moves up from it with that actual club.

The actual Academy is the real deal, incredibly hard to get into - you need skill, talent, focus, potential, solid academics, mental fitness, resilience, physical fitness. And each year they decide to keep you or boot you. And each year more and more kids are waiting to take your place.

I don’t have any experience of this, but famously Arsene Wenger (distinguished PL football manager) said in an interview that age 7 is what he considers to be the cut off for football talent. If they are not discovered and nurtured by age 7, they have a very slim chance of becoming a top footballer.

So I disagree with PP about elite academies etc. being only a bit of fun in primary school. It obviously isn’t for all boys.

‘don’t have any experience of this, but famously Arsene Wenger (distinguished PL football manager) said in an interview that age 7 is what he considers to be the cut off for football talent. ‘

well thats a load of shit! And an incredibly old fashioned way of looking at it. If anything kids should be encouraged to play different sports, have other hobbies too - well rounded, happy, secure adults, athletes included, come from having a chance to thrive and be themselves.
Not being hothoused at 7 …

I think these pushy parents need to be really careful they are not screwing up these kids all ways up.

There is a lad who was in my dds class at primary, got picked for a championship development squad at about 9yrs old - all great. He moved to secondary and was put in the top sets for maths and science. He's still in a squad although has switch teams a couple of times I believe. However he only does 4 days a week in school - 1 day at this academy, and is now in the bottom set for maths and science, in Year 10, so GCSEs next year. He will be lucky to get GCSEs in maths/english/science or anything else. So let's hope he gets his place in the premiership as he is going to find it very difficult back in the real world in a couple of years if he doesn't.

‘I think these pushy parents need to be really careful they are not screwing up these kids all ways up.’

That goes for all sports, no? My kids play cricket and tennis too, and I see the little 5/6 years olds at tennis having 1-on- 1 lessons with club pros… or the little boys, and now girls, in the nets at cricket day in day out with the club pro there…

pushy parents are everywhere but then there are many, many elite sports people who credit their success to a pushy parent…

@Bibisitsnow if you read the rest of my post you'd understand what I meant.

My kids are both 'decent' swimmers. They swim at club and county level but the eldest certainly won't make nationals. So conversations have been had about putting education first, taking advantage of opportunities to coach, lifeguard etc whilst continuing in the sports they love.

I'm not saying a primary aged kid shouldn't play whatever sport at whatever level and be the best they can be. I just think there is a balance.

I think the OP however is talking about a complete con of a system which is nothing to do with sport and more to do with lining the pockets of those involved which is very sad.

‘‘I think these pushy parents need to be really careful they are not screwing up these kids all ways up.’

well, that’s what you said so…

Many use the term 'academy', and they are not associated with a professional club. They cost a fortune, and a very small percentage (0.5%) of the players actually go on to play professional football. It's basically a money making scheme that many parents fall for! My advice, let the players play with their mates with their grassroot teams.

The poster has a good point. The types of "academy" the OP is referring to accept anyone, it's not about talent or ability. However, many parents seem to think acceptance to these money making schemes is a sign that their child will be the next Rooney. The pressure some parents put on their children to excel is immense, and in a lot of cases the child is never going to be able to live up to the expectations their parent has.

‘My advice, let the players play with their mates with their grassroot teams.’

As a football coach I wholeheartedly agree with this! Learning to be part of a team, exercising, learning how to handle losing as well as winning, having fun, realising that being successful doesn’t always mean being top of the league or winning the cup = happy, well rounded kids and adults.