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?

At my sons trials there were definitely boys who didnt get in there was no calling it a trial just for the sake of it. 47 trialed and they only needed 28 for 2 teams.

I take my D's to toddler football. I wanted him to be able to kick about on the playground when he starts school.

There are dads there that have bought their sons entire kits with matching boots and spend the 40 mins berating their child, their THREE YEAR OLD for not getting goals etc. The dad's also turn up on a kind of football manager outfit. It would be funny if it wasn't for the poor kids getting shouted at.

My boy has got into a premier league development centre and a championship development centre. They call them ADC,s . My son was getting frustrated at his grassroots team because the players didn’t play the game properly ie passing and were just head down and take the whole team on dribbling. It’s dad’s coaching that have no qualifications and in my opinion can (not always) do way more harm than good. Good coaches are extremely hard to find, ones that make training and matches fun and take away the anxiety, ones that nip it in the bud if other players are being nasty, ones that actually have a really structured training program.

my boys good, I know it and people tell me . To give him that opportunity to advance I took him to some trails and it was a different level and he loved it(but was nervous) I had to pay yes life’s not free and they have to cover costs. It’s 150 quid for 16 sessions. That’s dam cheap for what you’re getting . My grassroots team is £320 a year for some shouty dad to coach them on some field cover in dog mess . The development centre has many coaches! I think it’s 8-1 ratio and great 4g pitches . Safeguarding is priority.

I think there is a lot of jealousy in football that’s the problem. We should pat people on the back not put them down if they want to better themselves . There are academies that are just businesses but the ones joined to clubs are serious in my view . There’s so much talent but it’s never really known until they are 16/17 and nearly fully grown . Kids change as they grow so these clubs cast nets catch a lot of fish and take there chance . The thing every parent MUST do is manage expectations and check themselves to make sure there kids actually is doing it for themselves and not to please their parents . A key indicator is do they watch football tricks on you tube , do they collect cards , do they play with there mates , do they play fifa .

My son plays for a private academy that we pay a smallish monthly fee for.
He is a great little player but at 9 years of age we are under no illusions that he is the next Ronaldo, he just absolutely loves playing football. He plays grassroots as well, but his team generally annihilate everyone they come across so the private academy means he can play at a more competitive level which he loves. We are also in Wales where it's non-competitive until they're 11/12 with grassroots so this is the only way he can take part in proper competitive tournaments which he adores.
He's made some great friends and while he enjoys it, we will take him along.

There are academies that are just businesses but the ones joined to clubs are serious in my view .

My son played for the Arsenal, Watford and Luton development centres and I'd say they were all money making schemes. Our experience was that the coaching was pretty average, they actively encouraged dribbling over passing and it wasn't great value for money.

The club academies you don't pay for are entirely different and that gives you some odds (albeit a tiny one) of making it. One of my son's school friends plays for England U18s and has just been signed by Man City but he had to essentially give up on his schooling to do that. Fair play to them but I wouldn't be willing to take that risk.

Totally agree, I think they use these development places to yes maybe catch a big fish but also I think they use it to train up the young coaches . I found the ones my boy went too utter rubbish for what it was made out to be. Slightly better than grass roots but utter rubbish to what they make out . They look for these kids that can dribble like messi but these kids are not team players as they are just head down go it alone . My boys the opposite, why dribble went I can pass to him run up the field get it back and score . Every kid plays different and you need an array of different players but these so called talent spotters are just ego trips .

There are a huge amount of independant ‘academies’ around which you have to pay for - these are not true academies.

EFL academies are categorised and you do not have to pay for anything. Nothing. Not the kit, or the pitches, or the coaches or any fees.

if you are paying it’s an independant which anyone can create. EFL academies for example Category 1 are places like Liverpool, Chelsea, , Southampton, Reading etc. They are the premier league for kids.

Dont get me started on the parents who think their kid is the next Messi. Most of these academies run independently won’t produce kids who are scouted and trial at a cat 1 for example which is less than 1% of all kids.

That’s interesting. My son’s old team was JPL and we had Arsenal, Chelsea, Southampton. reading, QPR, Oxford. Watford, Tottenham, Wimbledon acouts at our games regularly.

Four of the boys have now been signed to Category 1 academies for this so it’s a good ground for scouting.

I find football and competitive football parents absolutely awful. We've had (in Cheshire) parents booing at Under 7s. I mean, come on.

Hockey and cricket parents are so different.

I find gymnastics another one where it's invite / expensive. One of the clubs here looks for an 8-16 hour commitment from age SIX.

I'm all for kids who love the sport having a healthy attitude to fitness and sport. But the parents pushing. OMG just stop embarrassing yourselves 🙈😂